148th Fighter Interceptor Squadron

148th Fighter Squadron
148th Fighter Squadron 4-aircraft F-16 formation
Active	1985-Present
Country	United States
Allegiance	Arizona
Branch	Air National Guard
Type	Squadron
Role	Foreign Military Sales pilot training
Part of	Arizona Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ	Tucson Air National Guard Base, Tucson, Arizona.
Nickname(s)	"Kickin' Ass"
Tail Code	Arizona state flag tail stripe "AZ"
Insignia
148th Fighter Squadron emblem

The 148th Fighter Squadron (148 FS) is a unit of the Arizona Air National Guard 162d Fighter Wing located at Tucson Air National Guard Base, Arizona. The 148th is equipped with the Block 20 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon.

The 148th Fighter Squadron specializes in the training of F-16 pilots for foreign air forces which have purchased the aircraft via the Foreign Military Sales program.

In May 1946, the 347th Fighter Squadron was redesignated the 148th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine and allotted to the Pennsylvania Air National Guard unit. The 148th was stationed at Reading Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania and equipped with F-51D Mustangs.

In February 1951 the squadron was called to active duty and redesignated the 148th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. It was assigned to the 113th Fighter-Interceptor Group and moved to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware as part of Air Defense Command (ADC) with an air defense mission for Southeastern Pennsylvania and Philadelphia. In September the squadron upgraded to jet propelled and air intercept radar equipped Lockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft.

However, ADC was experiencing difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying its fighter squadrons to best advantage. Accordingly, in February 1952, it inactivated the 113th Wing and its elements and reassigned the 148th to the 4710th Defense Wing, which was organized on a regional basis. On 1 November 1952 the 148th was returned to the control of the State of Pennsylvania and its personnel, equipment and mission were transferred to the 46th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which was simultaneously activated at Dover.