The 552nd Air Control Wing is responsible to the commander of Air Combat Command for the operations, maintenance, logistics, training, and combat support of E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS), Control and Reporting Centers (CRCs) and TC-18E training support aircraft. The wing provides combat-ready theater battle management forces at the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It deploys, operates and supports these forces worldwide ensuring combat capability for all peacetime and contingency operations.
HISTORY
The 552nd Airborne Early Warning and Control Wing was first activated at McClellan Air Force Base, Calif., July 8, 1955. The wing was charged with a worldwide deployment mission. Units of the wing were located in California, Florida, Iceland, Korea and Southeast Asia. The Southeast Asian unit's duties ceased in June 1970, ending more than five years of continuous service and control of more than 210,000 aircraft involved in combat operations, almost 3,300 MiG border warnings, and the successful rescue of 80 downed crew members.
On July 1, 1976, the 552nd Airborne Warning And Control Wing moved to Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., with a new airframe. Its mission was to train crews and to provide maintenance, computer and logistics support for the Air Force's operational inventory of 33 E-3 Sentry aircraft. On October 1, 1991 Headquarters Tactical Air Command redesignated the wing as the 552nd Air Control Wing.
In 2002, the 552nd Air Control Wing celebrated the 25th anniversary of AWACS operations.
ORGANIZATION
The 552nd Air Control Wing reports to the 8th Air Force with headquarters at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. The wing consists of several subordinate units: the 552nd Operations Group, the 552nd Maintenance Group, and the 552nd Air Control Group.
The 552nd Operations Group provides the Combat Air Force with airborne systems and personnel for surveillance, warning and control of strategic, tactical and special mission forces. The group also trains crews for the Air Force's operational inventory of 32 E-3 Sentry aircraft. The group consists of four operational flying squadrons, an operations support squadron, and two training squadrons.
The 552nd Maintenance Group is responsible for all E-3 main operating base logistical support. The group ensures trained personnel, resources, and equipment are available to support national policy and contingencies. Additionally, it provides the industrial base for ACC's largest programmed flying training program. The group is comprised of a maintenance operations squadron, an equipment maintenance squadron, a component maintenance squadron, and an aircraft maintenance squadron.
The 552nd Air Control Group is responsible for operations, maintenance, training, and combat support for three combat-coded Control and Reporting Centers. Additionally, the Group provides software and ground communications for the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System fleet. The group consists of one air control networks squadron, an operations support squadron, one geographically separated training squadron, and three geographically separated air control squadrons.
Finally, supporting the wing at Tinker are elements of the following commands: Electronic Systems Center of the Air Force Materiel Command and the Air Education and Training Command. The U.S. Navy also maintains a liaison office to interface with wing personnel.
OPERATIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS
On March 23, 1977, the first E3 arrived at Tinker Air Force Base. Its arrival ushered in and heralded a new philosophy in airborne combat and forever changed the concept of airborne battle management.
Throughout the remainder of the 1970s, E-3s, aircrews and support personnel from the 552nd Air Control Wing participated in deployments to Saudi Arabia (March 1979) in light of an on-going border dispute between North and South Yemen; to South Korea (October 1979) following the assassination of President Park Chung Hee; and the European theater (December 1979) to conduct joint training operations in Central Europe and the Mediterranean region in support of the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet and allied forces.
In early 1979, the wing assumed a commitment to support the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Today wing crews still stand ready to fly daily on short notice to the borders of the United States and Canada providing additional radar coverage required in defense of the North American continent.
In September 1980, the wing again deployed E-3s, aircrew and support personnel to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation "Elf One (Extended Long-Range Force)" to provide "round-the-clock" airborne radar coverage, and to enhance Saudi Arabian air defenses during the dispute between Iran and Iraq. Support of "ELF One" continued for 8.5 years.
Throughout the remainder of the 1980s, E3s, aircrew and support personnel were deployed to: Ramstein Air Base, West Germany to participate in joint training w/elements of the NATO air defense network (December 1980); to Egypt following the assassination of Egyptian President Anwar Sadat (October 1981); to Grenada (November 1983) to support Operation Urgent Fury; and in support of Operation Just Cause (December 1989). Operation Just Cause was designed to liberate the people of Panama from the grip of dictator and drug-trafficker Manuel Antonio Noriega.
Also in accordance with President Ronald Reagan's National Security Decision Directive in 1986 to further expand its counter narcotic operations, the wing marked the beginning of its' intense anti-drug commitment. Within six months, the wing had assisted in 13 arrests and the seizure of 3,200 pounds of illegal drugs.
Other milestones during the 1980s included delivery of the wing's 25th E-3 in December 1981, which brought a new updated version of the Airborne Warning and Control System, called the U.S./NATO standard, and the wing's redesignation to the 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Division in October 1983. The division was again redesignated a wing, becoming a subordinate unit of the newly activated 28th Air Division in April 1985.
In January 1990, the wing deployed personnel and several E-3s to Roosevelt Roads NAS, located near San Juan, Puerto Rico in response to the expanded drug interdiction missions assigned to the 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing. This deployment, known as Agate Path, established a forward operating base for counter narcotic operations in the Central American region.
In August 1990, following the invasion of Kuwait by Iraqi forces, the wing began its deployment of E-3s and personnel to Saudi Arabia and Turkey in support of Operations Desert Shield and Proven Force, respectively. On January 16, 1991, E-3 support packages of the 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing executed airborne control over several of the initial strikes on Iraq in Operation Desert Storm. Beginning on January 17, 1991, both deployed forces played a prominent role in the successful execution of Operation Desert Storm. The E-3 aircraft and aircrews flew a total of 7,314.7 combat hours during Desert Storm and controlled 20,401 air refueling sorties with tankers off-loading more than 178 million gallons of gas to 60,543 receivers.
In March 1991, after the Gulf War, the wing remained in the Persian Gulf region. Wing personnel and aircraft in Southwest Asia continued a post-war surveillance role, while wing assets in Turkey continued to provide surveillance support for Operation Provide Comfort, the protection of Kurdish refugees.
In October 1991, the 552nd Airborne Warning and Control Wing was again redesignated the 552nd Air Control Wing.
In May 1992, the 28th Air Division was inactivated and the 552nd Air Control Wing was reorganized.
During 1993, the 552nd Air Control Wing continued its worldwide force protection mission in support of Operations Provide Comfort and Southern Watch in Southwest Asia. In January, a 552nd Air Control Wing E-3 flying a "Southern Watch" mission over the Persian Gulf region, guided an air strike against Iraqi ground targets in response to Iraqi violations of United Nations resolutions. Four days later, a wing E-3 guided a United States Air Force F-16 in the interception and destruction of an Iraqi MiG-29. This attack sequence followed a violation of the United Nations' imposed "no-fly" zone over Northern Iraq.
In July 1993, the 552nd Air Control Wing ended its short tenure with the Second Air Force and came under the Twelfth Air Force.
In September 1994, the wing flew 23 missions over Haiti in support of Operation Uphold Democracy from forward operating locations and Tinker AFB. This operation, directed by President Bill Clinton, ousted military leaders to return the duly-elected leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, into power.
In October 1995, the first E-3 AWACS aircraft (tail number 80-0137) to receive the Block 30/35 upgrade rolled out at Tinker Air Force Base. The Block 30/35 comprised the single largest upgrade to the E-3 aircraft ever accomplished. Block 30/35 affected four major subsystems aboard the E-3 aircraft including integration of Joint Tactical Information Distribution Systems, Global Position System, Electronic Support Measures System, and Data Analysis Program Group.
In July 1996, the Air Force Reserve activated the 513th Air Control Group. The 513th Air Control Group worked in conjunction with the 552nd Air Control Wing and the host reserve unit at Tinker -- the 507th Air Refueling Wing. This activation would have a significant impact on the wing's ability to support its mission and improve quality of life for the members of the wing, by reducing the number of temporary duty days the members would endure each year. The 513th's mission would parallel that of the 552nd Air Control Wing. The 552nd Air Control Wing would maintain actual "ownership" of the E-3 aircraft, but would allow the reservists to assist in the maintenance of the aircraft and fly actual missions with the E-3s.
In February 1998, the wing deployed more than 100 additional personnel in response to a buildup in Southwest Asia. Four months later, troops returned as a result of the reduction of forces directed by President Bill Clinton.
In mid-November 1998, wing members were deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Thunder. This operation was in response to United Nations weapons inspectors being expelled from Iraq. One month later, members of the wing once again deployed to Southwest Asia in support of Operation Desert Fox which was also in response to United Nations weapons inspectors being expelled from Iraq, as well as the increase in "no-fly" zone violations.
In March 1999, the commander of the European Command requested that the 552nd Air Control Wing adjust forces in the European theater in support of Operation Allied Force, NATO's response to the crisis in Kosovo. Again in April, the wing received a request for additional crews and aircraft in support of Operation Allied Force.
Also during the spring of 1999, the wing began to see the results of the Radar System Improvement Program (RSIP); the first AWACS E-3 aircraft to go through RSIP rolled out of the hangar. RSIP is a joint U.S./NATO development program involving a major hardware and software intensive modification to the existing radar system. Installation of RSIP enhances the operational capability of the E-3 radar electronic counter-countermeasures, and dramatically improves system reliability, maintainability, and availability.
In February 2001, the 552nd Air Control Wing saw the final flight of an E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System's Block 20/25 aircraft (tail #75-0557). In September 2001, the wing saw completion of the Block 30/35 upgrade when that same aircraft rolled out of depot maintenance.
During March of 2001, in an effort to bring the 552ndAir Control Wing in alignment with the needs of the Expeditionary Aerospace Force, the 960th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron was reactivated and redesignated as the 960th Airborne Air Control Squadron.
On June 14, 2001, the RSIP program reached a major milestone. After more than 10 years and the efforts of hundreds of people to develop, test, produce and field the RSIP capability, Gen. John P. Jumper, Air Combat Command commander, approved the designation of, "Initial Operational Capability," (IOC) of the program.
Another major development in the history of AWACS occurred on September 11, 2001, with the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. The 552nd was one of the first units to be tasked by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to protect the airspace over North America as part of Operation Noble Eagle (ONE). Within hours, AWACS was patrolling the skies over North America in homeland defense. Round-the-clock patrols continued until the Spring of 2002.
By late September, the wing was also supporting the war on terrorism. On September 27, 2001, E-3 aircraft and AWACS personnel were deployed to a forward location in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Also by late September, in addition to AWACS' worldwide taskings increasing, its number of people increased with the activation of 231 members of the 513th Air Control Group, the E-3 associate reserve unit. Both aircrew and support personnel in the 513th seamlessly integrated into operations.
Never in the 52-year history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has the alliance been used to defend the United States, but all that changed on October 9, 2001, when the first of five NATO E-3s and a detachment of more than 180 personnel began arriving at Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., in support of Operation Eagle Assist. This action was one of eight measures taken by NATO in its first execution of Article 5 of the 1949 Washington Treaty that created NATO. Article 5 states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
By the following May, U.S. AWACS had flown more than 590 ONE missions, totaling nearly 7,100 flying hours in support of homeland defense operations. NATO AWACS had also flown approximately 380 ONE missions, totaling nearly 4,300 flying hours in support of Operation Eagle Assist, NATO's support of Operation Noble Eagle. May 16, 2002 marked the end of Operation Eagle Assist, NATO's support of Operation Noble Eagle. NATO E-3s and personnel returned to their home station; however, the 552nd Air Control Wing still supports ONE.
Thanksgiving of 2002 brought another first as a single Airborne Air Control Squadron deployed to Thumrait Air Base, Oman as the sole AACS supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. In January of 2003, 5 E-3s, aircrew, and associated support personnel and equipment redeployed from Thumrait, Oman to Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia to join the largest deployment of AWACS aircraft, personnel and equipment in preparation for Operation Iraqi Freedom.
April of 2003 marked the beginning of the return of the wing from Prince Sultan Air Base and by June all 552nd Air Control Wing aircraft, personnel, and equipment were at home station. This marked the first-ever period of reconstitution for the wing.
After almost 18 months of being at home, the wing re-entered the war on drugs with a deployment of aircraft, personnel and equipment to Manta, Ecuador.
On 8 July, 2005, the 552nd Air Control Wing celebrated 50 years of service to the nation.
In the aftermath of hurricane Katrina the wing flew 16 contingency management missions totaling over 158 hours in 8 days. And again following hurricane Rita the wing flew 14 missions totaling over 117 hours.
In March of 2007 the wing returned to the Middle East flying missions in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.
On 1 May 2008, the 552nd Communications Group was de-activated, and the 552nd Air Control Group was activated in its place. Along with the activation of the Air Control Group came the addition of four active duty CONUS Air Control Squadrons.
The wing operates the world's premier airborne and ground air battle management platforms and will continue to support our nation in that capacity well into the next century.