page_title: 480th Fighter Squadron
section_title: Vietnam War
hierarchical_section_title: 480th Fighter Squadron / History / Vietnam War
caption_attribution_description: English: F-4D of the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron / 37th Tactical Fighter Wing - Phu Cat Air Base South Vietnam.
context_page_description: The 480th Fighter Squadron, nicknamed the Warhawks, is an active United States Air Force unit operating the General Dynamics F-16CJ Fighting Falcon. It is assigned to the 52nd Operations Group, stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, having been reactivated on 13 August 2010. The 480th FS is the only USAFE unit specialised in the Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses.
  On 29 July 2020, the U.S. Department of Defense announced that the 480th Fighter Squadron will be relocating to Italy in the future.
context_section_description: In July 1963, the 480th TFS was reassigned to Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, where it re-equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II in 1965. The squadron was deployed to Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, on 5 February 1966 as part of the USAF buildup in Southeast Asia. From here, the Warhawks carried out operations over North Vietnam, South Vietnam and Laos. The 480th TFS were the first squadron to shoot down a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 during the Vietnam War. While at Da Nang Air Base, the squadron scored nine MiG kills.
  In November 1967, a member of the 480th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Capt. Lance Sijan, ejected from his disabled aircraft and was badly injured in North Vietnam. Despite his injuries, he evaded enemy forces for more than 40 days and then, when captured, managed to escape briefly. Captain Sijan later died in a prison camp and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
  The 480th TFS converted to the F-4D by May 1968. On 15 April 1969, the squadron moved to Phù Cát Air Base (tail code: HK), South Vietnam. The continued drawdown of United States forces from Vietnam resulted in the inactivation of 37th TFW at Phù Cát AB on 31 March 1970. The wing assets remained and were re-designated as the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing when the 12th TFW was moved without personnel or equipment from Cam Ranh Bay Air Base on 1 April 1970, to replace the 37th Tactical Fighter Wing and its units.
  On 20 October 1971, the 480th TFS flew its last combat mission, which was also the last combat sortie for 12th TFW. 480 TFS F-4Ds were originally scheduled for redeployment to Holloman AFB, however, instead were distributed to bases throughout Southeast Asia: Clark Air Base, Philippines; Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base and Udon AB, Thailand; Da Nang AB; and Inspection and Repair as Necessary facilities (IRAN) at Ching Chuan Kang Air Base Taiwan. The 480 TFS was therefore inactivated on 17 November 1971.
caption: A 480th TFS McDonnell Douglas F-4D Phantom II at Phù Cát Air Base, circa 1969–71.
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