page_title: 152d Fighter Squadron
section_title: Fighter Training
hierarchical_section_title: 152d Fighter Squadron / History / Arizona Air National Guard / Fighter Training
caption_attribution_description: English: A Vought YA-7K Corsair II (s/n 73-1008) of the 162nd Fighter Wing, Arizona Air National Guard, based at Tucson Internationa Airport (Arizona, USA), is being refueled in flight by a McDonnell Douglas KC-10A Extender aircraft over Edwards Air Force Base (California, USA) on 21 Apr 1982. 1973: Delivered to 355th Tactical Fighter Wing/354th TFS, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ (c/n D-404) Transferred to 354th Tactical Fighter Wing/355th TFS, Myrtle Beach AFB, SC, 1973 Transferred to 186th Tactical Fighter Squadron, OK Air National Guard, 1977 Removed from operational service, flown to LTV at Hensley Field (Naval Air Station Dallas) for modification to YA-7K, 1979 Delivered as A-7K to to 4450th Tactical Group/4451st TS, Nellis AFB, NV, 1981 Transferred to 152d Tactical Fighter Squadron, AZ Air National Guard, 1989 Transferred to 198th Tactical Fighter Squadron, PR Air National Guard, 1990 Transferred to AMARC as AE0033 Jun 19, 1991 Disposition: 15-JUN-98 / To Fritz Enterprises, Taylor, MI. (Actually to HVF West yard, Tucson). Scrapped.
context_page_description: The 152d Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Arizona Air National Guard 162d Fighter Wing located at Tucson Air National Guard Base, Arizona, United States. The 152nd is equipped with the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
context_section_description: On 1 July 1969, the Arizona Air National Guard 152d Fighter Interceptor Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level, and the 162d Tactical Fighter Training Group was established by the National Guard Bureau. With the change of status, the new 162d TFTG was assigned to Tactical Air Command. The re-designated 152d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron became the group's flying squadron. Other squadrons assigned into the group were the 162d Headquarters, 162d Material Squadron (Maintenance), 162d Combat Support Squadron, and the 162d USAF Dispensary.
  With the United States withdrawal from the Vietnam War commencing in 1970, the North American F-100 Super Sabre was being retired from its active-duty mission, being replaced by either the F-4 Phantom II tactical fighter and A-7D Corsair II close air support aircraft. The F-100s were being transferred to the Air National Guard, which was upgrading from Republic F-84 Thunderjets and North American F-86 Sabres. The 162d Tactical Fighter Training Group was designated as the Air National Guard training unit with the mission of the unit to train combat-ready pilots for the Air National Guard (Replacement Training Unit or RTU). The 152d TFTS was equipped with the F-100C Super Sabre aircraft with a few dual-control twin-seat F-100F trainers. The unit graduated their first students in 1970. In 1972 the F-100C was replaced by the more advanced F-100D. Shortly afterward, the unit formed the Air National Guard F-100 Fighter Weapons School in Tucson. This school taught Air Guard and Reserve fighter pilots from throughout the country to effectively use advanced tactics and weapons technology.
  In 1977, with the transfer of the A-7D Corsair IIs to the Air National Guard beginning in large numbers, 152d TFTS, along with its F-100s, began to receive twelve aircraft, primarily from the active-duty 354th Tactical Fighter Wing which was the first TAC wing to transition to the A-10 Thunderbolt II. The F-100 flight would continue to train F-100 students while the A-7 flight began to develop training syllabus for Corsair II students.    In 1978 the F-100s were retired and the squadron became the A-7D training school for the ANG. For this transition, the unit received its second Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for successfully continuing to train F-100 students while completing the most challenging conversion in the unit's history.
  During the transition from F-100 to A-7D training in 1978, the squadron became a checkout and modification organization for new A-7D aircraft being produced by LTV. These new aircraft were produced due to a Congressional mandate to maintain the A-7D production line in Dallas, and the new aircraft were flown to Tucson for acceptance inspection.  Upon receipt of the aircraft, the aircraft would be fully inspected and all discrepancies noted and repaired, being brought up to ANG standards.  It would actually take about five or six months for the squadron to fly a series of check flights and work all the kinks out of the aircraft.   Once completed, the squadron would transfer the aircraft to its assigned ANG squadron around the United States. Between 1978 and 1980 a total of 24 new A-7D aircraft were received, of which the squadron increased in size from 12 to a total of 24 aircraft. Because the unit was a training school, its aircraft were flown much heavily than other ANG squadrons which were also more demanding and stressful on the airframes. In order to keep the maximum number of aircraft fully operational, many aircraft were transferred to Tucson from other squadrons and the training aircraft in Tucson were sent to other units to insure all aircraft did not have excessive hours or stress on them.
  In 1981, the squadron began receiving new A-7K a twin-seat dual-control trainer for the A-7D from LTV.  The A-7K was a fully combat-capable aircraft and the squadron continued its acceptance inspection mission as well as its training mission.   Eventually 20 A-7K aircraft were added to the squadron, along with its A-7Ds. The last of the A-7Ks were received in 1983, and with t
caption: 152nd TFS A-7D 73-1008 modified to the twin-seat A-7K configuration. This aircraft was received by the squadron in 1989, after being used by the F-117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter program as a training aircraft.
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