18th Reconnaissance Squadron


The 18th Reconnaissance Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 432d Operations Group, and stationed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.

Mission

The 18th Squadron conducts intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, operating the MQ-1 Predator UAV.

History

World War II

Activated as part of IV Fighter Command in early 1943, the squadron engaged in the air defense of the San Francisco area as well as a Replacement Training Unit until the end of 1943. It trained as a North American P-51 Mustang operational squadron and deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it was assigned to IX Fighter Command in England. It operated both as a tactical fighter squadron, providing air support to Allied ground forces in France as well as an air defense squadron, attacking enemy aircraft over Europe.
In August 1944, the squadron was redesignated the 161st Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron carrying out photo-reconnaissance missions. The unit was inactivated in November 1945.

Cold War tactical reconnaissance

Reactivated in 1945 at Brooks Field, Texas under the 363d Reconnaissance Group, it trained with the Lockheed RF-80A Shooting Star. The 18th moved to Langley Field in 1947 when Brooks was transferred to Strategic Air Command. The squadron was reassigned directly to the Fourteenth Air Force in 1949 when the 363d was inactivated and moved to Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina.
The unit was reassigned to the 363d when the group was reactivated at Shaw on 2 April 1951. It became a training squadron with a mission to provide photographic intelligence training to support both air and ground operations by American or Allied ground forces. Upgraded to the Republic RF-84F Thunderflash in 1954, it continued training operations until 1957 when it re-equipped with the McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo.
The squadron was reassigned to the 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing and deployed to NATO in 1959. It operated from France until 1966, moving to RAF Upper Heyford, England. It remained in the UK until 1970, when it returned to Shaw AFB and was assigned to the 363d Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. It was re-equipped with the McDonnell RF-4C Phantom II at Shaw and performed training for new photo-reconnaissance pilots until 1979 when it was inactivated.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle operations

The 18th was reactivated at Beale Air Force Base, California as a Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk strategic reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle squadron between 2006 and 2007. It was reactivated at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada in 2009 as a General Atomics MQ-1 Predator squadron.

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