Country United States Part of Pacific Air Forces | Role Combat Training | |
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Active 1942-1944; 1953-1974; 1978-1988; 1991-present Branch United States Air Force Decorations Presidential Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm | ||
The 497th Combat Training Flight is a United States Air Force unit. Its present assignment is to Singapore's Paya Lebar Air Base, where its mission is to provides operational and logistical support to U.S. Air Force fighter aircraft deployed to Singapore for training exercises with the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
Contents
Overview
Approximately three deployments of USAF F-15s and F-16s from both Active Duty and National Guard units from around the world are made each year to Singapore under the auspices of EXERCISE COMMANDO SLING. The squadron supports/participates in regional exercise and global contingencies, and provides housing; morale, recreation and welfare facilities and programs: medical services; force protection to resources and personnel; and legal, financial, communications, and contracting support to assigned and deployed personnel.
The 497th comprises the basic functional elements of a small-scale USAF fighter wing - fighter operations, flightline logistics, community and mission support, and medical services. With a permanently assigned staff of 37 personnel, the 497th CTS represents the entire USAF presence in Singapore. However, six times a year for up to four weeks the squadron "grows" to between 120 and 190 in strength, with the deployment of 6 to 12 F-15 and/or F-16 aircraft and the associated 75 to 150 support personnel. When so configured, the 497th "presence" is transformed into an operational role, to conduct an intense schedule of air-to-air combat training with the RSAF.
The 497th also supports USAF fighter rotations to Southwest Asia and several other regional exercises such as COPE TAUFAN, COPE TIGER, and COPE WEST. An example of the 497th CTS's "expanding capability" occurred in May 1998 during COMMANDO SLING 98-4 when they also supported the ordered departure of U.S. personnel from Indonesia. Paya Lebar Air Base ramp at that time had 28 USAF F-15s, four USAF C-130s, four USAF KC-135s, one C-141, one C-17, plus all the permanently based RSAF aircraft and aircraft from other nations. All were supported by squadron and RSAF personnel. Additionally, COMMANDO SLING 98-4 was the first time the normally bilateral exercise was expanded to include the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) F/A-18 Hornets.
The commander is also the Designated Commanding Officer for legal jurisdiction over U.S. military personnel in nine Southeast Asian countries. It is a tenant command under Naval Region Singapore and shares space at the Sembawang Terminal with Task Force 73/Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific and a space a Paya Lebar Air Base (PLAB) .
World War II
Operational training unit, June 1942 – October 1943; replacement training, October 1943 – April 1944.
Cold War
Air defense of West coast, 1953–1955.
Air Defense of Southwest Europe, 1958–1964. In the early 1960s Headquarters, United States Air Force (USAF) implemented Project Clearwater. Clearwater was designed to return overseas Convair F-102 squadrons stationed overseas to the United States to reduce "gold flow" (adverse balance of payments). This resulted in the 497th being reduced to a paper unit and its planes dispersed to Air Defense Command interceptor squadrons in the US. Although had originally intended to inactivate the unit, it was instead transferred to Tactical Air Command as a paper unit.
Vietnam War
Combat in Southeast Asia, 1965–1974; Defense of South Korea, 1974–1988.
Current mission
Combat training in Southeast Asia, 1991–present