82d Aerial Targets Squadron The 82d Aerial Targets Squadron ( 82 ATRS ) is a United States Air Force unit . It is assigned to the 53d Weapons Evaluation Group and stationed at Tyndall Air Force Base , Florida . Overview . The 82d Aerial Targets Squadron is the last Air Force unit which flies the F - 4 Phantom II , flying the QF - 4E , - G , and QRF - 4C versions in the role of an aerial target . The 82d ATRS also has a Detachment at Holloman AFB to fly QF - 4s in support of DoD testing in the White Sands Missile Range Complex . The squadron also maintains three 120 - foot drone recovery vessels and two smaller vessels to recover aerial targets and support range safety , patrol , and salvage operations . Squadron members also operate the Air Force ’ s only two E - 9A Widgets , a military version of the de Havilland Canada DHC - 8 . History . The 82d Fighter Squadron saw combat in the ETO , 13 April 1943 – 25 April 1945 . Training , maneuvers , and air defense , April – September 1945 . Part of the occupation forces in Germany , August 1946 - June 1947 . Air defense in United States , January 1949 - March 1953 and October 1954 - February 1966 . It was a fighter squadron based at Travis Air Force Base , California until 1966 , when it was deployed to Naha Air Base , Okinawa . The prime aircraft of the squadron was the F - 102 Delta Dagger , or " Deuce " , which was the more common nickname . In order to deploy to Naha , each plane was configured with refueling probes and required extensive training . This was one of the few times , it was done to a relatively short - ranged fighter jet . In January 1968 , the 82d was scrambled to South Korea in response to the Pueblo Incident , where North Korea had seized the USS Pueblo . The 82d Fighter Interceptor Squadron maintained a presence in South Korea with a detachment of temporarily assigned aircraft ( 12 ) and personnel ( TDY ) to Suwon Air Base ROK . The sqaudron continued service until 31 May 1971 when the 51st Fighter Inteceptor Wing along with all the other support squadrons ( including the 82d Fighter Interceptor Squadron ) were inactivated . On 1 July 1981 the 82d Tactical Aerial Target Squadron was assigned to the 325th Fighter Weapons Wing . On 15 October 1983 the 82d Tactical Aerial Target Squadron was transferred to the 475th Weapons Evaluation Group . It is now part of the 53d Weapons Evaluation Group . The 82d Aerial Targets Squadron is very unusual by the type of aircraft it operates . This squadron is the only unit left in the USAF to fly the venerable F - 4 Phantom II reduced to the role of aerial targets . Located at Tyndall AFB , Fla . , the 82d ATRS is a subordinate of the 53d Weapons Evaluation Group assigned to Air Combat Command ' s 53d Wing at Eglin AFB , Fla . The 53 WEG is responsible for conducting the USAF Air - to - Air Weapons System Evaluation Program known as Combat Archer from Tyndall AFB and the Air - to - Ground version known as Combat Hammer from Eglin AFB . Both bases located at short distances from each other in the Florida panhandle . During these exercises , the 82d provides drone targets such as the QF - 4 in the Full Scale Aerial Target ( FSAT ) role next to the MQM - 107 Streaker and BQM - 34 Firebee as Sub - Scale Aerial Targets ( SSAT ) . To perform surveillance and gather telemetry data during shooting over the Gulf of Mexico , the units uses the only two E - 9A in the USAF inventory . The E - 9A is a special version of the civilian DASH - 8 specially equipped with a large phased - array antenna on the right side of the fuselage . The E - 9A can record all data onboard and can retransmit it in real time to the ground control station . Also called " Tyndall Navy " is the Watercraft Branch of the 82 ATRS . It comprises three 120 ft drone recovery vessels designated MR - 120 and two smaller vessels . These vessels are used for providing direct sea support to recover aerial targets like the MQM - 107 and BQM - 34 , range safety patrols and salvage operations . The 82 ATRS also has a Detachment at Holloman AFB which is responsible for FSAT operations at the White Sands Missile Range near Holloman AFB , NM . Modifications to the airframe and installation of major systems to transform the F - 4 takes about four months . This includes installation of the primary and back - up Automatic Flight Control System , Command / Telemetry System , VDOPS Scoring System , Flight Termination System , Visual Enhancement System and Ancillary Subsystems . There are two kinds of QF - 4s . The first is NULLO Full - scale Aerial Targets which keep the above basic drone conversions . For the 82d , NULLO means Not Under Live Local Operation . A NULLO flight always requires at least three drones , the ones to be shot down , a spare and a manned QF - 4 flying as chase plane . The second one is the manned full - scale drones fitted with advanced countermeasure systems installed by the USAF . While some of the twin - stick QF - 4s retain their dual control system as trainer and both ejection seats in working orders , the other manned QF - 4s have the rear cockpit ejection seat removed . All NULLO aircraft have both ejection seats removed . Noticeable differences between the twos are the six antennas from the VDOPS scoring system , the hump on top of the fuselage , a crude box on the left intake and a fairing in the left forward Sparrow well .