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116th Air Control Wing

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Article Genealogy
Parent: Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS Hop 4
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116th Air Control Wing
116th Air Control Wing
United States Air Force · Public domain · source
Unit name116th Air Control Wing
CaptionEmblem of the 116th Air Control Wing
Dates1950–present
CountryUnited States
AllegianceUnited States Air Force
BranchAir National Guard
RoleAirborne command and control
Command structureAir Combat Command
GarrisonRobins Air Force Base, Georgia
Nickname"Silent Watch"
Notable commandersMaj Gen Michael A. McLachlan; Col Timothy L. Johnson
Aircraft command and controlE-8 Joint STARS

116th Air Control Wing is an Air National Guard wing specializing in airborne battle management, surveillance, and command and control. The wing operates advanced airborne radar platforms to support joint force commanders, allied partners, and theater campaigns across United States Northern Command, United States European Command, and United States Central Command theaters. Subordinate units provide intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting data for operations linked to major exercises such as Red Flag, Operation Inherent Resolve, and NATO combined training events.

Overview and Mission

The wing's mission emphasizes airborne command and control, intelligence fusion, and tactical maneuver support for combatant commanders in coordination with North Atlantic Treaty Organization, United States Indo-Pacific Command, and regional partners like United Kingdom, France, and Germany. It integrates with platforms such as E-3 Sentry, AWACS, and RC-135 Rivet Joint in combined operations alongside assets from United States Air Force, United States Army, and United States Navy. The wing supports multinational exercises including Saber Strike, Pacific Dragon, and Anaconda (exercise), and contributes to contingency plans developed at staffs like United States Strategic Command and United States Transportation Command.

History

Established during the Cold War era, the wing traces lineage to tactical control and early warning units that contributed to NATO posture during crises like the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and the Yom Kippur War contingency responses. During the post-Cold War drawdown, the wing transitioned mission sets influenced by operations such as Operation Desert Storm, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Throughout the 2000s and 2010s the wing modernized to meet demands highlighted by studies from Department of Defense offices and reviews by the Government Accountability Office. It participated in multinational campaigns, supported Operation Odyssey Dawn, and integrated capabilities derived from programs overseen by Air Combat Command and Air National Guard Bureau.

Organization and Units

The wing comprises operations, maintenance, mission support, and medical groups aligned under a wing headquarters similar to structures in Air Mobility Command and Pacific Air Forces. Its operations group fields aircrew, intelligence, and battle management squadrons interoperable with units like 116th Air Control Squadron-style elements, while maintenance groups sustain aircraft alongside depot-level partners such as Ogden Air Logistics Complex and Robins AFB support units. Wing staff coordinate with joint organizations including Joint Chiefs of Staff elements, theater commands like United States European Command, and allied liaison offices from NATO Allied Command Transformation.

Aircraft and Equipment

The wing operates airborne surveillance and control platforms derived from programs such as E-8 Joint STARS modernization, employing radar, communications suites, and mission systems produced by contractors involved in Long Range Strike Bomber studies and electronic warfare research influenced by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Onboard systems interface with datalinks like Link 16 and satellite relay nodes from Defense Satellite Communications System. Ground support equipment and mission planning tools are compatible with systems used by E-3 Sentry and RC-135 fleets, and maintenance is coordinated with logistics networks such as Air Force Materiel Command and Air National Guard Bureau.

Operations and Deployments

The wing has deployed to support coalition operations in Iraq War air campaigns, counterinsurgency efforts in Afghanistan, and multinational deterrence missions in European sovereign airspace during Crimean crisis (2014) contingencies. It has provided airborne command during exercises like Red Flag-Alaska and Vigilant Shield, supported humanitarian responses coordinated with United States Northern Command and Federal Emergency Management Agency, and contributed to NATO air policing alongside Royal Air Force and German Air Force units. Operations have been directed under tasking from unified commands including United States Central Command and operational orders from numbered air forces such as Third Air Force and Ninth Air Force.

Honors and Awards

Elements of the wing and its personnel have received unit awards and commendations administered by authorities such as Secretary of the Air Force and National Guard Bureau; these include campaign streamers associated with Operation Desert Storm and theater recognition for deployments supporting Operation Enduring Freedom. Individual aircrew and maintenance personnel have earned decorations tied to joint operations coordinated by Joint Chiefs of Staff directives and theater campaign medals issued by DoD authorities.

Category:Air National Guard wings of the United States Category:Military units and formations in Georgia (U.S. state)