page_title: 9th Bomb Squadron
section_title: FB-111 era
hierarchical_section_title: 9th Bomb Squadron / History / Strategic Air Command / B-52 Stratofortress era / FB-111 era
caption_attribution_description: English: 9th Bombardment Squadron - General Dynamics FB-111A 68-0248 Aircraft is now at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum, Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota
context_page_description: The 9th Bomb Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 7th Operations Group, Global Strike Command, stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas. The squadron is equipped with the Rockwell B-1B Lancer bomber.
  Formed in June 1917, the 9th is one of the oldest squadrons in the Air Force. During World War I, the squadron was the first American night reconnaissance squadron to be organized. Later, it served with the Army Air Service and Army Air Corps in the Inter-War period and then served in Australia, Egypt and India during World War II. A part of Strategic Air Command during the Cold War, today the squadron is engaged as part of the Global War on Terrorism.
context_section_description: On 2 July 1968, the 340th Bombardment Group was activated at Carswell. Although it was given the designation of a bomb group, the 340th was organized and functioned as a SAC Wing. Its operational squadron was the 4007th Combat Crew Training Squadron. The 340th was given the primary mission of conducting initial qualification training for General Dynamics FB-111A aircrew members. The FB-111A was the all-weather strategic bombing version of the F-111 strike aircraft, intended as an interim successor to SAC's B-52 Stratofortress and Convair B-58 Hustler.
  Due to the delayed delivery of FB-111A from General Dynamics, the group's training mission suffered. Delivery of the first aircraft, took place in late September 1969, followed by the second FB-111A on 25 October. These two planes were powered by TF30-P-12A engines. Problems with the Mark IIB avionics slowed further deliveries, with the Air Force not accepting its next FB-111A until 23 June 1969.
  On 8 October 1969, the 7th FB-111A entered service with the 4007th Squadron. Even though the FB-111A was officially declared operational, it had yet to reach the combat forces. After reaching operational capability, the 4007th relocated to Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York and became part of the 380th Strategic Aerospace Wing, with its personnel and equipment reassigned to the reactivated 9th Bombardment Squadron, which became the first SAC operational bomb squadron to fly the FB-111A.
  The crash of an F-111 at Nellis Air Force Base in December 1969 caused the grounding of all F and FB-111As. The group flew Lockheed T-33 T-Bird trainers until FB-111 flying activities resumed in June 1970 and delivery of resumed on 25 July 1970. By the end of September, the unit possessed twenty FB-111A aircraft. In January 1971, the FB-111A achieved initial operational capability with the 509th Bombardment Wing (393d and 715th Squadrons) at Pease Air Force Base, New Hampshire. When inactivated on 31 December 1971, the 340th possessed 38 FB-111As, which were transferred to Plattsburgh and Pease.
caption: 9th Bombardment Squadron FB-111A[note 6]
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