550th Guided Missiles Wing
Encyclopedia
The 550th Guided Missiles Wing is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. It was last assigned to the Air Research and Development Command and stationed at Patrick AFB, Florida. It was inactivated on 30 December 1950.
, the 550th GMW mission was the supervision and evaluation of guided missile service tests as opposed to pure experimentation of its predecessor unit.
Like its predecessor, the 550th Guided Missiles Wing had detachments in tenant status at Holloman Air Force Base and the Navy's Guided Missile Test Center at Point Mugu. While the Holloman detachment continued to assist the Glenn L. Martin Company
with developmental testing of the MX-771 Matador
(i.e., it witnessed test firings and reported on the results), the Point Mugu detachment completed its Navy Convair Lark missile training and moved to the Joint Long Range Proving Ground in early January 1950
The Wing's 1st Guided Missiles Squadron was assigned air-to-surface missiles and guided bombs (e.g., VB-13 Tarzon) and the 2nd Guided Missiles Squadron worked with surface-to-surface missiles and QB-17L aircraft drones as flying targets for the early Nike Ajax surface-to-air missile or for the Hughes Falcon air-to-air missile. Often, the QB-17L would be the subject of intentional near misses to preserve the drone for as many missions as possible.
During the first ten months of its existence, the 550th Guided Missiles Wing also continued its predecessor's earlier preparations to support the atomic Operation Greenhouse
testing with QB-17L drone aircraft that would fly near or even through mushroom clouds during the atomic tests, but additional QB-29/DB-29 drone aircraft and personnel were assigned to other Air Proving Ground units during this period as well.
By January 1950, the Air Proving Ground decided this piecemeal operation ought to be consolidated, and it recommended the establishment of a separate and permanent drone squadron. Personnel from the 2d Guided Missiles Squadron were subsequently transferred to a new unit, the 3200th Drone Squadron, 3200th Proof Test Group in May 1950 which took over the QB/DB-17 and QB-29 mission. While the 3200th Drone Squadron remained under the 550th for administrative purposes, its operations were essentially divorced from the 550th's missile activities when the 3200th moved to Auxiliary Field #3.
The 2nd Guided Missiles Squadron was placed on inactive status after the transfer, but it was revived at Holloman Air Force Base on 25 October 1950 when the 550th's detachment there was discontinued.
The 550th GMW moved to Patrick AFB, Florida on 11 December 1950 as a result of a reorganization of Proving Ground Command into Air Research and Development Command (ARDC). On December 6th, the 550th activated a detachment at Patrick Air Force Base and assigned it to the 3d Guided Missiles Squadron, Interceptor to coordinate the movement to Patrick. The move was accomplished between 12 and 18 December 1950. The ARDC Long Range Proving Ground Division inactivated the 550th and its squadrons on 29 December 1950 and it replaced those units with the 4800th Guided Missile Wing.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. It was last assigned to the Air Research and Development Command and stationed at Patrick AFB, Florida. It was inactivated on 30 December 1950.
History
Established as an expansion of the 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group
The 1st Experimental Guided Missiles Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Air Proving Ground Command and stationed at Eglin Field, Florida. It was inactivated on 22 July 1949....
, the 550th GMW mission was the supervision and evaluation of guided missile service tests as opposed to pure experimentation of its predecessor unit.
Like its predecessor, the 550th Guided Missiles Wing had detachments in tenant status at Holloman Air Force Base and the Navy's Guided Missile Test Center at Point Mugu. While the Holloman detachment continued to assist the Glenn L. Martin Company
Glenn L. Martin Company
The Glenn L. Martin Company was an American aircraft and aerospace manufacturing company that was founded by the aviation pioneer Glenn L. Martin. The Martin Company produced many important aircraft for the defense of the United States and its allies, especially during World War II and the Cold War...
with developmental testing of the MX-771 Matador
MGM-1 Matador
The Martin MGM-1 Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile built by the United States. It was similar in concept to the German V-1, but the Matador included a radio link that allowed in-flight course corrections. This allowed accuracy to be maintained over greatly extended...
(i.e., it witnessed test firings and reported on the results), the Point Mugu detachment completed its Navy Convair Lark missile training and moved to the Joint Long Range Proving Ground in early January 1950
The Wing's 1st Guided Missiles Squadron was assigned air-to-surface missiles and guided bombs (e.g., VB-13 Tarzon) and the 2nd Guided Missiles Squadron worked with surface-to-surface missiles and QB-17L aircraft drones as flying targets for the early Nike Ajax surface-to-air missile or for the Hughes Falcon air-to-air missile. Often, the QB-17L would be the subject of intentional near misses to preserve the drone for as many missions as possible.
During the first ten months of its existence, the 550th Guided Missiles Wing also continued its predecessor's earlier preparations to support the atomic Operation Greenhouse
Operation Greenhouse
Operation Greenhouse was the fifth American nuclear test series, the second conducted in 1951 and the first to test principles that would lead to developing thermonuclear weapons . Conducted at the new Pacific Proving Ground, all of the devices were mounted in large steel towers, to simulate air...
testing with QB-17L drone aircraft that would fly near or even through mushroom clouds during the atomic tests, but additional QB-29/DB-29 drone aircraft and personnel were assigned to other Air Proving Ground units during this period as well.
By January 1950, the Air Proving Ground decided this piecemeal operation ought to be consolidated, and it recommended the establishment of a separate and permanent drone squadron. Personnel from the 2d Guided Missiles Squadron were subsequently transferred to a new unit, the 3200th Drone Squadron, 3200th Proof Test Group in May 1950 which took over the QB/DB-17 and QB-29 mission. While the 3200th Drone Squadron remained under the 550th for administrative purposes, its operations were essentially divorced from the 550th's missile activities when the 3200th moved to Auxiliary Field #3.
The 2nd Guided Missiles Squadron was placed on inactive status after the transfer, but it was revived at Holloman Air Force Base on 25 October 1950 when the 550th's detachment there was discontinued.
The 550th GMW moved to Patrick AFB, Florida on 11 December 1950 as a result of a reorganization of Proving Ground Command into Air Research and Development Command (ARDC). On December 6th, the 550th activated a detachment at Patrick Air Force Base and assigned it to the 3d Guided Missiles Squadron, Interceptor to coordinate the movement to Patrick. The move was accomplished between 12 and 18 December 1950. The ARDC Long Range Proving Ground Division inactivated the 550th and its squadrons on 29 December 1950 and it replaced those units with the 4800th Guided Missile Wing.
Units
- 550th Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron (drawn from the 1st Group's Headquarters), 20 July 1949-29 December 1950
- 550th Maintenance Squadron, Guided Missiles (re-designated from 1st Experimental Air Service Squadron), 20 July 1949-29 December 1950
- 1st Guided Missiles Squadron, 20 July 1949-29 December 1950
- Composed mainly from personnel taken from the deactivated 1st Experimental Guided Missile Squadron. Assigned air-to-surface missiles and guided bombs (e.g., TARZON)
- 2d Guided Missiles Squadron, 20 July 1949-25 October 1950 (at Eglin AFB); 25 October 1950-29 December 1950 (at Holloman AFB, NM)
- Manned by personnel from the 1st Experimental Guided Missile Squadron and the 1st Experimental Air Service Squadron. Worked with surface-to-surface missiles and QB-17 aircraft drones.
- 3d Guided Missiles Squadron, Interceptor, 1 July 1950-30 December 1950
- Assigned to: Air Force Division, Joint Long Range Proving Ground prior to 11 December 1950. Launched three US Navy LARK surface-to-air missiles at Cape Canaveral in October and November 1950
- Composed of the remaining portion of the 1st Experimental Air Service Squadron, which was merely redesignated on 20 July 1949)
- 3200th Drone Squadron, 26 April-11 December 1950 (at Holloman AFB, NM)
- Created from personnel assigned to the 2nd Guided Missiles Squadron
- 3200th Proof Test Group, 26 April-11 December 1950 (at Holloman AFB, NM)
Stations
- Eglin AFB, Florida, 20 July 1949-11 December 1950
- Detachment at: Holloman Air Force BaseHolloman Air Force BaseHolloman Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located six miles southwest of the central business district of Alamogordo, a city in Otero County, New Mexico, United States. The base was named in honor of Col. George V. Holloman, a pioneer in guided missile research...
, New Mexico (7 November 1949-25 October 1950) - Detachment at: Naval Air Station Point MuguNaval Air Station Point MuguNaval Base Ventura County Point Mugu or NBVC Point Mugu is a military airbase located in Point Mugu, Ventura County, California, United States. Due to realignment actions which occurred in 2000, the base is now part of Naval Base Ventura County , a consolidated organization that also includes...
, California (21 July 1949-29 December 1950)- Patrick AFB, Florida, 11-29 December 1950
Missiles
- See: 6555th Aerospace Test Group for list