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358th Fighter Group

122d Fighter Wing
163d Fighter Squadron - A-10 Thunderbolt II.jpg
An Indiana Air National Guard Airmen with the 122d Fighter Wing at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station prepares a Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, “Warthog” for flight
Active 1942–present
Country  United States
Allegiance  Indiana
Branch US-AirNationalGuard-2007Emblem.svg  Air National Guard
Type Wing
Role Close Air Support
Part of Indiana Air National Guard
Garrison/HQ Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Indiana
Tail code "IN" Indiana
Commanders
Current
commander
Col. Patrick R. Renwick
Insignia
122d Fighter Wing emblem 122d Fighter Wing.png

The 122d Fighter Wing (122 FW sometimes 122d) is a unit of the Indiana Air National Guard, stationed at Fort Wayne Air National Guard Station, Fort Wayne, Indiana. If activated to federal service, the wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command.

The 358th Fighter Group trained in the Mid-Atlantic United States with P-40 Warhawks, 1943. While in training also used for air defense of Philadelphia area. Moved to England during September and October 1943, they were equipped with P-47 Thunderbolts and began operations on 20 December 1943 and served in combat with Eighth and later, Ninth Air Forces until V-E Day.

In 2005 the wing introduced the reconnaissance Theater Airborne Reconnaissance System, becoming one of the first units to fly with it.

In 2008, after having flown for 17 years with the block 25 aircraft, at which point the aircraft were nearing the end of their planned operational lifespans. More modern is quite relative since the aircraft they received were Block 30 F-16C/Ds manufactured between 1987 and 1989. These models were mainly coming from the Michigan Air National Guard 107th Fighter Squadron which was transitioning to the A-10 Thunderbolt II at the time. With the upgrade to the Block 30 aircraft, the tail code of the 163rd was changed from "FW" (Fort Wayne) to "IN" (Indiana) in 2009 when the 181st Fighter Wing at Hulman Field became a non-flying unit. However, only a few of the F-16s were re-coded.

In 2009 – the year the unit honored its predecessor unit – the 358th FG – with an heritage jet – it was decided that the squadron was to retire their 20-year-old F-16s and become an A-10 Thunderbolt II squadron. The conversion happened in 2010.


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Wikipedia

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