North American Aviation F-100D Super Sabre FLAG BACKGROUND
by Arthur Eggers
Title
North American Aviation F-100D Super Sabre FLAG BACKGROUND
Artist
Arthur Eggers
Medium
Digital Art - Color Print
Description
With the phaseout of the B-47 from SAC in the mid-1960s, the need for SAC European bases diminished. The Sixteenth Air Force was turned over to USAFE on 15 April 1966 and the strategic focus changed to tactical. Prior to 1966, Torrejón AB hosted TDY squadrons of tactical aircraft rotating from Continental U.S. Tactical Air Command (TAC) bases which would perform 30-day rotations to Aviano Air Base Italy and Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. With the USAFE takeover of the base, TAC transferred the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing from England Air Force Base Louisiana to USAFE on a permanent basis to Torrejón on 27 April 1966, to perform host functions at the base and to support the rotational TDY duty to Italy and Turkey for NATO alerts. Due to the demands of the Vietnam War, the 401st deployed two of its three permanently assigned fighter squadrons (612th & 614th) to South Vietnamese bases (Phan Rang AB and Phu Cat AB). To provide the 401st a full operational capability at Torrejón, aircraft and personnel were transferred on a permanent basis to the 401st TFW from Homestead AFB, Florida (307th TFS) and Myrtle Beach AFB South Carolina (353d TFS). In 1970 the 401st TFW upgraded to the McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II. In September 1973, an equipment change to the F-4C model took place, then in 1979 to the F-4D. As a result of the withdrawal of USAF forces in South Vietnam, on 15 July 1971 the 307th and 353rd TFS were returned to their home bases, and the 612th and 614th TFSs were assigned to Torrejón. Also in 1972, individual squadron tail codes were eliminated and "TJ" became the tail code for all 401st TFW aircraft.
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April 5th, 2021
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