162d Fighter Wing The 162d Fighter Wing ( 162 FW ) is a unit of the Arizona Air National Guard , stationed at Tucson Air National Guard Base , Arizona . If activated to federal service , the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Education and Training Command Nineteenth Air Force . Mission . The primary mission of the 162d Fighter Wing is education and flight training of International F - 16 Fighting Falcon aircrews . In addition , the wing performs air defense and homeland protection of the United States . Units . The 162d Fighter Wing consists of the following units : History . On 1 July 1969 , the Arizona Air National Guard 152d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron was authorized to expand to a group level , and the 162d Tactical Fighter Training Squadron was established by the National Guard Bureau . The 152d TFTS becoming 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 . As part of Tactical Air Command , the 162d TFTG ' s mission was producing combat - ready pilots for the F - 100 aircraft . The 152d TFTS equipped with the F - 100C Super Sabre , and the group graduated their first students in 1970 . Shortly afterward , the unit formed the Air National Guard Fighter Weapons School ( FWS ) 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 , the group received A - 7D Corsair II ground support aircraft and replaced the F - 100s . In the early 1980s the Group also received the A - 7K , a two - seat combat - capable training aircraft derived from the single - seat A - 7D . This was the first time an aircraft manufacturer produced a new aircraft specifically designed for Air National Guard use . The unit received its second Air Force Outstanding Unit Citation for successfully continuing to train F - 100 students while completing the most challenging conversion in the unit ' s history . That tasking was to convert from F - 100s to A - 7Ds . In the early 1980s the Group also received the A - 7K , a two - seat combat - capable training aircraft . This was the first time an aircraft manufacturer produced a new aircraft specifically designed for Air National Guard use . In February 1984 , a second squadron , the 195th Tactical Fighter Squadron was assigned to the Group and additional A - 7Ds were assigned . A third A - 7D squadron , the 148th Fighter Squadron was assigned in October 1985 . These three squadrons shared a common tail code ( AZ ) , and the Group ' s aircraft were formed in a common pool from which all three squadrons used for training . During the 1980s the unit received its fourth Outstanding Unit Citation and the Spaatz Trophy . The Spaatz trophy recognized the 162nd Fighter Wing as the outstanding Air National Guard unit in the United States . In 1985 , the unit began a unique dual training mission using a mixture of F - 16 Fighting Falcon and its A - 7 aircraft . With the A - 7s being retired from the inventory , conversion from the A - 7D / K started in 1986 when the group started to receive older F - 16A aircraft from other USAF units . The mission of the unit was to train combat - ready pilots for the Air National Guard ( Replacement Training Unit or RTU ) , but the older F - 16A Block 5 airframes were not quite suited to fulfill this mission . Therefore , a number of more modern F - 16A block 15 airframes were introduced in the squadron after 1989 to be able to maintain a more modern training syllabus . The last of the A - 7Ds were retired in 1992 . In 1987 , the Group was awarded the " Sistema de Cooperacion Entre Las Fuerzas Aereas Americanas ( SICOFAA ) , " the Safety Award of the Americas . In 1989 the Netherlands and the United States formally agreed to use the 162nd Fighter Group ' s first - rate facilities and people to train Dutch fighter pilots in the F - 16 aircraft . In 1990 the unit received its fifth Air Force Outstanding Unit Citation . Midsummer 1991 saw the retirement of all its A - 7D aircraft . Now the unit flies the F - 16 C / D and the newer F - 16E / F " Fighting Falcon " aircraft plus a single C - 26A " Metroliner " light transport aircraft . International training unit . In 1992 the status of the 162d was upgraded from Group to Wing , and the ANG Staff decided to modernize the training that the squadron was providing to ANG crews as well as regular USAF units or NATO F - 16 pilots . Therefore , more modern F - 16C block 42 airframes were delivered to the group . This opened a lot of opportunities . Beginning in April of that year , the 162d began training fighter pilots for the Republic of Singapore , followed in 1993 by Bahrain , by Portugal in 1994 , and by Thailand , Indonesia and Turkey in 1995 . The unit was designated a wing in October 1995 and the international training mission continued to expand , adding Belgium in 1996 followed by Jordan and Norway in the first half of 1997 . Denmark began training here in June 1998 , and Japan began training in late 1998 . Italy sent their first pilot to Tucson in October 2000 , Greece began training here in January 2001 and the United Arab Emirates sent their first students here in August 2001 . Oman and Poland both began sending students here in 2004 . Other nations who have trained or are currently training in Tucson are Israel , Italy , Chile and Taiwan . Additional nations are currently negotiating training programs with the 162nd FW . In addition to the training done at the ANG base in Tucson , the Wing conducts training at individual client nations . Mobile Training Teams have conducted classes in numerous countries around the world , most recently in Turkey , the Netherlands , Thailand and Poland . The Thailand Mobile Training Team conducted the unit ' s premier international training course , known as the Advanced Weapons Course . This program provides " graduate - level " training to assist allied nations in meeting their need for highly trained F - 16 pilots . On June 9 , 1997 , the wing embarked on a new mission , training international maintenance technicians on F - 16 systems . Jordan sent the first six of nearly 60 technicians to observe and learn 162nd Fighter Wing maintenance techniques so they can emulate what they learn here at their home stations . The training they receive here supplements the technical training they received from the aircraft manufacturer . Italy and the United Arab Emirates have also sent their technicians to Tucson for maintenance training . From October 1998 until August 1999 , the unit conducted a program to convert three former Air Defense units to the general - purpose role . This air - to - ground training program taught current F - 16 air defense pilots how to employ the F - 16 in the ground attack mission . Air defense units from the Vermont , New Jersey , Texas and California Air National Guard transferred eight F - 16Cs / Ds to the 162nd FW . These aircraft were used to train nearly 60 pilots from the three air defense units . Maintenance people from these states also provided maintenance support for these aircraft under 162nd FW supervision . Global War on Terrorism . The September 11 terrorist attacks on our nation brought immediate change to the 162nd Fighter Wing . Within hours of the first attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon , the 162nd FW placed F - 16 aircraft on alert . In the days and weeks that followed , the wing met every requirement of this new air defense mission , dubbed Operation Noble Eagle , with outstanding results . Many members of the wing volunteered to support this new mission and others have stepped up and answered the President ' s call to " mobilize " in support of this critical mission . The unit received its sixth Outstanding Unit Award in 2003 for mobilizing more than 300 personnel to support the North American Air Defense Command ' s Operation Noble Eagle , providing more than 50 personnel to support Central Command ' s Operation Enduring Freedom , for supporting Joint Forge , Coronet Oak , Coronet Nighthawk and providing personnel to Southern Command and European Command . Current status . On June 27 , 2004 , the 162nd Fighter Wing and the United Arab Emirates initiated a unique training program . The UAE F - 16 Training Program is a dedicated F - 16 squadron , the 148th Fighter Squadron . The squadron will operate in the long - term with 13 F - 16E / F ( Block 60 ) aircraft . The first aircraft arrived on Sept . 2 , 2004 . Along with the Homeland Defense mission , the 162nd FW continues its primary mission of International F - 16 Pilot Training adding new countries every year . The 162nd Fighter Wing now features new modern buildings , up - to - date equipment and continually updated technology that keeps pace with its rapidly changing roles and missions . The ultramodern Air Guard Base at Tucson is very different from the adobe farmhouse and dirt - floor hangar of 50 years ago . What remains unchanged is the outstanding dedication of the men and women working to make the 162nd Fighter Wing one of the finest fighter training wings in the world .