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A COMPLETE GUIDE TO USAFE'S ROLE IN THE COLD WAR​

1. Aviation Features
2. A complete guide to USAFE's role in the Cold War

By William Noble
12th July 2022
FEATURE

William Noble looks back on the role played by the USAFE during the first Cold War which officially lasted from 1947 until 1991.

The Berlin Blockade​

The Berlin Blockade, aka, Operation Vittles was the first major crisis of a fledgling ‘Cold War’ which history has officially allocated a start date of March 12, 1947. Running from June 24, 1948, to May 12, 1949, the Berlin Blockade was a total disaster for the Soviets from an economic point of view, but politically, it had given them a new ideology, the weapon of fear.

Both fear and anxiety would serve the Soviets well during the forthcoming Cold War between east and west. It would be a long grind, a period in which nations with a capitalist bent would go head-to-head with communist-driven countries, posturing as if they were at war, but not actually involving the catastrophe of an armed conflict resulting in a third world war.

Soon after NATO was established, the United States created the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP) designed to shoulder the financial burden of re-equipping and modernising the new NATO members’ armed forces. Among the early generation jets brought to Europe was the F-84 Thunderjet, seen here during weapons trials. USAF

Formation of NATO​

The way the Soviets had behaved during the latter stages of World War Two, specifically towards the population of Berlin and in the immediate post-war period caused great consternation to politicians and public alike. There was a distinct feeling in central Europe, that a third world war, instigated by the Soviets could occur at any moment and something needed to be done to calm the situation. In a wise move, western leaders gathered and jointly agreed to defend western Europe from a Soviet attack. And so, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) was born. The agreements were signed in Washington DC on April 4, 1949, by the leaders of 12 countries: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Great Britain, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Iceland, and the USA. The theory behind NATO was that an attack on any one of these countries would be defended by the other eleven.

Not long after NATO was established, the United States created the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP) designed to shoulder the financial burden of re-equipping and modernising the new NATO members’ armed forces. As well as ships and tanks, aircraft, such as the T-6 Harvard and Lockheed T-33 were made available in their thousands to help countries re-establish a new pilot training programme in preparation for the early generation jets such as the Republic F-84 Thunderjet and North American F-86 Sabre.

The Soviet’s surprisingly quick development of nuclear weapons caught the United States on the back foot and the Cold War began at a delicate phase. The USAF’s Strategic Air Command (SAC) had just 30 nuclear weapons at its disposal in April 1948 and it is quite likely that the bulk of these were in England and Germany. On top of that, the USAF only had 32 B-29s converted with a nuclear capability and the majority of these were based in Germany.

The fragile political relationship between the French Government of Charles de Gaulle and the US administration of the day led to frequent and sometimes hurried locations of USAFE units in Europe. This image shows F-84G, serial number 51-1231 of the 48th Fighter Bomber Wing at Chaumont Air Base, France, in 1953. USAF

The rapid strengthening of USAF’s Strategic Air Command (SAC)​

Having held a lead of just two years in the nuclear arms race, the Pentagon’s military planners had to act quickly to match the threat from the east. It was SAC that would see the bulk of these changes, the mainstay of its aircraft being the Boeing B-29 and B-50, both approaching obsolescence in their original bomber roles. Replacements were in hand in the shape of the North American B-45 Tornado, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet and the colossal Convair B-36 Peacemaker.

The early 1950s evolved into a particularly uncomfortable period for the United States because of the Korean War which began on December 15, 1950. Six months into this conflict, President Truman declared a state of national emergency resulting in the defence budget rising from US$13bn (1949/50) to almost US$50bn (1952/53). The huge increase was needed to finance big plans by the USAF and the US Army. The latter being expansion to 52 divisions by the end of 1952 and the former growing to 94 wings by the same period.

After World War Two the United States Air Force in Europe (USAFE) had been reduced to a record low. By the end of the Berlin Airlift, the 3rd Air Division was formed to control all B-29 operations from England, but this was quickly changed to a single command and came under USAF control. As such, the USAFE had only one air division, the 2nd AD, located at Landsberg near Munich. The 2nd AD consisted of 366 aircraft located at Fürstenfeldbruck, Giebelstadt, Landsberg, Neubiburg, Rhein-Main, Templehof and Wiesbaden in Germany and Tullin, near Vienna in Austria.

The USAFE was also in dire need of modernisation and expansion, beginning with the 36th and 86th Fighter Bomber Wings (FBWs) which had their T-33 Shooting Stars and P-47 Thunderbolts replaced by approximately 180 Republic F-84E Thunderjets. These aircraft were flown across the Atlantic en masse by the 27th Fighter Escort Wing, formed specifically for this task at Bergstrom Air Force Base (AFB) in Texas. This impressive operation was flown in two huge waves of 81 and 91 aircraft on September 15 and 28, 1950, non-stop over approximately 5,600 miles supported with multiple air-to-air refuelling by Boeing KB-29Ps.

The USAFE in France​

By late 1950, the USAFE was responsible for two F-84E-equipped tactical wings plus a pair of troop carrier groups, both based in Germany. Within 12 months, this had risen to seven tactical wings and by late 1952, had increased again to 12, the USAFE now had 1,000 aircraft, the bulk of them stationed in England and France.

The United States and France signed an agreement in February 1951, which allowed the former to establish a large USAFE depot at Chateauroux, south of Orléans. Chateauroux doubled as an important bridgehead for all MDAP-supplied aircraft to NATO countries and as a large logistics centre for the USAFE.

Further negotiations with the France opened airfields to the USAFE at Chaumont-Semoutiers, Laon-Couvron and Toul-Rosièries all located in the east of the country, not far from Germany. By late 1951, further airfields at Dreux-Semonches, Etain-Rouvres, Evreux-Fauville and Phalsbourg-Bourschied were being used by the USAFE.

This flightline view shows B-45A-5-NA Tornados of the 47th Light Bomb Wing, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, shortly before their transatlantic flight to Sculthorpe, England, in July 1952. USAF
The French even offered up facilities in its German occupation zone although some of these airfields still had to be constructed. The biggest new build was located near the German towns of Landstuhl and Ramstein, an area used by the Luftwaffe and later USAAF during the war. It was an emergency airfield which made use of an autobahn, the Landstuhl section on the southbound side and the Ramstein section on the northbound. Eventually the autobahn was diverted, and the two sites became one, Ramstein being the chosen single name. Newly built airfields at Bitburg, Hahn, Sembach and Spangdahlem (Binsfeld) were also handed over for USAFE use.

Now in a much stronger position, the USAFE rubbed uncomfortably along with their Soviet neighbours and encounters along the borders were a regular occurrence. The MiG-15 was the main adversary at the time and their Soviet pilots would bring down an aircraft, even innocently drifting off course, without any warning – an RAF Avro Lincoln was shot down in such an incident on the border between East and West Germany in March 1953. The F-84E was no real match for the MiG-15, although its pilots did manage to bring down many MiGs during the Korean War. The first examples were delivered to the 36th BW (Bombardment Wing) based at Fürstenfeldbruck. The new equipment also brought new rules – ‘if fired upon – shoot back’.

The B-45 in England​

The Soviet Union possessed a huge conventional bombing force, and from its point of view, was at virtually the same strength it was at the end of the war, purely because it claimed it was still at war with Germany. To redress the balance, SAC expanded its tactical nuclear strength by bringing more B-45 Tornados into service. SAC had at least 100 of these four-engine bombers available, each capable of delivery of up to five small nuclear weapons. The American Supreme Command made the decision to station the B-45 in England in the summer of 1952. The 47th Bomb Wing, made up of three squadrons, was established at Sculthorpe in Norfolk. At the same time, three squadrons of the 20th FBW were stationed at Wethersfield in Essex with the nuclear-capable Republic F-84G Thunderjet. Both wings of aircraft made the trip across the Atlantic via Greenland and Iceland.

Bomber gap and nuclear deterrent​

The arms race continued apace during the 1950s and took another demoralising tone when the Soviets announced that they had detonated their first hydrogen bomb. Bomber production was also on the increase, long-range examples being the Tupolev Tu-16 ‘Badger’, designed to carry an H-bomb, the Tu-95 ‘Bear’ with a range of up 9,300 miles and the Myasishchev M-4 ‘Bison’. By 1955 all of these were in mass production, being built at twice the rate of US bombers, potentially creating a ‘bomber gap’.

The arrival of the B-45s and F-84Gs gave the USAFE a tactical nuclear offensive force but they could not take the fight to Russia alone and were designed to support ground troops in the event of a Soviet invasion. The United States needed to be able to launch a long-range nuclear bomber offensive and under Operation Trojan, the Boeing B-47 Stratojet, which had been in service since 1951, would now play a role in Europe. Fast and with a good range, the B-47 could reach targets in the Soviet Union when deployed to bases in Alaska and Western Europe. In support of Operation Trojan, the 7th AD was established in May 1951, the division making use of old 3rd AD airfields in England such as Brize Norton, Fairford, Greenham Common and Upper Heyford. Runways were lengthened and strengthened and reinforced concrete bunkers were built for the storage of nuclear weapons.

A Douglas RB-66C similar to this one was shot down by MiG-21s on the East German side of the Iron Curtain while believed to be on an electronic intelligence mission. Key Collection
From mid-1953, the 7th AD began the first of many B-47 Temporary Duty Postings (TDYs) which usually involved a wing of 45 aircraft with 20 Boeing KC-97 Stratotankers in support. At the end of each TDY a wing would take on the duty, but it was soon discovered that these TDYs were not only expensive but were also taking a toll on the aircraft, not to mention the huge tasking placed on the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) in moving large numbers of men and equipment. By 1958 the TDYs were replaced by a new system called Operation Reflex. The deployment technique changed from an entire wing moving to 20 B-47s from four wings being stationed at English bases at any one time. Each Reflex deployment lasted for three weeks and during that time each aircraft was on standby, complete with nuclear weapons for seven days straight.

The expansion of Quick Reaction Alert (QRA)​

The concept being operated by the Reflex deployments exercised the idea that if an attack were to be launched, at least one third of SAC’s resources could be airborne in less than 15 minutes. To achieve this Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) more airfields would have to be made available and at the same time the Reflex deployments had begun, the SACs 16th Air Force was established at Torrejon, near Madrid, Spain. A new bilateral agreement between the United States and Spain also gave access to airfields at Moron, Rota, and Zaragoza.

Practise alarms were sounded daily on airfields with B-47s at readiness, their crews, sprinting across the apron to their aircraft and quickly starting all six engines. It was a regular sight to see B-47s fast-taxiing from their dispersals to the end of the runway and an equally common sight, seeing them throttle back and slowly return to their starting positions. Actual take-off scrambles were very rare, and these practise take-offs were the norm for the B-47 force. It was still no mean task maintaining such a high rate of readiness, especially when you consider how many aircraft were available by late 1958. The strategic fleet was 3,200-strong made up of 1,396 B-47 Stratojets, 745 KC-97 tankers, 488 B-52 Superfortress and 322 KC135 Stratotankers. Keeping these aircraft at 15 minutes readiness meant that every single day there were no less than 1,000 ready to go.

Cold War on the turn​

On May 6, 1955, NATO began to expand. Its new members, despite objections from the French, were West Germany and Italy. Both countries were being supplied aircraft via MDAP, and West German pilots, many of them veterans of World War Two were given familiarisation flights in jet aircraft by USAFE pilots. The Luftwaffe quickly re-established itself and the West German press announced that Kurt Bühlingen, the ex-commander of Jagdgeschwader ‘Richthofen’ had made a familiarisation flight in an 86th FBW F-84E. The Luftwaffe would grow thanks to MDAP, F-86s and F-84Fs being its main fighter and L-18A Super Cubs and Lockheed T-33s being used for training. The first ten Luftwaffe pilots trained by USAFE were issued with their wings on September 24, 1956.

By late 1955, the USAFE could boast 2,100 aircraft, spread over 16 tactical wings, a pair of missile squadrons equipped with the Martin Matador and three squadrons of interceptors spread across 33 airfields in Europe.

The United States also had a large fleet of RB-47 and RB-36 reconnaissance aircraft and during a five-day summit in Geneva in July 1955, suggested using these as part of an ‘open skies’ policy. The summit saw ‘The Big Four’, the United States, Britain, France, and the Soviet Union meet to discuss subjects that even included disarmament. The Soviets were not impressed with the ‘open skies’ idea and in response to West Germany joining NATO, promptly created the ‘Warsaw Pact’, effectively an eastern European version of NATO. This pact meant that the Soviets could station their troops in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, or Poland without causing any political problems. As friendly as the Geneva summit was, the Cold War continued unabated, if not slightly more relaxed.

The first supersonic jets delivered to the USAFE were the North American F-100 Super Sabre. This is a F-100D model belonging to the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing, pictured at RAF Lakenheath on September 18, 1965. Wikimedia Commons/RuthAS
It was a different story in the Middle East, the Suez Crisis was the next international dilemma, Egypt’s Colonel Nasser brokering a deal with Czechoslovakia, exchanging cotton for weapons, which were obviously Soviet. This was the opportunity for the Soviets to push into a new part of the world and on July 26, Nasser decided to nationalise the Suez Canal which up to that point was under British control. While the British, French and Israelis were busy dealing with the Egyptians, the Soviets took full advantage of the political upheaval and in October 1956, invaded Hungary. Unlike the United States’ response to the Suez crisis, the Hungarian uprising caused quite a stir in Washington resulting in the deployment of 15 B-36H Peacemakers to England. This was the first time such a number of B-36s had been deployed overseas. Whether the huge bombers were loaded with H-bombs is not known but it was certainly a show of intent by the United States. The Soviets seemed to be completely oblivious and as Soviets do, had dealt with the Hungarians in their usual bloody way by December 4, 1956. The American reaction came 48 hours later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower put all SAC units across the world on the highest state of alert. This included the B-47s of the 310th BW which was conducting a Reflex TDY at Greenham Common at the time.

The removal of US nuclear weapons from France​

Rumblings reverberated through NATO from the mid1950s and again the French were generating them. The main problem the country had, promoted by Charles de Gaulle, was the storage of American nuclear weapons on French soil. De Gaulle was elected as president in December 1958 and NATO and the world expected that he would do something to turn the tide against France’s declining political influence, in Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. De Gaulle was convinced that the solution was to stop hiding under the American nuclear umbrella and instead create and control the country’s own doomsday weapons. Six months after he was elected president, de Gaulle demanded that all nuclear weapons be removed from the country.

As a result, 180 North American F-100 Super Sabres of the 48th, 49th and 50th Tactical Fighter Wings (TFW’s) would have to move from Chaumont, Etain and ToulRosières, respectively. The USAFE had no choice but to give in to de Gaulle’s request and under the name Operation Red Richard, began relocating the units from July 1959. The 49th and 50th TFW were moved to Spangdahlem and Hahn in Germany while the 48th TFW were transferred to Lakenheath, Suffolk, their aircraft leaving France for the final time on January 15, 1960. Less than a month later France detonated its first nuclear weapon at Reggane in the southern Sahara Desert.

The coldest of decades​

From 1956, the American Council of National Defense laid down guidelines where every communist activity, most notably, an attack on Western Europe would be answered with a ‘Massive Response’. This basically meant an all-out nuclear response. In political circles this was known as ‘nuclear diplomacy’ and it was doctrine that would remain into the early 1960s by which time the two superpowers were on an equal military footing, rendering a ‘Massive Response’ impractical. However, during this period the ‘Massive Response’ tasking was in the hands of SAC and its 1,000s of B-47s, B-52s and by 1960 the Convair B-58 Hustler. Several missile squadrons were under the charge of SAC including long-range Atlas and Titan ICBMs (Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles) and intermediate range Jupiter and Thor IRBMs (Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles). A large number of these missiles had been deployed in Europe.

This 49th Tactical Fighter Wing F-105 Thunderchief is seen at its Spangdahlem home in 1969. The rapidly escalating Vietnam War led to many Thunderchiefs being redeployed from Germany to Southeast Asia. USAF

 

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Following the election of President John F Kennedy in November 1960, the earlier ‘nuclear diplomacy’ was scrapped with more focus on strengthening conventional forces. In the stroke of a pen, the ‘Massive Response’ policy was replaced by a ‘Flexible Response Strategy’, giving Kennedy more flexibility with his forces rather than relying totally on the nuclear option. As a result, the Air National Guard (ANG) was given a much bigger role in any future war, becoming the hub of conventional forces in a tactical support role. The ANG effectively became a fast response force that could be deployed as a conventional extension to the USAFE. The new tactical role for the ANG meant that several interceptor squadrons were moved from under ADC (Air Defence Command) to TAC (Tactical Air Command).

The new strategy saw the USAFE hurry the Convair F-102 Delta Dagger into service, the high-performance fighter equipping six squadrons. Two of these were based in Spain, three in Germany and one in the Netherlands all under the umbrella of the new 86th AD whose HQ was located at Ramstein and the 65th AD at Torrejon. The USAFE was bolstered further from June 1961 with the arrival of three Republic F-105 Thunderchief squadrons including the 36th TFW at Bitburg and 49th TFW at Spangdahlem.

Berlin​

To say that the Soviets had been obsessed with occupying West Berlin since the end of World War Two could be an understatement. Paraphrasing Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, he described Berlin as a splinter in the heart of Europe which needed removing. However, the people of West Berlin had made their choice and the United States and Allied nations were determined to honour this and keep West Berlin free of communism.

Despite boycotting a superpower conference in Paris in May 1960, Khrushchev did meet with Kennedy in early June in Vienna to discuss the future of Berlin. Khrushchev did not get his way and tensions rapidly grew to a war footing; their meeting having achieved nothing. Kennedy addressed the nation through the TV on June 25, 1961, preparing America for another forthcoming crisis. Around a week later Kennedy had secured the funds needed to mobilise the US Army which resulted in more than 250,000 reserves called up, giving a total force over one million men. The USAF was also ordered to bring 71 ANG squadrons to readiness. While the United States prepared its forces, life in Berlin suddenly became even more difficult; work had begun on the Berlin wall. There was nothing Kennedy could do to stop the wall being built, it was not seen as an act of war, and it was constructed on East German territory. That said, he quickly sent more troops into West Berlin, an important foothold which would make all the difference for a future re-unified Germany.

In the United States, 31 ANG squadrons were being prepared for mobilisation, and on October 1, 1961, all received notices to prepare for active service. Each unit was given 30 days to prepare for a long-term deployment to Europe, in the end 11 were selected, the movement order being issued on October 11.

USAFE bolstered again​

Deployment was large and impressive as 250 more fighters were prepared for service in Europe. The force comprised four squadrons of F-84 Thunderstreak from the Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey and Ohio ANGs, a trio of F-86H Sabre squadrons from the Massachusetts and New York ANGs, three F-104 Starfighter squadrons from the Arizona, South Carolina, and Tennessee ANGs and a RF-84F Thunderflash squadron from the Alabama ANG. This big deployment doubled as a good opportunity to assess the United States Rapid Reinforcement tactic.

Smaller deployments would normally cross the Atlantic non-stop with air-to-air refuelling support but for this large force, a more traditional land-hopping route would have to be flown, via Goose Bay, Sondastrom, Keflavik, and Prestwick before making for the Continent. The F-84 and RF-84 element of the deployment would reach Europe by a different route under the name Operation Stair Step. This route would be via Lajes in the Azores, but the only way the F-84s could make it was by filling the aircraft with as much fuel as possible. This was done in a novel way by placing a 30cm wooden block under the aircrafts’ nosewheels, tilting the machine slightly rearwards, enabling the fuel tanks to be literally filled to the brim. At 1500hrs on November 1, 1961, the first F-84s took off from Harman in Canada in groups of four aircraft, the entire force taking more than two hours to depart. Flight time to Lajes was three hours with four hours’ worth of fuel in the tanks. All reached Lajes safely and then onwards to Moron in Spain, the F-84 force departing again on November 3 to their respective new homes.

A reluctant France​

Of the 11 deployments now descending upon western Europe, eight of them would settle in France much to the annoyance of de Gaulle. The Pentagon was clearly declaring its right as a member of NATO to make use of a fellow NATO members facilities. As mentioned earlier, de Gaulle had only just managed to ‘evict’ the nuclear-equipped USAFE units from his airfields, he now found himself in a position where if he refused, France would have to leave NATO. In the end, that thankfully did not happen and United States’ ships, loaded with supplies and equipment had already been arriving in French ports in preparedness for the deployments. MATS transport aircraft had also been coming and going with increased intensity, the bulk of them off-loading at Chateauroux. The French deployment saw four F-84 Thunderstreak units, the 110th TFS Missouri ANG, 141st TFS Jersey ANG, 163rd TFS Indian ANG and 166th TFS Ohio ANG move to Toul-Rosières, Chaumont-Semoutiers, Chambley and Etain-Rouvres, respectively. Three F-86F Sabre squadrons, the 101st TFS, 131st TFS Massachusetts ANG and the 138th TFS New York ANG were based at Phalsbourg-Bourscheid while the RF-84Fs of the 106th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron, Alabama ANG would operate from Dreux-Semonches.

The 106th TRS arrived at Dreux-Semonches on November 2 to find a facility that had been stripped bare. Everything had been taken away by the French, from telephones to kitchens and even the runways, taxiways and dispersals needed to the refurbished. Incredibly, once the work had been rectified, American traffic controllers found that local French controllers refused permission for the RF84s to take off! Located within the Paris Air Traffic Control Zone, which also included the busy civilian airports at Le Bourget and Orly, the French were not happy about a squadron of RF-84s scooting in and out of the area. The French authorities would not budge and in the end the 106th TRS were forced to move to Chaumont-Semoutiers where the F-84s of the 141st TFS were already settled.

The F-104 Starfighter element of the deployment would not be crossing the Atlantic under their own steam, instead they would be transported air courtesy of the MATS C-124 Globemaster IIs out of McEntire AFB. The first batch of machines belonging to the 157th Fighter Interceptor Squadron (FIS), South Carolina ANG, with the airlift beginning on November 10, 1961. F-104s of the 151st FIS Tennessee ANG and the 197th FIS Arizona ANG were also delivered to Europe by the same method. Both these units were delivered to Ramstein, where alongside the resident F-102 unit, would provide air defence cover across central Europe.

USAFE quick reaction force​

The new USAFE units wasted no time in familiarising themselves with the European flying conditions which, for two months after their arrival, was poor. All fighter squadrons in France also prepared themselves by creating a Quick Reaction Force, where four armed aircraft, from each unit, were at readiness 24 hours a day. Guns were always loaded while additional fuel and bombs were stored nearby. The alarm to scramble was regularly exercised and the target allocated to each unit was never a simulation, it would be the real wartime target behind the Iron Curtain. Each time the attack would be called off well before the aircraft reached the East German or Czechoslovakian border. On the return journey from the ‘target’ the exercise continued, as ‘enemy’ fighters usually courtesy of the Sabres of 1st CAG (Canadian Air Group), operating from Baden-Soellingen and Zweibrücken in Germany and Grostenville and Marville in France, joined in. It was good practise for both forces.

The weather over Europe was not always conducive to flying training and after a few months it was decided that USAFE would continue and complete their weapons training somewhere with more consistent good weather. The US military installation at Mellaha in Libya, better known as Wheelus AFB was perfect for 30-day weapons training courses. More time could also be allocated to rotations with other NATO countries for example, the 131st TFS Missouri ANG could rotate with 730 Sqn, RDAF and its F-100D Super Sabres, which meant that four F-84s spent ten days at Skrydstrup while four RDAF machines did the opposite at Phalsbourgh. It was a good example of NATO co-operation and each air force learned more about how their allies operated.

Neutral Spain​

Politically neutral and not a NATO member (until May 30, 1982), Spain had made its airfields available to the United States for many years, specifically Moron and Torrejon. SAC in particular had positioned B-47s and B-52s on Reflex duty, often for weeks at a time in Spain. The country also proved to be a useful entry point into Europe thanks to the southern Atlantic route via Lajes and both airfields had good American infrastructure for the repair and servicing of all the USAFE’s fleet. As well as its good location, Spain offered regular great weather and as such was ideal for weapons training, the United States planned ahead as relations with Libya and the future of Wheelus looked doubtful. It was not long before USAFE units began using Spanish gunnery ranges such as Bardenas Reales, while flying from Zaragoza.

From June 1960 the 65th AD, SAC was transferred to the USAFE and one effect was increased activity in Spain. Two new units were formed, the 431st FIS based at Zaragoza and 497th FIS located at Torrejon, both operating the F-102 Delta Dagger. The Spanish aircraft industry would benefit from the increased US activity, CASA at Moron was tasked with conducting routine maintenance and inspections of all F-102s whilst stationed in the country. Moron also received several visits from F-104 Starfighters of the 479th TFW from George AFB and during the Cuban missile crisis a squadron of Starfighters was based at Moron. Once tension reduced over Cuba, several 479th TFW F-104Cs were transferred to Hahn to increase fighter defence. 4th TFW, F-105 Thunderchiefs from Seymour Johnson AFB were also based at Moron from April 1, 1963.

ELINT and PR​

By the early 1960s a number of USAFE aircraft had been shot down while operating along the East German border and the Berlin corridors. Many have been attributed to poor navigation which were innocently in the area, but there was no doubt that specialist units were constantly probing the Soviet forces. One such loss on March 10, 1964, was a Douglas RB-66C of the 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (TRW). It was brought down by MiG-21s on the East German side of the Iron Curtain. The aircraft was undoubtedly on an electronic intelligence mission, the RB-66C being equipped for Electronic Intelligence (ELINT) gathering. It could also jam radio communications and radar systems and was identifiable by Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) equipment installed in streamlined wing-tip pods.

The RB-66B was the photoreconnaissance version, filled with cameras mounted inside the bomb bay. The RB-66B and RB-66C were primarily used by the 10th TRW which operated from Spangdahlem until 1959. From then on, the unit was moved to England, two of its squadrons operating from the Alconbury and two more from Bruntingthorpe.

As a direct result of the RB-66C being shot down, the Commander of USAFE at the time, General Gabriel Disoway, ordered that a new Air Defence Identification Zone (ADIZ) be placed along the East German and Czechoslovakian borders. The zone was 50 miles wide, and all crews were instructed not to fly below 3,000ft in the ADIZ so that their aircraft would remain on American traffic control radar screens. ADIZ was a success as no more aircraft accidentally flew over an Eastern Bloc country.

Standardising USAFE​

By 1965 the USAFE had 1,100 aircraft at its disposal, comprising 40 different types. The 513th Troop Carrier Wing (TCW) was a good example, the wing containing 20 different aircraft types including five variants of the C-54 Skymaster. Tasking was made unnecessarily complex, for example, the RF-101C Voodoo was used for tactical reconnaissance, the RB-66s for ELINT and ECM, the Martin B-57 served in the high-altitude reconnaissance role while F-100D Super Sabres conducted ground support, the B-66B Destroyer performed the light bombing role and the F-101C took on the light strike tasking. In addition, the F-105D Thunderchief carried out most of the nuclear tasking and the F-102A Delta Dagger served in air defence. There were almost more aircraft types than tasking and along with the USAF as a whole, the USAFE needed to standardise. The cost, complexity, and sheer logistics of keeping so many different aircraft in the air at the same time was colossal.

The answer was on the horizon – the McDonnell (later McDonnell Douglas) F-4 Phantom, the first example taking to the air on May 27, 1958. Originally ordered for the US Navy and USMC, the F-4 would become the backbone of the USAF serving as fighter, fighter-bomber, and photographic reconnaissance machine.

An RF-4C Phantom II aircraft of the 1st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron lands at its Alconbury base after a mission. These photoreconnaissance versions of the aircraft were regarded as being reliable airframes with very capable systems. USAF/SSGT David Nolan
The type would also become the standard fighter of the USAFE, the first examples arriving at Alconbury on May 12, 1965. These were the RF-4C variant, which quickly replaced the B-66s of 10th TRW. A vast improvement over the B-66, the RF-4C was much faster, was extensively equipped and its three nose mounted cameras could capture excellent images, even at low-level and 600mph. The RF-4C would later be upgraded with Sideways Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) and Tactical Electronic Reconnaissance (TEREC). Both systems were highly effective, TEREC in particular raising the bar by being able to transmit photos and electronic information in real time back to battle command.

More F-4 Phantoms arrived in England on October 4, 1965 to replace the F-101C Voodoos of the 81st TFW based at Bentwaters and Woodbridge. This time it was a fighter variant, the F-4C, armed with four AIM-7 Sparrow radar-guided air-to-air missiles and a 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon mounted in a pod along the centreline. The F-4D soon followed, this variant having a better weapons guidance system installed which meant it could deliver smart weapons such as laser-guided bombs. The F-4Ds first arrived with the USAFE on March 22, 1966, when they replaced the F-105D Thunderchiefs of the 36th TFW based at Bitburg. The F-100s of the 50th TFW at Hahn and all the F-102 Delta Dagger units were replaced by the Phantom. The 32nd FIS based at Soetserberg, Netherlands, was the first USAFE unit to receive the very latest version of the Mach-2 jet, the F-4E. Fitted with more powerful engines, and an internally mounted 20mm M61 cannon, the F-4E Phantom II was the superlative fighter of the USAF and USAFE alike.

Within the space of ten years, the USAFE had completely standardised on the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom, 23 fighter squadrons operating over 500 examples of the type across Europe.

Eyes on France – again​

On December 19, 1965, Charles de Gaulle was ‘just’ re-elected as President of France. His plan was still clear, he wanted France to be a world superpower with its own nuclear weapons. He had already decided he no longer needed the United States and during a press conference on February 21, 1966, he made his plans public. France would take a step back from NATO, announcing in a direct letter to President Lyndon B Johnson that his country would be withdrawing from the NATO leadership (SHAPE) and NATO forces in central Europe (AFCENT). De Gaulle declared that France would no longer contribute to NATO and his forces would no longer be available to the Allies. He withdrew all French forces from Germany and stated that all NATO troops must be out of the country by April 1, 1967. All of this said, France would remain a member of NATO – while Johnson responded courteously with hours of receiving de Gaulle’s letter, others in the United States were less than complimentary.

USAFE HQ in the Rue de la Tremoille in Paris were shocked by the news and quite unprepared. However, a bigscale relocation plan, named Operation Freloc began quickly in earnest. The task would involve the clearance and closure of nine airfields, 77 other military installations such as radar stations, depots, bomb dumps and the like as well as the relocation of 33,000 USAFE personnel and their families.

The 513th TCW was the first to leave from Evreux on July 1, 1966 bound for Mildenhall. The Suffolk airfield had been relatively quiet with only four Boeing EC-135Hs based there as part of Operation Silk Purse. The HQ of the 322nd AD soon followed from Chateauroux; the unit being temporarily accommodated at High Wycombe before it was transferred to a more permanent home at Frankfurt Rhein-Main in 1969. The 66th TRW RF-101 Voodoos departed Laon next, later settling at the former SAC base at Upper Heyford. The newly formed 26th TRW had only moved to Toul-Rosièries in early 1965. In January 1966, the first squadron, 38th TRS arrived from Ramstein despite being in the middle of re-equipping from the F-101 and RB-66 to the RF-4C. Only months later, after the upheaval of a change of base and change of aircraft, the 26th TRW was forced to return to Ramstein again.

Increased strength in England and Germany​

As a direct result of Operation Freloc, the USAFE presence in England increased quickly. There were now three fighter wings in England all under the 3rd AD control. These wings were the 20th TFW at Wethersfield, 48th TFW at Lakenheath and the 81st TFW operating from both Bentwaters and Woodbridge with 225 aircraft, mainly F-100s and F-4s, between them. Two TRWs were also now based in England, the 10th TRW at Alconbury and the 66th TRW at Upper Heyford, the two wings fielding approximately 100 RF-101s and RF-4s. Finally, the 513th TCG and its C-124 Globemaster’s were now settled at Mildenhall.

The USAFE in Germany had also mushroomed, the 17th Air Force HQ, now in full control of the Central Sector, which covered West Germany, Belgium, Denmark, and the Netherlands. By the end of 1966 there three TFWs in West Germany, namely the 36th TFW at Bitburg and the 50th TFW at Hahn, both of which had just been re-equipped with 75 F-4s apiece and the 49th TFW at Spangdahlem which was still flying approximately 75 F-105D Thunderchiefs. Air Defence was the responsibility of the 86th AD (Defense) which operated 100 F-102 Delta Daggers across four squadrons. The 86th AD HQ was located at Ramstein, which was also the home station of the 526th FIS and its F-102s and the 26th TRW and its new RF-4Cs. The remaining three F-102 squadrons were the 32nd FIS at Soesterberg, 496th FIS at Hahn and the 525th FIS at Bitburg. The 17th TMS (Tactical Missile Squadron) was also under the charge of the 17th Air Force, the units 19 CGM-13B Mace missiles were based at Bitburg.

The USAFE presence also grew in Spain when the 16th Air Force, originally under SAC control was transferred to the USAFE. By April 1966, the USAFE had full control of airfields at Moron, Zaragoza, and Torrejon, the home of the 16th Air Force HQ. At the same time, the F-100 Super Sabres of the 401st TFW were posted to all three Spanish airfields while the responsibilities of the 16th Air Force continued to grow when it took charge of all USAFE operations around the Mediterranean.

The USAFE had also been busy in Turkey, since 1955 thanks to TUSLOG (Turkish US Logistics), which was designed to support Turkish Armed Forces and all USAFE operations in Turkey. With its HQ in Ankara, the TUSLOG Detachment 10 was based at Incirlik to support USAFE training in the region and SAC, which among other things performed U-2 reconnaissance flights from there.

Operation Greek Party​

When the F-100 and F-101 entered service, the art of air-to-air refuelling was already part of the norm. Ever since the mid-1950s the USAFE had its own dedicated unit for this job, the 420th Air Refuelling Squadron (ARS) based at Sculthorpe operating Boeing KB-50s. Very similar to the B-29 Superfortress, the KB-50s had a pair of J-47 jets under the wings to increase the aircraft’s speed whilst refuelling the much faster jet fighters. However, by the time the F-4 came into service, the KB-50s were too slow and old for the job and the 420th ARS was disbanded on May 25, 1964. The tasking was transferred to SAC and its much more capable KC-135 Stratotankers. However, in the Far East, Vietnam was proving to be a vast drain on all US military resources including the KC-135s, large numbers of them being sent to airfields in Guam, Okinawa, and Thailand. The USAFE’s own needs soon suffered, reaching an all-time low when the vast B-52 operations over Vietnam began under Operation Arc Light.

As the importance of intelligence collection increased in the 1980s, the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing operated detachments (permanent units) and operating locations (temporary sites) around the world. On April 5, 1982, the British government publicly announced the stationing of the SR-71 at Detachment 4, RAF Mildenhall. Key Collection
The Commander of USAFE, General Maurice Preston saw an opportunity to fill the air-to-air refuelling deficient with the ANG in the United States. The ANG had five air refuelling squadrons at the time, all equipped with the KC-97L Stratotanker, which like the old KB-50s, were fitted with a pair of J-47 jets to bolster performance. In the spring of 1967 a short, but very successful trial involving an F-4 refuelling from a KC-97L was conducted and as a result four tankers of the 181st ARS Texas ANG was sent to Rhein-Main under the code name Operation Greek Party. From then onwards, four KC-97s were rotated after several weeks and during each detachment, flew on average two missions per day supporting USAFE operations. During the first two years of Greek Party, the KC-97s crossed the Atlantic over 500 times and during the period 1970 to 1973, increased their mission rate to six per day. Only planned to be an interim solution until the USAFE had its KC-135 force returned to full strength, Greek Party continued until 1977. During a tenyear period, the KC-97s flew around 7,000 missions and conducted 47,000 air-to-air refuellings. As the KC-135 force returned to Europe, the majority were stationed at Mildenhall and Fairford.

In August 1968, yet another crisis beyond the Iron Curtain reared its head when Soviet forces invaded Czechoslovakia. The United States reaction was reticent to say the least, not wishing to rock the boat with the Soviets too much, especially with important SALT (Strategic Arms Limitation) talks approaching in Helsinki. That said, the Soviet manoeuvrings did accelerate the introduction of the F-4 into the USAFE and saw the introduction of a second Tactical Airlift Wing (TAW). The old 322nd AD became the 322nd TAW and was based at Rhein-Main. Another decision influenced by European events was the decision to re-equip the 20th TFW at Upper Heyford, with the most advanced aircraft in the world at the time, the General Dynamics F-111.

F-111 Aardvark arrives​

The F-111 was a highly controversial project which consumed a large amount of money and was not without its troubles during the development stages. The original plan was for the F-111A to serve the USAF in place of the F-4 and F-105 and the F-111B for the US Navy, would replace the F-8 Crusader and F-6 Skyray. When the first aircraft was rolled out on October 15, 1964, the aircraft was hailed a triumph, a machine with the range of a transport with the weapons capacity of a bomber and the manoeuvrability of a fighter. Orders came in from overseas from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) and RAF (later cancelled), but continuous development problems saw the US Navy drop out, preferring, understandably to opt for the F-14 Tomcat. The USAF had more faith and took delivery of its first F-111As in 1967 and later, after much improvement also received the F-111E and F-111F variants. The 20th TFW became the first USAFE to receive the new swing-wing bomber, when 79 F-111Fs were delivered to Upper Heyford in September 1970. After intensive conversion training the commander of USAFE, Colonel David Jones, declared the 20th TFW fully operational on its new aircraft in November 1971. A worthy anecdote about the swing-wing jet is that although the F-111’s long nose led to it being nicknamed the Aardvark throughout its service career, the aircraft did not officially receive the mammal’s name until it ended its USAF service.

The F-111 first flew in 1964 and was retired by USAF in 1998. The RAAF flew them all the way until 2010. USAF

Cold War electronic warfare​

By the late 1960s, the USAFE had several advanced electronic jamming aircraft in the shape of the EB-66Es serving with the 39th Tactical Early Warning Squadron (TEWS) operating from Bitburg and Spangdahlem. To perform their duties, each aircraft was equipped with a comprehensive suite of UHF/VHF radar receivers and transmitters, their presence being given away by various aerials located along the underside of the fuselage. Operating along the Eastern Bloc borders, this equipment was used for ELINT missions. ECM missions were also flown to send disrupting signals to hostile radar systems.

In 1970 the USAFE’s jamming ability rose a notch with the arrival of the Martin EB-57E which belonged to Defense Systems Evaluation Squadrons (DSES). At least one of these squadrons came under the control of USAFE and was most likely the 17th DSES normally based at Malmstrom AFB. The EB-57E was usually seen during NATO exercises, often staying for a few weeks at a time, the aircraft made use of Alconbury, Bentwaters, Bitburg, Spangdahlem and Zweibrücken. During an exercise, the EB-57Es would evaluate NATO’s air defence using electronic jammers and chaff to disrupt air defence radars.

Operation Greek Action and Combat Talon​

A new policy introduced by the USAF under the code name Operation Greek Action, saw the relocation of all HQs from built-up areas to lightly populated rural locations. For the USAFE this meant that the 17th Air Force HQ was moved from Ramstein to Sembach making room for the USAFE’s HQ to move from Lindsey Air Base at Wiesbaden to Ramstein in March 1973. The change transformed Ramstein into a multi-national NATO base, thanks also to the arrival of Allied Air Forces Central Europe (AAFCE). It was in charge of the 2nd Allied Tactical Air Force (ATAF) and 4th ATAF, the latter remaining at Ramstein until August 1980 when it moved to Heidelberg. The 4th ATAF which had been located at Ramstein since 1957, was made up of the 1st CAG, the 1st and 2nd Luftwaffe Divisions and the 3rd and 17th Air Forces of USAFE.

Greek Action also caused a few flying units to move including the 26th TRW which transferred from Ramstein to Zweibrücken and the 7th Special Operations Squadron (SOS), also departed Ramstein for Rhein-Main taking the place of the 7406th Combat Support Squadron (CSS). The 7406th CSS had been flying the earliest variants of the C-130 Hercules since the 1950s but by the early 1970s was equipped with the sinister looking MC-130E. Operations were conducted under the name Combat Talon, the MC130E was equipped with the Fulton surface-to-air recovery system originally designed for the recovery of downed pilots in hostile environments. However, by the 1970s, the role of these aircraft was more clandestine than rescue, the aircraft being crammed with ECM equipment.

Lockheed U-2 and SR-71​

The Lockheed U-2s presence in Europe did not become public knowledge until May 29, 1975, and only then because of an accident. On that day one of five U-2s that were in Europe as part of the Airborne Location Strike System/Pave Strike deployment crashed, very publicly on a ski resort at Winterberg, West Germany.

The aircraft was one of a pair from the 100th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (SRW) at Davis-Monthan deployed at Wethersfield and it soon became apparent that U-2s had in fact been slipping in and out of European bases since the 1950s, including Lakenheath, Brize Norton, Upper Heyford and Mildenhall, although this was no surprise to aircraft enthusiasts who had been tracking them for years.

Meanwhile, Mildenhall’s status as a major USAFE hub continued grow, SAC traffic by the 1970s including EC135s, RC-135s and later U-2s and SR-71s. The airfield was the home of the 513th TAW, which at any one time had 30 C-130s under its charge, all on a TDY of 65 days. Mildenhall continued to grow in status, becoming the home of SAC KC-135 Stratotankers which were needed for the increasing number of TAC deployments to various USAFE bases. Initially the KC-135s operated as Detachment One of the 98th SW (Strategic Wing) at Torrejon but later this changed to the 7th AD at Ramstein. The 7th AD also later took charge of the Strategic Squadron based at Zaragoza and the 11th Strategic Group (SG) of the European Tanker Task Force (ETTF) based at Fairford. The 7th AD also co-ordinated the RC-135 ELINT/ Comint operations of the 92nd Service Squadron (SS) at Hellenikon, Greece and the 306th SW at Mildenhall.

Variants of the RC-135 have been visiting Mildenhall for decades, the majority operated by the 55th SRW based at Offutt AFB.

The RC-135U, V and W variants being the most exotic, bristling with aerials complete with large cheeks on each side of the forward fuselage, filled with large Side Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) capable of picking up signals hundreds of miles beyond the Iron Curtain.

By the 1970s the 9th SRW at Beale AFB and its two squadrons, the 11th Special Reconnaissance Squadron (SRS) operating the SR-71 and the 99th SRS flying the U-2 and later TR-1, were no strangers to operating from USAFE airfields. There is no defining date for the beginning of SR-71 operations, but they most likely began in the late 1960s, one confirmed visit being in August 1970 when a single aircraft staged through Upper Heyford bound for the Middle East. From the spring of 1976 a single 9th SRW SR-71 was based at Mildenhall, joined not long after by single U-2R, the two aircraft making up Detachment Four, specifically tasked with performing reconnaissance duties for NATO.

The arrival of the F-15 Eagle​

The USAF continued to modernise thanks to the arrival of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle in 1976. No time was wasted introducing this excellent fighter into European skies, starting with the 36th TFW at Bitburg, which began taking delivery from January 7, 1977, when a pair of two-seat trainer variants, the TF-15A first arrived. The 36th TFWs existing F-4s, still very capable aircraft, were retained in Europe to create three new squadrons, the 313th TFS at Hahn, 480th TFS at Spangdahlem and 512th TFS at Ramstein. By December 1977, the 36th TFW had 79 F-15s on strength and were declared fully operational. Not long after, the 32nd FIS at Soesterberg also converted to the F-15, bringing the USAFE total of this new fighter to more than 100 aircraft. This was an ideal response to the deployment of the phenomenally quick MiG-25 now operating from East German bases, which for some time, until the arrival of the F-15 had been worrying NATO commanders.

While the F-15s were settling in, yet another USAFE unit was reactivated at Alconbury in the shape of the 527th Tactical Fighter Training Aggressor Squadron (TFTAS) equipped with the F-5E Tiger II. The 20 F-5s were delivered to Alconbury in a dismantled state using C-5A Galaxy transport aircraft from May 1976. Tasking was threefold for the 527th TFTAS (later renamed 527th Aggressor Squadron) (AS), to conduct Dissimilar Air Combat Training (DCAT), create a training programme based upon the Soviets’ latest tactics and to provide air defence should a war break out. The main customers for the 527th TFTAS were the F-15s, using ranges in England and Scotland but also as far afield as Decimomannu in Sardinia where the Advanced Combat Manoeuvring Instrument (ACMI) range was available from 1978. The 527th TFTAS flew the F-5 until 1988, by which time the MiG-29 had entered service and the F-16 took over the task. With the Cold War coming to an end, the F-16s, now flying from Bentwaters, were reassigned in mid-1990 and on September 30, 1990 the 527th was inactivated – destined to be the only F-16 unit based in Britain.

More F-111s. A-10s and F-16s​

Most likely because of the increased number of Soviet SS-20 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (IRBMs) pointing west, the Pentagon decided to double the strength of the USAFE F-111 fleet. Under the codename, Operation Ready Switch, the customer for these aircraft would be the 48th TFW based at Lakenheath. It was a complicated affair which involved the 48th TFWs F-4Ds being transferred to the 388th TFW at Hill AFB and the 474th TFW at Nellis AFB. The 48th TFWs F-111Fs would come from the 366th TFW at Mountain Home AFB while the 474th gave its F-111As to the 366th TFW and received more F-4Ds from the 49th TFW at Holloman AFB. This movement of resources took a year to complete. The USAFE now had a phenomenal force with the F-111s of the 20th TFW and 48th TFW, each aircraft being equipped with Pave Tack which enabled the aircraft to deliver small tactical nuclear weapons, day, or night and in any weather conditions.

A Fairchild A-10A of the 81st Tactical Fighter Wing flying from RAF Bentwaters, Suffolk on September 1, 1980. Although officially named the Thunderbolt ll, the tank-buster was widely known by its Warthog nickname. USAF/Major Dennis Guyitt
NATO could never beat the Warsaw Pact when it came to raw numbers of tanks and aircraft, let alone nuclear weapons. However, the technological battle was given another boost with the arrival of yet another advanced aircraft. This was the Fairchild A-10A Thunderbolt II which re-equipped the 81st TFW from June 1979. The wing expanding to six squadrons at RAF Woodbridge/ Bentwaters. Two more squadrons of A-10s were created when the 10th TRW was redesignated as the 10th TFW, the two units, the 509th and 511th TFS moving to Alconbury in 1988. The A-10 quickly made its presence felt across Europe, the type being stationed continuously at four Forward Operating Locations (FOLs) at the 2nd ATAF bases at Alhorn and Nörevenich and the 4th ATAF airfields at Leipheim and Sembach.

It was a tough job to find a replacement for the F-4, and even when it was found, the superb Phantom remained in operational service with USAF until 1996 and was not retired by the Japanese until 2021! A replacement was found though, and it was a good one, the General Dynamics F-16, named Fighting Falcon from July 1980. The F-16 was a truly universal, almost, all-NATO fighter which was being acquired by many of Europe’s air forces. There was much speculation at the time that the F-16 would be seen in England first but in the end, the 50th TFW at Hahn was chosen, the first operational aircraft arriving on December 16, 1980, to replace the F-4E Phantom II. The 401st TFW at Torrejon, the 86th TFW at Ramstein and the 52nd TFW at Spangdahlem replaced their trusty Phantoms with the nimble and fresh F-16.

In response to the growing number of Soviet SS-20 Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles pointing west, the Pentagon decided to double the strength of the USAFE F-111 fleet in Europe. USAF/Tsgt Jose Lopez

‘New’ TACR to the inventory​

While US satellites harvested strategic reconnaissance, it was down to aircraft to gather tactical imagery. As a result of the earlier mentioned deployment of U-2s in Europe back in 1975, the ALSS system was a success and not long after was installed in USAFE RF-4Cs. The system was fine-tuned and incorporated into a new version of the U-2A, the TR-1A. In March 1981, the British government gave permission for the USAFE to station a squadron of Lockheed TR-1As. Originally, 18 were planned to be based at Alconbury but by 1990 the unit, the 95th Reconnaissance Squadron (RS) had reduced to 12 aircraft. The TR-1A was used for Signals Intelligence (SIGNET) and photo-reconnaissance missions and was also fitted with an Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System (ASARS-2) radar, a very accurate sideways looking radar as well as the Precision Locater Strike System (PLSS). The TR-1As capabilities were impressive, for example, using the ASARS-2, an aircraft flying 30 miles from its own front line, operating at 65,000ft would be able to ‘see’ 50 miles into enemy territory. The PLSS was superb at gathering information and transmitting it direct to an E-3A Airborne Warning and Control Centre (AWACS), whose crew would then direct fighters or bombers straight to unplanned targets.

‘Wild Weasel’ & 42nd ECS​

The ‘Wild Weasel’ dates back to the Vietnam War when the USAF was first challenged by the Soviet SA-2 Guideline surface-to-air missile. Wild Weasel aircraft were always two seaters, original F-100Fs, then F-105Gs and F-4Cs and F-4Gs, the latter serving with the 52nd TFW at Spangdahlem. Each aircraft was armed with AntiRadiation Missiles (ARMs) that were designed to take out SAM installations, thanks to advanced radar systems and jamming equipment.

The 52nd TFW was under the command of the 65th AD based at Sembach, the division including the 66th Electronic Combat Wing (ECW) which as well as being made up of the F-4G wing, also included the 43rd Electronic Combat Squadron (ECS) equipped with the EC-130H ‘Compass Call’ and the 42nd ECS, equipped with the EF-111A Raven based at Upper Heyford. Of this group the most advanced aircraft is the EF-111A, which was loaded with 3,000kg of electronic equipment, very similar to that installed in the EA-6 Prowler. The 66th ECWs Ravens were used to support the 2nd and 4th ATAFs, the aircraft being most effective at literally turning the enemy’s radar screens to ‘snow’ from up to 400 miles away!

Operation El Dorado Canyon​

The one time a real air strike was conducted by units of the USAFE operating from a European base took place on April 15, 1986, under the code name, Operation El Dorado Canyon. The target was Libya, in retaliation for the terrorist bombing of a disco in West Berlin only ten days earlier. Of the 45 aircraft that took part, 18 were F-111Fs from the 48th TFW based at Lakenheath, while the remainder were US Navy and USMC, A-6Es, A-7Es and F/A-18 Hornets. Relying on air-to-air refuelling, the route flown avoided France and Spain, routed east of Portugal before swinging east along the North African coast to strike the Bab al-Azizia barracks, the Murat Sidi Bilal camp and Tripoli airfield (the ex-Wheelus Air Base from which the US had been evicted by the Gaddafi regime back in 1970). The F-111 element of the raid was classed as a success even though only nine of the force managed to deliver their weapons on their targets. One F-111F failed to return, the aircraft believed to have been brought down by a Libyan missile over the Gulf of Sidra.

Uneasy peace​

The fall-out from the Libyan raid caused more upheaval within the NATO ranks, beginning with Spain who was one of the newest members. There was a great deal of anti American feeling following El Dorado Canyon, and like France, Spain wanted to be part of NATO but not be part of the military command. On top of that, it wanted a reduction in USAFE units in the country which by 1987 was 12,000 personnel strong. After many talks, the US did manage to keep a foothold in the country by maintaining use of Rota, Moron, and Zaragoza but the 401st TFW, now equipped with the F-16 would have to be gone from Torrejon by no later than 1992. By the summer of 1988, the 401st TFW had found a new home at Crotone in Italy. Spain would now have to bear the NATO duties the F-16 wing had carried out, including regular exercises with Italian, Greek, and Turkish armed forces with potentially fewer aircraft.

Even after its retirement from USAF service the F-4 Phantom was still a formidable weapons platform and continued to serve with some other air arms for years to come. This Spangdahlembased F-4E, seen in 1983, is from the 23TFS. USAF/Master Sgt Don Sutherland

 

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As the Cold War drew to a close, the US were also placed in an uncomfortable position by Greece, the country being classed as the most ‘anti-NATO’ of all the member states. One thing was for sure, the old enemy, the Soviet Union was approaching its end. It was officially dissolved on December 21, 1991 and the USAFE had gone through it from start to finish, ever evolving, at readiness for the unthinkable third world war to start at any moment. With the current situation in Ukraine in mind, murmurings of the old USSR are piping up again for another Cold War, which may not really have ended 31 years ago.

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US Air Forces in Europe chronicles 80 years of America’s flying services, from the arrival of the US Army Air Force in 1942, through the formation of the USAF and up to the present day. It details the Americans’ daylight combat in World War Two, the ‘cold war’ that followed, and the all-important NATO defence duties we see today.