52d Fighter Wing The 52d Fighter Wing ( 52 FW ) is a wing of the United States Air Force stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base , Germany . It was activated in 1948 , but derives significant elements of its history from the predecessor Second World War 52d Fighter Group , which is now the 52d Operations Group , subordinate to the wing . Mission . The 52 FW maintains , deploys and employs F - 16CJ and A / OA - 10 aircraft and TPS - 75 radar systems in support of NATO and the national defense directives . The wing supports the Supreme Allied Commander Europe with mission - ready personnel and systems providing expeditionary air power for suppression of enemy air defenses , close air support , air interdiction , counterair , air strike control , strategic attack , combat search and rescue , and theater airspace control . The wing also supports contingencies and operations other than war as required . Overview . The Wing conducts operations at Spangdahlem Air Base , Germany , one of 16 major operating locations in USAFE . The wing is authorized about 5 , 560 active - duty members and about 210 Department of Defense civilians . The wing is organized with four groups responsible for operations , maintenance , mission support and medical operations , and has headquarters staff . In concert with USAFE wings at Ramstein Air Base , Germany , the 52d Fighter Wing directly supports the strategic mobility mission once conducted at Rhein - Main Air Base , Germany . The wing provides logistics support for C - 17 Globemaster III and C - 5 Galaxy aircraft , crew , passengers and cargo to sustain air mobility operations throughout Europe , Africa and Southwest Asia . The 52d Fighter Wing also supports USAFE ' s Joint Fires Center of Excellence , whose mission is to conduct joint and combined training focused on the effective integration and application of tactical fires . Subordinate organizations . 52d Operations Group ( 52 OG ) 52d Maintenance Group ( 52 MXG ) 52d Medical Group ( 52 MDG ) 52d Mission Support Group ( 52 MSG ) 52d Munitions Maintenance Group ( 52 MMG ) ( custody and storage of tactical nuclear weapons ) History . Cold War . Established as the 52d Fighter Wing , All Weather , on 10 May 1948 , the wing served in the United States as an air defense unit in the northeastern United States from 1947 until the end of 1968 . The 52d was reactivated on 18 August 1955 and designated 52d Fighter Group ( Air Defense ) . It was assigned to Air Defense Command and equipped with F - 86 Sabre aircraft . It served once more as an air defense unit in the northeastern United States . In December 1971 , it became the host wing at Spangdahlem Air Base , Germany , and inherited tactical squadrons from the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at nearby Bitburg Air Base . The wing participated in numerous tactical exercises , operations , and tests of USAFE and NATO and provided close air support , interdiction , and base defense operations . It cooperated with other NATO forces in frequent " squadron exchange " programs and hosted US - based units on temporary duty in Europe . In January 1973 , a Wild Weasel defense suppression mission was added . After October 1985 , using the F - 4 Phantom II model aircraft , defense suppression became the wing ' s sole tactical mission . In 1987 , the 52d acquired F - 16 Falcon s and became the first wing to integrate F - 16Cs with F - 4Gs to form hunter / killer teams within individual fighter squadron s . It deployed aircraft and personnel to strategic locations in Saudi Arabia and Turkey in support of the liberation of Kuwait from September 1990 – March 1993 . Near the end of 1992 , it began receiving A / OA - 10 aircraft . It received F - 15 Eagles in 1994 but lost its F - 4Gs . From January – December 1999 , the wing supported Operations Northern Watch , Allied Force , and Decisive Forge with numerous deployments to Italy and Turkey . Modern era . Following the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and The Pentagon in the United States on September 11 , 2001 , the 52d Fighter Wing began preparations for possible combat tasking . Within one month the wing had deployed people and equipment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in and around Afghanistan . The 22nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron began flying operations at a deployed location in support of the war on terrorism within 100 hours of tasking notification . Personnel assigned to the 52d FW continue to deploy in support of Operation Enduring Freedom today . In April 2010 the wing ' s strength was reduced by one third . 20 F - 16Cs were flown to the 148th Fighter Wing , Minnesota Air National Guard , one F - 16 was transferred to Edwards Air Force Base , California . All aircraft were from the 22nd Fighter Squadron . As a result of the drawdown of F - 16s , the 22nd and 23rd Fighter Squadrons were decativated on 13 August 2010 and formed the a single " new " squadron , the 480th Fighter Squadron . On February 16 , 2012 , Air Force officials announced the wing ' s 81st Fighter Squadron would be inactivated . Components . Wing Group Squadrons