427th Night Fighter Squadron
| 427th Special Operations Squadron | |
|---|---|
The Spanish CASA C-212-200 is an aircraft capable of inserting and extracting SOF via short runways. It may be employed by the 427th Special Operations Squadron
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| Active | 1944–1945, 1970–1972 |
| Country |
 United States
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| Branch |
 United States Air Force
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| Type | Squadron |
| Role | Special Operations |
| Engagements |
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| Insignia | |
| Emblem of the 427th Special Operations Squadron |  |
The 427th Special Operations Squadron (427th SOS) is a possible un-acknowledged unit of the United States Air Force. The squadron appears to be a clandestine unit not listed by the Air Force Historical Research Agency. It is reported by the press to be stationed at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina.
The squadron was originally formed during World War II as the 427th Night Fighter Squadron. Its planned mission to defend United States Army Air Force bases in the Soviet Union was cancelled when the Soviets did not allow the unit to be based in Ukraine SSR during the Operation Frantic shuttle bombing missions that took place in 1944. It later served in Italy, India, Southern China and Burma as a P-61 Black Widow night fighter interceptor squadron.
The squadron was re-activated during the Vietnam War to train South Vietnamese Air Force pilots in using the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly in counter-insurgency operations. Its most recent activation may involve counter-insurgency and counter-terrorist operations as part of Air Force Special Operations Command.
The 427th SOS is a clandestine unit which the Air Force discloses little information about. According to news reports about the organization it may provide Short Takeoff/Landing (STOL) and tactically qualified crews to support training requirements for the US Army Special Operations Forces (SOF) community. It may support the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), The US Army Special Forces Command (USASFC), and the John F Kennedy Special Warfare Center (JFKSWCS).
It is believed that the 427th SOS provides US Army SOF personnel the opportunity to train on various types of aircraft for infiltration and exfiltration that they may encounter in the lesser developed countries in which they provide training. If this is factual, then the 427th SOS aircrews must be proficient in smaller types of aircraft in order to familiarize US Army personnel with their characteristics, peculiarities, and capabilities.
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Wikipedia