44th Fighter Squadron


The 44th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the United States Air Force, part of the 18th Wing at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan. The 44th Pursuit Squadron was activated on 1 January 1941 and assigned to the 18th Pursuit Group. The 44th Fighter Squadron was equipped with the F-15C/D Eagle, and is planned to transition to the F-15EX Eagle II in 2026.

Mission

The 44 FS operated the F-15C Eagle aircraft conducting air superiority missions.

History

World War II

The 44th Flew patrols over the Pacific from Hawaii from 7 December 1941 – October 1942. It went on to fly combat missions in the South and Southwest Pacific from 21 December 1942 – 15 August 1945.

Vietnam War

It again flew combat missions in Southeast Asia from 18 December 1964 – 25 February 1965, 21 April – 22 June 1965, 19 – 29 October 1965, and 25 April 1967 – 6 October 1970.
The squadron was unmanned from 31 December 1966 – 24 April 1967 and November 1970–15 May 1971.

Japan

It has flown air defense over Okinawa and Japan since 1971.
On 17 January 2006 an F-15C of the squadron crashed into the Pacific Ocean near Okinawa. The pilot ejected and was rescued by an HH-60 Pave Hawk|HH-60] of the 33d Rescue Squadron.
The 44th Fighter Squadron was named as the winner of the Raytheon Trophy for 2012.

Taiwan

From 3–30 September 1955, 44th Fighter-Bomber Squadron Deployed to Taoyuan Air Base, Taiwan with F-86 Sabre, returning again in 1962-1963 in support of “BLUE SKY” military exercise in Kung Kuan Air Base, Taiwan, equipped F-100 Super Sabre.
The 44th Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed to Ching Chuan Kang Air Base in Taichung from 6 November 1972 to 10 April 1975, using F-4 Phantom II to assist Taiwan’s air defense.

2013 Sequestration

Air Combat Command officials announced a stand down and reallocation of flying hours for the rest of the fiscal year 2013 due to mandatory budget cuts. The across-the board spending cuts, called sequestration, took effect 1 March when Congress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan.
Squadrons either stood down on a rotating basis or kept combat ready or at a reduced readiness level called "basic mission capable" for part or all of the remaining months in fiscal 2013. This affected the 44th Fighter Squadron with a reduction of its flying hours, placing it into a basic mission capable status from 5 April-30 September 2013.

Recent events

On 28 May 2013 an F-15C of the squadron crashed into the ocean off Okinawa. The pilot ejected and was rescued by the Air Rescue Wing Naha Detachment of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
On 11 June 2018 the pilot of another F-15C from the squadron ejected over the sea off Okinawa. This pilot was also rescued by the Air Rescue Wing Naha Detachment of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

Lineage

  • Constituted as the 44th Pursuit Squadron on 22 November 1940

Assignments

Stations

Aircraft