53rd Test and Evaluation Group


The 53rd Test and Evaluation Group is a group of the United States Air Force. It is a part of the 53rd Wing, and is headquartered at Nellis AFB, Nevada.
The Group was originally activated in 1942 as the 79th Pursuit Group, becoming the 79th Fighter Group a few months later. Later that year it moved overseas to Egypt, where it was assigned to Ninth Air Force and participated in combat in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and Italy until April 1945. After the end of World War II, it became part of the Army of Occupation until it was inactivated in 1947.
The group was activated again in 1955 as the 79th Fighter Group as part of a program of Air Defense Command to replace its air defense groups with fighter units with distinguished records in World War II. It provided air defense of the Great Lakes region until it was inactivated in 1960.
In 1988, Tactical Air Command activated the 4443rd Test and Evaluation Group as an operational test unit at Eglin AFB, an Air Force Systems Command base that was home to AFSC's Armament Center. In December 1991, as the USAF eliminated its Major Command controlled four-digit units, the 79th was consolidated with the 4443rd, and the combined unit was designated the 79th Test and Evaluation Group. In 1998, as a result of USAF policy that subordinate groups carry the same number as their parent wing, the 79th TEG was inactivated and replaced by the newly constituted 53rd Test and Evaluation Group. In 1999, the unit moved from Eglin AFB to Nellis AFB, Less than two years later, USAF consolidated the 79th and 53rd TEGs to provide one continuous history to its weapons test and evaluation group.
The unit consists of seven squadrons, two detachments, and a named flight. Its mission is to manage the flying activities of the 53rd wing at Barksdale, Beale, Creech, Dyess, Edwards, Eglin, Nellis, and Whiteman Air Force bases.

Units

The group consists of seven squadrons, two direct detachments, and a named flight. These units perform tactical development, operational tests, and evaluations for Air Combat Command. In addition, the group assists the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center with testing and operating the YAL-1 Airborne Laser, MQ-9, and F-35A.

Squadrons

The group includes three detachments which are not part of the regular squadron structure:
  • Detachment 1 – Based at Edwards AFB, Detachment 1 performs operational test.
  • Detachment 2 – Based at Beale AFB, Detachment 2 performs evaluations of the Lockheed U-2 and RQ-4 Global Hawk and train personnel in the operation of the equipment.
  • Detachment 3 – Based at Nellis AFB, Detachment 3 trains and evaluates aircrews in the use of Foreign Materiel Exploitations for the Air Force Materiel Command.

    Named flights

The group includes one named flight:

World War II

The group was constituted as 79th Pursuit Group on 13 January 1942 and activated at Dale Mabry Field, Florida on 9 February 1942, drawing its personnel from the 56th and 81st Fighter Groups. its original squadrons were the 85th, 86th, and 87th Pursuit Squadrons. The group was redesignated the 79th Fighter Group in May 1942. The group trained in the United States, then moved to Egypt by sea via Brazil in October–November 1942, where it became part of Ninth Air Force.
The group trained with P-40 Warhawks's while moving westward in the wake of the British drive across Egypt and Libya to Tunisia. Although many of the group's pilots flew combat missions with other organizations, the 79th group itself did not begin combat operations until March 1943. By escorting bombers, attacking enemy shipping, and supporting ground forces, the 79th took part in the Allied operations that defeated Axis forces in North Africa, captured Pantelleria, and conquered Sicily. The group was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its support of British Eighth Army during that period, March–August 1943.
The group was assigned to Twelfth Air Force in August 1943 and continued to support the British Eighth Army by attacking troop concentrations, gun positions, bridges, roads, and rail lines in southern Italy. It operated in the area of the Anzio beachhead, from January to March 1944. The group participated in the drive on Rome, from March to June 1944, and converted to P-47 Thunderbolts during that time. It flew escort and strafing missions in southern France during August and September 1944, and afterward returned to Italy and engaged in interdictory and close support operations in northern Italy. The group received a second DUC for numerous missions flown at minimum altitude in intense flak to help pierce the enemy line at the Santerno River in Italy in April 1945.
79th Ftr Gp
The group remained overseas as part of United States Air Forces in Europe after the war as part of the occupation force. It was transferred, without personnel and equipment, to the US in June 1947 and inactivated on 15 July 1947.

Air Defense Command

The group was redesignated the 79th Fighter Group, assigned to ADC and activated on 18 August 1955 at Youngstown MAP, Ohio as part of ADC's Project Arrow, which was designed to bring back on the active list the fighter units which had compiled memorable records in the two world wars. At Youngstown, the group assumed the personnel and equipment of the 502nd Air Defense Group, which was simultaneously inactivated. The group provided air defense over eastern Ohio as part of 30th Air Division of ADC's Central Air Defense Force and acted as the host unit for the Air Force portion of Youngstown MAP. The 79th was assigned several support organizations to fulfill this responsibility. One of the group's original components, the 86th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, flying radar equipped and rocket armed North American F-86D Sabres was already stationed at Youngstown and transferred from the 502nd.
In September 1957 the 86th FIS traded its Sabres for Convair F-102 Delta Dagger aircraft equipped with data link for interception control through the Semi-Automatic Ground Environment system. The Air Force transferred command of Youngstown MAP from ADC to Continental Air Command on 1 March 1960 and the 79th Fighter Group and its components inactivated that date.

Lineage

79th Test and Evaluation Group
  • Constituted as 79th Pursuit Group on 13 January 1942
  • Redesignated as 79th Fighter Group on 20 June 1955
  • Redesignated 79th Tactical Fighter Group on 31 July 1985
  • Redesignated 79th Test and Evaluation Group on 1 December 1991
  • Consolidated with 4443rd Test and Evaluation Group on 15 December 1991
  • Consolidated on 25 June 2000 with 53rd Test and Evaluation Group as 53rd Test and Evaluation Group
4443rd Test and Evaluation Group
  • Designated as 4443rd Test and Evaluation Group and activated on 1 July 1988
  • Consolidated with 79th Test and Evaluation Group on 15 December 1991 as 79th Test and Evaluation Group
53rd Test and Evaluation Group
  • Constituted as 53rd Test and Evaluation Group and activated on 20 November 1998
  • Consolidated on 25 June 2000 with '''79th Test and Evaluation Group'''

    Assignments

  • Third Air Force, 9 February 1942
  • I Fighter Command, 22 June 1942
  • Boston Fighter Wing, 1 August 1942 – 28 September 1942
  • Ninth Air Force, 18 November 1942
  • IX Fighter Command, 24 February 1943
  • Twelfth Air Force, 21 August 1943
  • XII Air Support Command, 1 September 1943
  • 57th Bombardment Wing, 1 November 1943 – 1 January 1944
  • XII Fighter Command, 20 September 1944, 1 July 1988 – 20 November 1998, 20 November 1998 – present

    Components

  • 85th Pursuit Squadron : 9 February 1942 – 15 July 1947, 1 August 1988 – present
  • 86th Pursuit Squadron : 9 February 1942 – 15 July 1947; 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1960
  • 87th Pursuit Squadron : 9 February 1942 – 15 July 1947
  • 99th Fighter Squadron: 16 October 1943 – 1 April 1944
  • 316th Fighter Squadron: 15 March 1943 – 21 May 1943
Support Units
  • 79th USAF Infirmary, 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1960
  • 79th Air Base Squadron, 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1960
  • 79th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, ca. 8 July 1957 – 1 March 1960
  • 79th Materiel Squadron, 18 August 1955 – 1 March 1960
Test Units