346th Test Squadron

The 346th Test Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 318th Cyberspace Operations Group at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas. The squadron tests military cyberspace operation systems.

346th Test Squadron
A B-52D Stratofortress dropping bombs over Vietnam[note 1]
Active1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1953–1974; 1993–1995; 2000–present
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleSystem Testing
Size120 personnel[1]
Part ofAir Force Space Command
Garrison/HQJoint Base San Antonio–Lackland
EngagementsMediterranean Theater of Operations
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm
Insignia
346th Test Squadron emblem (approved 7 November 2000)[2]
346th Bombardment Squadron emblem (c. 1963)
346th Bombardment Squadron emblem (approved 18 February 1944)[3]

The squadron was first activated as the 346th Bombardment Squadron in 1942. After training in the United States, it moved to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where it earned two Distinguished Unit Citations in operations against the Axis Powers. After V-E Day, the squadron remained in Italy until November 1945, when it was inactivated. The squadron was activated in the reserves from 1947 to 1949, but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped.

In 1953, the squadron was activated as the 346th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron as part of Strategic Air Command. It returned to the bombardment mission two years later, and served in this role until inactivating in 1974. Although the squadron remained in the United States except for one deployment in the 1950s, during the Vietnam War it deployed its aircrews and Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses to Southeast Asia. For extended periods, all squadron personnel and equipment were deployed.

The squadron was activated in 1993 as the 346th Test and Evaluation Squadron and performed operational testing and evaluation until inactivating in 1995. It was activated in its current role in 2000.

Mission

The squadron mission is to conduct independent operational tests and evaluations, emissions security tests, and other specialized tests of cyberspace capabilities. It operates Air Force Space Command’s cyber test & training range. The 346th's 120 personnel include 50 active duty airmen, 30 Department of Defense civilian employees and 40 contractors.[1]

The 346th conducts operational tests for components of weapons systems, equipment, or software to determine its operational effectiveness and suitability. It identifies unexpected critical system performance issues that might affect system combat effectiveness before system fielding.[1]

History

World War II

Established in early 1942 as a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombardment squadron; trained under Second Air Force first in the Pacific Northwest, but the poor flying weather in the northwest forced a relocation to the Midwest for the second and third phases of training.

B-17F of the 346th Bombardment Squadron[note 2]

After completion of training, the 346th departed for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in Algeria, where the ground echelon went by ship from New York City to Marrakech, Morocco; the air echelon flying to Morrison Field, Florida, then along the South Atlantic Route to Navarin Airfield, Algeria, where the ground and air echelons of the squadron were reunited in late February 1943. Assigned to Twelfth Air Force, the squadron engaged in combat operations in support of American ground forces in Algeria and Tunisia during the 1943 North African campaign.

Helped force the capitulation of Pantelleria Island in June 1943. Bombed in preparation for and in support of the invasions of Sicily and southern Italy in the summer and fall of 1943. Was reassigned to the new Fifteenth Air Force in October 1943 and until the German capitulation in May 1945; engaged in strategic bombardment of enemy targets in Italy, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, and Greece, attacking oil refineries, marshaling yards, aircraft factories, and other strategic objectives. Squadron was demobilized in Italy in late 1945; inactivated in November.

Air Force reserve

Activated in the reserves in 1947, however unit never equipped or manned. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget restraints.

Strategic Air Command

The squadron was reactivated in January 1953 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington[2] when the 111th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, an Air National Guard unit that had been mobilized for the Korean War, was returned to state control. The squadron assumed the mission, personnel, and Convair RB-36 Peacemaker strategic reconnaissance aircraft of the 111th Wing's 103d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, which returned to the Maryland Air National Guard. Engaged in worldwide strategic bombardment training and stood nuclear alert until 1956 when the B-36 was retired.

Re-equipped with B-52 Stratofortresses and continued training and nuclear alert status. Deployed personnel and aircraft to Pacific during Vietnam War, engaging in Operation Arc Light combat missions over North Vietnam; also deployed personnel and aircraft to Thailand flying out of U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield for combat missions over Cambodia and Laos. Inactivated in 1974 with the inactivation of parent 99th Bombardment Wing and transfer of Westover Air Force Base to the Air Force Reserve.

Test operations

The 346th's mission changed when it became the 346th Test and Evaluation Squadron in June 1993 and was activated under the 99th Test Group at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. For the next two years, it performed operational test and evaluation for Air Combat Command systems. The squadron and 99th Group were inactivated at Ellsworth in 1995 as ACC centralized its operational test and evaluation under the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.[2]

The squadron was again activated at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas in August 2000 as the 346th Test Squadron and assigned to the 318th Information Operations Group.[2] As part of the unit's focus on cyber defense, in 2014 it began participating in a joint project of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and Twenty-Fourth Air Force to protect Air Force industrial control systems against attacks from external sources. This project recognized that industrial control systems (systems commonly used to automate physical industrial processes such as electrical and transportation operations) have become increasingly automated, rendering them vulnerable to cyber attacks.[4]

Lineage
  • Constituted as the 346th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942
Activated on 1 Jun 1942
Redesignated 346th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 29 September 1944
Inactivated on 8 November 1945
  • Redesignated 346th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947
Activated in the reserve on 29 May 1947
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
  • Redesignated 346th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Heavy and activated on 1 January 1953
Redesignated 346th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 October 1955
Inactivated on 31 March 1974
  • Redesignated 346th Test and Evaluation Squadron on 1 June 1993
Activated on 15 June 1993
Inactivated on 21 September 1995
  • Redesignated 346 Test Squadron on 17 July 2000
Activated on 1 August 2000[2]

Assignments
  • 99th Bombardment Group, 1 June 1942 – 8 November 1945
  • 99th Bombardment Group, 29 May 1947 – 27 June 1949
  • 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (later 99th Bombardment Wing), 1 January 1953 – 31 March 1974
  • 99th Test Group, 15 June 1993 – 21 September 1995
  • 318th Information Operations Group (later 318th Cyberspace Operations Group), 1 Aug 2000 – present[2]

Stations

Aircraft

Awards and campaigns
Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Distinguished Unit Citation5 July 1943Sicily, 346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Distinguished Unit Citation23 April 1944Austria, 346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device2-21 March and 15-31 March 1970346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 October 1967-1 March 1968346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award2 March-1 April 1968346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 July 1971-30 June 1972346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 June 2008-31 May 2009346th Test Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award18 August 2009-1 October 2010346th Test Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award2 October 2010-30 September 2011346th Test Squadron[2]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 October 2013-30 September 2014346th Test Squadron[2]
Air Force Organizational Excellence Award1 June 2003-31 May 2004346th Test Squadron[2]
Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm2 March 1969-31 March 1970346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe16 March 1943 – 5 June 1944346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Tunisia16 March 1943 – 13 May 1943346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Air Combat, EAME Theater16 March 1943 – 11 May 1945346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Sicily14 May 1943 – 17 August 1943346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Naples-Foggia18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Anzio22 January 1944 – 24 May 1944346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Rome-Arno22 January 1944 – 9 September 1944346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Central Europe22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Normandy6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Northern France25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Southern France15 August 1944 – 14 September 1944346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
North Apennines10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Rhineland15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
Po Valley3 April 1945 – 8 May 1945346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
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See also

References
Notes
  1. Aircraft is Boeing B-52D-35-BW Stratofortress serial 52-669.
  2. This Boeing B-17F Flying Fortress serial 42-29513, nicknamed "El Diablo" saw extensive service with the squadron between 23 February and 11 December 1943. It completed 114 missions, and was then deemed "War Weary". It was stripped of its armament and converted into a weather ship for the 304th Bombardment Wing at Cerignola, Italy.
Citations
  1. Staff writer, no byline (6 October 2016). "About Us: Fact Sheet 346th Test Squadron". Twenty-Fourth Air Force Public Affairs. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  2. Lacomia, John M. (17 June 2015). "Factsheet 346 Test Sq (AFSC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  3. Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 429-430
  4. Cheng, Joey (17 June 2014). "Air Force gets serious about securing infrastructure". Defense Systems. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
  5. Aircraft through 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 429-430

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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