Formed as a fighter wing in November 1943, No. 78 Wing comprised three flying units, Nos. 75, 78 and 80 Squadrons, operating P-40 Kittyhawks in the South West Pacific theatre of World War II. After the war, it re-equipped with P-51 Mustangs at Williamtown. During the early 1950s, the wing was based at Malta on garrison duties with the Royal Air Force, operating two squadrons of De Havilland Vampire jet fighters. Re-equipped with CAC Sabres, it deployed with Nos. 3 and 77 Squadrons to Malaya in 1958–59, flying sorties against communist insurgents in the final years of the Emergency. In the 1960s, it was tasked with providing regional air defence during the "Konfrontasi" between Indonesia and Malaysia, and supplied the equipment and personnel for the RAAF contingent operating from Ubon Air Base in Thailand. No. 78 Wing was disbanded in November 1967, and re-formed for its present role as an operational training wing in February 2000.