The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
OPERATION ALLIED FORCE
16th Air Force
Sixteenth Air Force, headquartered at Aviano Air Base, is one of three Numbered Air Forces that comprise the U.S. Air Forces in Europe command. The focus of 16th AF is to exercise command and control of assigned USAFE resources in the Mediterranean area as an extension of Headquarters USAFE, Ramstein AB, Germany
Approximately 8,000 U.S. military and civilian personnel are based at eight major and seven remote units throughout the Southern Mediterranean region in Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey. Sixteenth Air Force stands ready as a vital link in USAFE to deter war by receiving and supporting deployed aircraft from the continental United States to the command's main operating bases and collocated operating bases in the southern region. The 16th AF War Support System was established to help make the quick transition from peace time to a war-fighting posture. A 16th AF War Support Center and Mission Support Center at Aviano AB and Ankara Air Station, Turkey, were established in 1988 to help coordinate and plan the command's wartime missions with NATO officials.
History
The Air Administration (Spain), Joint United States Military Group, was redesignated July 15, 1956, as Headquarters, 16th Air Force. The group had been operating under the auspices of the Spanish-American Agreement of 1953. Existing Spanish Air Force (SAF) bases were expanded near Madrid, Sevilla and Zaragoza under the authority of the 1953 agreement. This agreement also led to the construction of a petroleum pipeline system from Rota in southern Spain to Zaragoza in northern Spain.
Headquarters 16th AF was reassigned from Headquarters U.S . Air Force to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) July 1, 1957. The main bases in Spain were used for SACB-47 rotational alert aircraft until April 1965. Sixteenth AF also operated SAC bases in Morocco from 1958 through 1963.
The American forces participated with the Spanish forces in a joint operation of an air defense system for Spain from 1957 to 1964. The 65th Air Division was the principal USAF unit involved in the air defense system and it was comprised of seven aircraft patrol and warning sites and three fighter squadrons. Two squadrons of F-86D's and later F-102's were assigned permanently at Torrejon and Zaragoza ABs. An additional squadron of F-l00D's and later F-104's was assigned on a rotational basis to Moron AB. These units cooperated with and provided training for Spanish controllers and fighter aircraft. From the inception of this cooperative defense effort until April 1960, the 65th AD was assigned to 16th AF and then to USAFE where it remained until the SAF took over the operation of the system in 1964. Sixteenth Air Force has continued to coordinate operations with the Spanish air defense system, currently through its 7116th Tactical Control Flight.
Sixteenth AF was reassigned to USAFE in April 1966, a year after SAC withdrew its B-47 alert force from Spain. Torrejon and Moron ABs remained active after SAC's withdrawal and Zaragoza AB was converted to standby status in 1964 and a modified caretaker status in 1965. The 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, with its three squadrons of F-l00D's was moved from the continental United States to Torrejon AB. The wing converted to F-4 aircraft and then the F- 16 in 1983.
Sixteenth AF assumed administrative and logistical support responsibilities for USAFE forces in Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Libya in 1969 because of a reorganization of intermediate command responsibilities within USAFE. Responsibilities for Libya ceased upon inactivation of the 7272nd Flying Training Wing when the U.S. Air Force withdrew from Wheelus AB, Libya, in June 1970. The Wheelus Training Complex was replaced by the 406th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Zaragoza, Spain. (Closed 1992.)
A dual-hatted arrangement was instituted in 1973 with the commander of Allied Air Forces Southern Europe taking command of 16th AF as an additional duty. The vice commander continued to supervise the command on a daily basis from 16th AF headquarters at Torrejon AB. This arrangement ended in 1981 when the command position reverted to the headquarters at Torrejon AB.
Headquarters 16th Air Force moved to Aviano AB in August 1992.
The years 1994-95 were particularly active for 16th AF. Throughout 1994, 16th AF supported Operation Deny Flight, enforcing the UN ordered no-fly zone over Bosnia. 16th aircraft participated in the raid on the Bosnian-Serb held airfield at Udbina in November 1994. In the fall of 1995, 16th airfields, command and control facilities, and aircraft supported Operation Deliberate Force, the UN sanctioned/NATO executed attack on Bosnian-Serb forces. 16th AF has also been actively involved in Joint Endeavor, a NATO peacekeeping mission to the former Yugoslavia, by operating airfields at Zagreb (Croatia), Taszar (Hungary) and Tuzla (Bosnia-Herzegovina) as well as providing air coordination and support to IFOR Headquarters in Sarajevo. Further to the east, the 39th Wing, Incirlik AB (Turkey) continues to support the United States' relief mission to the Kurds of northern Iraq.
In Italy, 16th AF operates the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano AB and the 4190th Air Base Squadron (P) at San Vito.In Turkey the 16th AF operates the 39th Wing located at Incirlik AB. Its units are the 425th Air Base Squadron at Izmir and the 722nd Air Base Squadron at Pirinclik Air Station. (update August 1996)
(Aeromedia, maggio 1999)