42d Electronic Combat Squadron

The 42d Electronic Combat Squadron a United States Air Force unit. Its current assignment is with the 55th Electronic Combat Group, based at Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona.

Mission
Provides the 55th Electronic Combat Group with combat ready EC-130H COMPASS CALL trained aircrews. Directs all EC-130H aircrew initial academic and flying qualification, difference and requalification training for 20 different aircrew specialties with more than 200 aircrew students trained annually. Provides registrar support to students. Maintains quality control for all aspects of contracted aircrew training and manages courseware development for 17 Air Combat Command-verified syllabi. Provides the group with simulator support for both continuation and initial qualification training.

History
Established under VIII Bomber Command, Continental Air Forces as a very long-range strategic reconnaissance squadron. Equipped with B-29 Superfortress bombers converted into F-13 reconnaissance/mapping configuration. Was designated to operate from Alaska, however squadron suffered from lack of personnel due to demobilization after the end of World War II, never became fully operational and was inactivated in August 1946.

Cold War
Reactivated as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe in March, 1954 at Spangdahlem AB, West Germany. Equipped with RB-26B Invader reconnaissance aircraft, painted in black to perform night reconnaissance which were transferred from the 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron when the 1st TRS received RB-57A Canberras. In 1956 the B-26s were sent to reclamation and the squadron was upgraded to the Douglas RB-66C Destroyer. The RB-66C was a specialized electronic reconnaissance and electronic countermeasures aircraft designed for jamming Soviet RADAR. Its mission was to fly with tactical fighter and fighter bomber aircraft and provide an aerial defense. An extensive suite of specialized equipment was fitted to locate and identify enemy radar emissions. Additional ECM equipment was carried in wingtip pods. Chaff dispensing pods could be carried underneath the wing outboard of the engine nacelles. In addition, it was fitted with a removable in flight refueling probe attached to the right side of the forward fuselage.

In 1959 the squadron moved to the United Kingdom as part of a USAFE realignment. The parent 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing was assigned to RAF Alconbury. A shortage of facilities at Alconbury led to the 42d being stationed at RAF Chelveston, about 20 miles west of Alconbury, where it remained as a detachment of the 10th TRW. In 1962 the runway at Chevelston was closed, and the squadron operated out of Toul-Rosieres AB, France, where it operated for a few years as Det #1, 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. On 10 March 1964, a 42d TRS RB-66C deployed to Toul was shot down over East Germany after it crossed over the border due to an instrument malfunction. The crew ejected and were taken prisoner briefly before being released.

These rotational deployments to France continued until October 1965 with the activation of the 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing at Chambley-Bussieres Air Base and the 42d TRS being permanently assigned to the 25th TRW. With France's withdrawal from NATO's integrated military organization in 1966, Chambley AB was closed and the 25th TRW was inactivated. The specially-equipped EB-66C's of the 42d ECS and their aircrews were sent directly to Southeast Asia for use over the skies of North Vietnam and the squadron was inactivated.

Reactivated in 1968 at Takhli Royal Thai Air Base under the 355th Tactical Fighter Wing. The squadron carried out electronic warfare operations over North Vietnam, locating and identifying North Vietnamese radar sites that directed missiles and AAA fire, so that strike aircraft could avoid them. The RB-66C had no offensive capability, so it could not attack the radar sites directly. Squadron were transferred to Korat RTAFB in August 1970. Continued operations until the end of hostilities in January 1973, remained in Thailand until being inactivated in March 1974.

Reactivated in 1983 with EF-111A Ravens at RAF Upper Heyford, England, the replacement for the Douglas EB-66 electronic warfare aircraft. Performed ECM operations for NATO aircraft. Provided electronic countermeasures to US Navy aircraft for combat in Libya, 15 April 1986 as part of Operation El Dorado Canyon. During that mission, the 42d ECS provided three EF-111As plus two spare aircraft to jam the Libyan radar network.

Deployed flights to Turkey and Saudi Arabia in 1991 as part of Operation Desert Shield; engaged in combat operations in 1991 as part of Operation Desert Storm. Eighteen EF-111A Ravens flew over 900 sorties. None were lost in combat, but one was lost in a non-combat related accident and both crew members were killed. The 42d ECS was even credited with a "kill" during Desert Storm. On the night of January 17, 1991, an Iraqi Mirage F.1 flew into the ground while chasing EF-111A serial number 66-0016. Even though the Raven was unarmed and had no air-to-air capability, the Raven crew was given credit for the kill.

Inactivated in 1992 as part of the post Cold War drawdown of the USAF, its aircraft reassigned to the 429th ECS at Cannon AFB, New Mexico.

Modern era
In 1994, the squadron was re-activated and received the Personnel and Aircraft from the 7th Airborne Command and Control Squadron which specifically provided procedural air control via the Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center (ABCCC). The 7th ACCS 'flag' was moved to Offutt AFB, NE and assumed a new mission, the Airborne Command Post (ABNCP) "Looking Glass" mission in support of nuclear command and control for United States Strategic Command, as part of this mission, the 7th ACCS began flying EC-135 aircraft.

The EC-130E ABCCC consisted of seven aircraft that were used as an Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center. The EC-130E is a modified C-130 "Hercules"; aircraft designed to carry the USC-48 Airborne Battlefield Command and Control Center Capsules (ABCCC III). While functioning as a direct extension of ground-based command and control authorities, the primary mission was to provide flexibility in the overall control of tactical air resources. In addition, to maintain positive control of air operations, ABCCC provided communications to higher headquarters, including national command authorities, in both peace and wartime environments.

The ABCCC provided unified and theater commanders the capability for combat operations during war, contingencies, exercises, and other missions. A highly trained force of mission ready crew members and specially equipped EC-130E aircraft to support worldwide combat operations. Mission roles include airborne extensions of the Air Operations Center (AOC) and Airborne Air Support Operations Center (ASOC) for command and control of Offensive Air Support (OAS) operations; and airborne on-scene command for special operations such as airdrops or evacuations.

In 2002, following 6+ years of deployed operations (1994-2000) in the Balkan Area of Operations, the squadron was inactivated. It was reactivated in 2006 as part of the Global War on Terror in order to provide 'schoolhouse training' for EC-130E Compass Call squadrons at Davis-Monthan AFB.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 42d Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Photographic, on 24 October 1945
 * Activated on 7 November 1945
 * Inactivated on 19 August 1946


 * Redesignated 42d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Electronics and Weather, on 11 December 1953
 * Activated on 18 March 1954
 * Redesignated 42d Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Electronic, on 1 July 1965
 * Discontinued, and inactivated, on 22 August 1966


 * Redesignated 42d Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron, and activated, on 15 December 1967
 * Organized on 1 January 1968
 * Inactivated on 15 March 1974


 * Redesignated 42d Electronic Combat Squadron on 23 May 1983
 * Activated on 1 July 1983
 * Inactivated on 1 July 1992


 * Redesignated 42d Airborne Command and Control Squadron on 24 June 1994
 * Activated on 1 July 1994
 * Inactivated on 30 September 2002


 * Redesignated 42d Electronic Combat Squadron on 9 March 2006
 * Activated on 10 March 2006.

Assignments

 * VIII Bomber Command, 7 November 1945
 * 17th Bombardment Operational Training Wing, c. 31 January 1946
 * Second Air Force, 18 February 1946
 * Fifteenth Air Force, 31 March-19 August 1946
 * 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 18 March 1954
 * 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 8 December 1957
 * 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, 1 July 1965
 * 25th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing, 1 October 1965-22 August 1966
 * Pacific Air Forces, 15 December 1967
 * 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 January 1968
 * Attached to 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, c. 21 September-14 October 1970


 * 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 October 1970-15 March 1974
 * 20th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1983
 * 66th Electronic Combat Wing
 * Attached to 20th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 June 1985


 * 20th Tactical Fighter (later, 20th Fighter) Wing, 25 January 1991-1 July 1992
 * 355th Operations Group, 1 July 1994-30 September 2002
 * 55th Electronic Combat Group, 10 March 2006–present

Stations

 * Smoky Hill AAF, Kansas, 7 November 1945-19 August 1946
 * Spangdahlem AB, West Germany, 18 March 1954
 * RAF Chelveston, England, c. 20 August 1959
 * Toul-Rosières Air Base, France, 1 August 1962
 * Deployed at Chambley-Bussières Air Base, France, 15 May-9 October 1963


 * Chambley-Bussières Air Base, France, 1 July 1965-22 August 1966
 * Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 1 January 1968
 * Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 22 September 1970-15 March 1974
 * RAF Upper Heyford, England, 1 July 1983-1 July 1992
 * Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, 1 July 1994-30 September 2002; inactivated

Aircraft

 * B-29 Superfortress, 1945–1946
 * RB-26 Invader, 1954–1957
 * T/WT-33 Shooting Star 1955-1957
 * RB-66 Destroyer 1956-1965
 * WB-66 Destroyer 1957-1960
 * B-66 Destroyer 1960-1966
 * EB-66 Destroyer 1968-1974


 * EF-111 Raven 'Spark-Vark' 1984-1992
 * EC-130E ABCCC 1994-2002

Additional reading

 * Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.