#1735 195th FS F-16C Fighting Falcon print
Description
Squadron Prints Lithograph No. 1735 - 86-0355, F-16C Fighting Falcon, 195th Fighter Squadron, 162d Fighter Wing, Morris Air National Guard Base, Arizona.
The 195th Fighter Squadron history begins with their formation at Westover Field, Massachusetts in August 1943 and was originally designated as the 410th Fighter Squadron. During World War II the 410th Fighter Squadron was assigned to the European Theater of Operations, Ninth Air Force, in Western Europe. They were equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts. The 410th flew its first combat mission on 8 May 1944, a fighter sweep over Normandy. They then took part in preinvasion activities, escorting B-26 Marauders to attack airdromes, bridges, and railroads in Occupied France. The squadron patrolled the air over the beachhead when the Allies launched the Normandy invasion on 6 June 1944 and hit troops, tanks, roads, fuel depots, and other targets in the assault area until the end of the month. Returning to the United States and preparing for transfer to the Pacific Theater during the Summer of 1945, the Japanese Capitulation in August led to the squadron’s inactivation in November 1945. The wartime 410th Fighter Squadron was re-activated and re-designated as the 195th Fighter Squadron. It was allotted to the California Air National Guard at Van Nuys Airport, on 24 May 1946. The squadron was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and was assigned to the 146th Fighter Group, also at Van Nuys Airport by the National Guard Bureau. After the Korean War, the squadron was equipped with the long-range F-51H Mustang and remained a part of Air Defense Command. In February 1954, they were equipped with F-86A Sabre jet interceptors. In late 1983, the 195th designation was transferred from California to the Arizona Air National Guard. It was formed in January 1984 as the 195 Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and was extended federal recognition on 1 February. The mission of the unit was to train combat-ready pilots for the Air National Guard Replacement Training Unit. In 1991, the 195 began training foreign non-NATO pilots. In 1995, the 195 was equipped with F-16A block 15s. In 2006 the squadron started converting to F-16C block 25 airframes. In 2022 the squadron converted to F-16 block 30s with AESA radars and now trains the world’s hottest fighter pilots.
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