46th Reconnaissance Squadron The 46th Reconnaissance Squadron is an inactive Strategic Air Command unit . Its last assignment was with the 5001st Composite Wing , based at Ladd Army Airfield , Alaska Territory . It was redesignated on 13 October 1947 as the 72d Reconnaissance Squadron , and operated as the 72d Reconnaissance Squadron until 30 September 1955 when the squadron was redesignated as the 72nd Bombardment Squadron , Heavy and performed a mission change from reconnaissance to a B - 36 Peacemaker strategic bomber squadron . The 46th Reconnaissance Squadron was assigned the Strategic Air Command ' s first operational mission , " Project Nanook , " - to assess the Soviet threat in the Arctic at the beginning of the Cold War . The unit developed the Grid System of Navigation which opened up the Arctic skies to world aviation and enabled SAC to become a global deterrent force . The squadron ' s F - 13 45 - 21848 - 46th Recon Aircraft " 848 " - was the first aircraft to fly over the Geographic North Pole on 16 October 1946 . History . Established as at B - 24 Liberator heavy bomber replacement training unit . Converted in September 1943 for operational training ; assigned to Second Air Force for training . Deployed to Mediterranean Theater of Operations ( MTO ) in December 1943 , squadron taking the South Atlantic Transport Route though the Caribbean and South America ; transiting the Atlantic Ocean via Brazil and Dakar , French West Africa , being assigned to Fifteenth Air Force in January 1944 at Grottaglie Airfield in Southern Italy . Engaged in long - range strategic bombardment of enemy military , industrial and transport targets , including oil refineries and production oilfields in Italy ; France ; Southern Germany ; Austria and the Balkans . Continued strategic bombardment until German capitulation in May 1945 . Most of the squadron was demobilized in Europe ; small cadre reformed at Sioux Falls Army Airfield , South Dakota in late May , being redesignated as a B - 29 Superfortress Very Heavy bomber squadron . Equipped with B - 17 Flying Fortresses and new personnel , began training for deployment to Central Pacific Area ( CPA ) to engaged in strategic bombardment missions over Japan . Japanese capitulation in August canceled plans for re - deployment , after training was reassigned to Grand Island Army Airfield , Nebraska as part of Continental Air Command . Redesignated as 46th Reconnaissance Squadron in June 1946 . New mission was to provide very long range reconnaissance as part of the newly established Strategic Air Command . Equipped with eighteen Reconnaissance - modified B - 29 Superfortress es obtained at Grand Island Army Airfield , Nebraska . Eight of the aircraft were modified into the F - 13A reconnaissance configuration , being fitted with special camera installations for photographic mapping and recon work . The F - 13As carried three K - 17B , two K - 22 and one K - 18 cameras with provisions for others . However , the standard B - 29 bombing equipment and defensive armament were retained . The squadron was assigned to Ladd Army Airfield , Alaska Territory on 1 June 1946 with a mission to fly reconnaissance and photo - mapping missions over the Arctic and perform reconnaissance along the northern border of Soviet territory in the Arctic , as well as deep - penetration reconnaissance flights . All of its missions were classified as Top Secret , the classification wasn ' t dropped until 2001 . The squadron flew its first operational mission on 2 August 1946 from its base at Ladd , eventually flying more than 5 , 000 hours in the Arctic and over 1 , 000 , 000 miles in its first year of operations , testing material and the limits of flying personnel in the Arctic . It made the first aircraft flight over the Geographic North Pole on 16 October 1946 , eventually accomplishing over 100 flights to the pole and its immediate vicinity . It performed photo mapping of 5 , 500 , 000 square miles of the Arctic , including areas for the strategic location of defense components , and future locations of radar sites along the northern Canadian region . Exploratory flights were made to obtain information necessary to establish commercial airline service over the Arctic . When the squadron arrived in Alaska , large areas of the territory and northern Canada were largely unexplored . The squadron developed means of polar navigation necessary due to the unreliability of magnetic compasses , and many existing maps of the region were unreliable . The Grid System of Navigation was developed which enabled navigators to navigate to locations within one mile of accuracy . The squadron was redesignated as the 72d Reconnaissance Squadron on 13 October 1947 ; its personnel and equipment being absorbed by the new unit in a name - only change . It operated as the 46th / 72d Reconnaissance Squadron until 28 June 1949 when the squadron was reassigned to Mountain Home AFB , Idaho . Lineage . Note : The 46th Reconnaissance Squadron ( 25 June - 15 August 1943 ) , assigned to the 426th Reconnaissance Group has no lineage to this organization . It was never manned or equipped . " World in Peril ; The Origin , Mission , and Scientific Findings of the 46th / 72nd Reconnaissance Squadron , " by Ken White . 1994 ISBN 1 - 883218 - 10 - 1