page_title: 165th Airlift Squadron
section_title: Tactical Fighter mission
hierarchical_section_title: 165th Airlift Squadron / History / Kentucky Air National Guard / Tactical Fighter mission
caption_attribution_description: A U.S. Air Force North American F-86A-5-NA Sabre (s/n 49-1081) from the 165th Fighter Squadron, 123rd Fighter Group, Kentucky Air National Guard, which flew the F-86 from 1956 to 1958.
context_page_description: The 165th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the Kentucky Air National Guard 123d Airlift Wing located at Louisville Air National Guard Base, Kentucky. The 165th is equipped with the C-130H Hercules.
context_section_description: After returning from England, the unit re-formed at Louisville.  Because most jet aircraft were still in USAF use, the squadron received F-51D Mustangs and initially returned to its pre-federalization air defense mission,  being designated as a Fighter-Interceptor unit.   However, with the F-51s, the Kentucky Air National Guard was limited to daylight training only.
  On 1 January 1953, the Group was transferred to Tactical Air Command jurisdiction and re-equipped with refurbished F-86A Sabre air superiority fighter.   With the switchover to TAC, the unit designation was changed to "Fighter-Bomber".
caption: Kentucky ANG F-86A Sabre
exif: {}