513th Electronic Warfare Squadron

The 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron (513 EWS) is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 53d Electronic Warfare Group, stationed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

Mission
The 513 EWS is a joint-service unit, and will serve as the sole Department of Defense provider of electronic warfare support for the F-35 joint strike fighter. It will operate the $300 million United States Reprogramming Laboratory, that tests all aspects of the joint strike fighter's electronic warfare capability. Half of the staff will be Airmen, while the other half will consist of Navy and Marine members.

History
Established in the Middle East during late 1942 to aid British Forces during the Western Desert Campaign. Initially equipped with obsolete B-17C/D Flying Fortresses transferred from Tenth Air Force. Replaced with B-24 Liberators flown from Florida via South America; over to then across Central Africa then north to Egypt in early 1943. Became part of United States Middle East Air Forces (USMEAF), later Ninth Air Force.

Operating from bases in British Palestine, Egypt, Libya and Tunisia, attacked shipping in the Mediterranean and harbor installations in Libya, Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy to cut enemy supply lines to North Africa. Struck airdromes, marshalling yards, and other objectives in Sicily and Italy after the fall of Tunisia in May 1943. Reassigned to Fifteenth Air Force in late 1943, and moved to southern Italy. Squadron flew long range strategic bombardment missions to targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, and the Balkans to bomb factories, marshalling yards, oil refineries, oil storage facilities, airdromes, bridges, harbors, and other objectives.

After the German Capitulation in May 1945, returned to the United States; was re-equipped with B-29 Superfortress bombers and trained under Second Air Force for deployment to the Pacific Theater. However with the Japanese Capitulation in August, the training ended and most personnel demobilized by the end of October. Remained in active status but not fully manned or equipped, and subsequently inactivated in early 1946 due to budget restrictions.

Not manned or equipped, 23 May 1947-20 Sep 1948. Practiced electronic countermeasures with B-29 aircraft from c. 1952 until conversion to B-47 Stratojet jet medium bombers in 1954. Between 1954 and 1965, the 513 Bombardment Squadron flew a long series of simulated combat bombardment missions to maintain readiness as a unit of the Strategic Air Command, testing electronic warfare devices and radar techniques, using B-47 and EB-47 aircraft. Inactivated in 1965 with the retirement of the B-47.

Between 1992 and 1997, conducted operational test and evaluation of B-52, B-1, and KC-135 aircraft and support systems.

Activated in Apr 2010 with an electronic warfare mission, reprogramming the F-35.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 513th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 19 Oct 1942
 * Activated on 31 Oct 1942
 * Redesignated as 513th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 23 May 1945
 * Inactivated on 31 Mar 1946


 * Redesignated as 513th Reconnaissance Squadron, Very Long Range, Weather on 6 May 1947
 * Activated on 23 May 1947
 * Inactivated on 20 Sep 1948


 * Activated on 10 Aug 1949
 * Inactivated on 20 Feb 1951


 * Redesignated as 513th Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 25 May 1951
 * Activated on 1 Jun 1951
 * Discontinued and inactivated on 15 Mar 1965


 * Redesignated as 513th Test Squadron on 12 Feb 1986
 * Activated on 1 Jul 1986
 * Redesignated as 513th Engineering and Test Squadron on 15 Apr 1993
 * Inactivated on 31 May 1997


 * Redesignated as 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron on 30 Mar 2010
 * Activated on 23 Apr 2010

Assignments

 * 376th Bombardment Group, 31 Oct 1942
 * 497th Bombardment Group, 1 Nov 1945-31 Mar 1946
 * 376th Reconnaissance Group, 23 May 1947
 * Air Weather Service, 26 Sep 1947
 * 308th Reconnaissance Group, 14 Oct 1947-20 Sep 1948; 10 Aug 1949
 * Air Weather Service, 19 Dec 1950-20 Feb 1951
 * 376th Bombardment Group, 1 Jun 1951
 * 376th Bombardment Wing, 16 Jun 1952-15 Mar 1965
 * Strategic Air Command, 1 Jul 1986-1 Jun 1992
 * Attached to SAC Combat Operations Staff entire period


 * USAF Air Warfare Center, 1 Jun 1992
 * 68th Electronic Combat Group, 15 Apr 1993-31 May 1997
 * 53d Electronic Warfare Group, 23 Apr 2010-Present

Stations

 * RAF Lydda, British Mandate of Palestine, 31 Oct 1942
 * RAF Abu Sueir, Egypt, 8 Nov 1942
 * RAF Gambut (Kambut), Libya, 10 Feb 1943
 * Soluch (Suluq) Airfield, Libya, 25 Feb 1943
 * Benina Airport, Benghazi, Libya, 16 Apr 1943
 * Enfidaville Airfield, Tunisia, c. 26 Sep 1943
 * Detachment operated from Benina Airport, Benghazi, Libya, 3-11 Oct 1943


 * San Pancrazio Airfield, Italy, 19 Nov 1943-19 Apr 1945
 * Harvard Army Airfield, Nebraska, 8 May 1945
 * Grand Island Army Airfield, Nebraska, 25 Jun 1945
 * March Field, California, 1 Nov 1945


 * MacDill Field, Florida c. 5 Jan-31 Mar 1946
 * Gravelly Point, Virginia, 23 May 1947-20 Sep 1948
 * Fairfield-Suisun AFB, California, 10 Aug 1949
 * Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, 10 Nov 1949-20 Feb 1951
 * Detachment operated from Dhahran Airfield, Saudi Arabia, c. 6 Mar-May 1950


 * Forbes AFB, Kansas, 1 Jun 1951
 * Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, 10 Oct 1951
 * Lockbourne AFB, Ohio, 1 Dec 1957-15 Mar 1965
 * Offutt AFB, Nebraska, 1 Jul 1986-31 May 1997
 * Eglin AFB, Florida, 23 Apr 2010-Present

Aircraft

 * B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942-1943
 * B-24 Liberator, 1943-1945
 * B-29 Superfortress, 1945, 1951-1954; B/RB/WB-29, 1950-1951
 * B-47 Stratojet, 1954-1961; EB-47, 1961-1965
 * B-52/B-1/KC-135, 1992-1997
 * F-35 Lightning II, 2010-Present