page_title: 416th Fighter Squadron
section_title: F-117 Development/Operations
hierarchical_section_title: 416th Fighter Squadron / History / F-117 Development/Operations
caption_attribution_description: English: 4450th Tactical Group - Northrop T-38A-75-NO Talon 68-8016, Tonopah Test Range Airport
context_page_description: The 416th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 49th Fighter Wing at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The squadron was inactivated on 1 July 1993.
context_section_description: Activated by Tactical Air Command at Groom Lake, Nevada as a classified unit on 15 October 1979, designated as P-Unit.  Received A-7D Corsair II tactical fighters from 23d Tactical Fighter Wing, England AFB, Louisiana to use as training aircraft for Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter, then under development.    Performed training mission for pilots to transition to single-seat, subsonic F-117.  Was given designation of 4451st Tactical Squadron, 11 July 1981, and assigned to 4450th Tactical Group which was formed to bring the F-117 from development to operational status.
  Was moved to Tonopah Test Range Airport on 28 October 1983, performing training missions with the F-117A in a clandestine environment. Performed dual mission of training F-117 pilots with the A-7Ds as well as providing a cover story for the classified Stealth Fighter project.  All Tonopah training flights conducted at night under the cover of darkness until late 1988.   On 10 November 1988, the Air Force brought the F-117A from secrecy by publicly acknowledging its existence, but provided few details about it.  The official confirmation of the F-117A's existence, however, had little impact on Tonopah operations. Pilots began occasionally flying the F-117A during the day, but personnel were still ferried to and from work each Monday and Friday from Nellis. Everyone associated with the project was still forbidden to talk about what they did for a living, and the program remained shrouded in secrecy.
  Operated at Tonopah with A-7Ds until late 1989 when F-117 project was revealed to the public. Retired its A-7Ds, being the last active duty USAF squadron to operate the A-7D, and transitioned to the Northrop T-38A Talons. The squadron was re-designated as the 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron (Ghostriders) on 5 October 1989 when the 4450th Tactical Group was inactivated, and F-117A operations coming under the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing. There, it assumed the mission of the 4451st Test Squadron to become one of two operational F-117A Stealth Fighter squadrons.
  On 19 December 1989, just 13 months after the Pentagon had disclosed the existence of the F-117A, squadron aircraft were first used in combat during Operation Just Cause.   In mid-December 1990, was deployed to King Khalid International Airport, Saudi Arabia as part of the buildup of United States forces prior to Operation Desert Storm.   Flew combat operations over Iraq against high-priority targets January–February 1991.  After combat operations ceased in February 1991, some wing personnel and aircraft remained on indefinite alert in Saudi Arabia as a component member of the post-Desert Storm task force in Southwest Asia, although most returned to Tonopah by the end of March.
  Most of the F-117As deployed to Saudi Arabia returned home to Tonopah in early April 1991, although a few remained as part of the  post-Desert Storm task force in Southwest Asia.  After Desert Storm, the Air Force re-designated the squadron as the 416th Fighter Squadron on 1 October 1991. The squadron realigned from under the wing as a subordinate of the 37th Operations Group on 1 November 1991.
  In 1992, as part of the post Cold War budget cutbacks in the Air Force,  the F-117As were moved to Holloman AFB, New Mexico;  the 37th Fighter Wing and its subordinate organizations were inactivated and the aircraft, equipment, personnel and mission of the squadron were re-designated as the 8th Fighter Squadron, being assigned to the 49th Operations Group at Holloman AFB.
caption: Northrop T-38A-75-NO Talon 68-8016
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