122nd Fighter Wing
The 122nd Fighter Wing is a unit of the Indiana Air National Guard, stationed at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Fort Wayne, Indiana. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.
Units
- 122nd Operations Group
- 122nd Maintenance Group
- 122nd Mission Support Group
- 122nd Medical Group
History
n 2005 the wing introduced the reconnaissance Theater [Airborne Reconnaissance System, becoming one of the first units to fly with it.In 2008, after having flown for 17 years with the block 25 aircraft, these F-16s were nearing the end of their planned operational lifespans. The aircraft the 122nd received were only somewhat newer; Block 30 F-16C/Ds, manufactured between 1987 and 1989. These models were provided by the Michigan Air National Guard 107th Fighter Squadron, which was then transitioning to the A-10 Thunderbolt II at the time. With the upgrade to the Block 30 aircraft, the tail code of the 163rd was changed from "FW" to "IN" in 2009 when the 181st Fighter Wing at Hulman Field became a non-flying unit. However, only a few of the F-16s were re-coded.
In 2009 – the year the unit honored its predecessor unit – the 358th FG – with a heritage jet – it was decided that the squadron was to retire their 20-year-old F-16s and become an A-10 Thunderbolt II squadron. The conversion happened in 2010.
In 2023, the unit converted back to the F-16 platform as a result of the National Defense Authorization Act. These started arriving in October 2023 and will continue until all 21 have arrived.
Lineage
- Established as the 122nd Fighter Wing c. 30 October 1950
Assignments
- Indiana Air National Guard, 31 October 1950
- Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command, 10 February 1951
- Central Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command, 1 December 1951 – 7 February 1952
- Indiana Air National Guard, 1 November 1952
- Ninth Air Force, 1 October 1961
- Indiana Air National Guard, 1 September 1962
Components
- 122nd Fighter-Interceptor Group (later 122nd Fighter-Bomber Group, 122nd Tactical Fighter Group, 122nd Operations Group, 10 February 1951 – 30 June 1974, c. 1 January 1993 – present
- 163rd Fighter (later Fighter-Interceptor, Tactical Fighter, Fighter) Squadron, 9 December 1974 – c. 1 January 1993
Stations
- Stout Field, Indianapolis, Indiana, 9 December 1946
- Baer Field, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1 May 1951
Aircraft
- F-51D Mustang, 1950–1951
- F-51H Mustang, 1951–1954
- F-80C Shooting Star, 1954–1956
- F-86A Sabre, 1956–1958
- F-84F Thunderstreak, 1958–1962; 1964–1971
- RF-84F Thunderstreak, 1962–1964
- F-100D/F Super Sabre, 1971–1979
- F-4C Phantom II, 1979–1986
- F-4E Phantom II, 1986–1991
- F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 1991–2010
- A-10 Thunderbolt II, 2010 – 2023
- F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, 2023 – present