Active 1958-1960 Size wing | Country United States | |
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Branch United States Air Force | ||
The 705th Strategic Missile Wing (SMW) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned as an active unit to the 7th Air Division at South Ruislip Air Station, England. It was discontinued on 1 April 1960 and was redesignated as the 510th Tactical Missile Wing in 1985 while inactive.
Contents
History
Headquarters Strategic Air Command (SAC) activated the wing as the 705th SMW on 20 February 1958 at RAF Lakenheath, England, to monitor the PGM-17 Thor IRBM program in the United Kingdom and provide technical assistance to the four Royal Air Force Thor squadrons. The wing never became operational, and its only manning was by additional duty personnel of the 7th Air Division Directorate of Ballistic Missiles through 1960. Even its commanding officer, Col. William R. Yancy acted in that capacity as an additional duty from March to November 1958,
While the missiles were assigned to the RAF for control, SAC retained control over the squadron's nuclear warheads and assigned a detachment of the 705th to perform the following functions:
On 22 June 1959, No. 77 (Strategic Missile) Squadron at RAF Feltwell became the first British-based Thor IRBM squadron to reach operational status. On 11 September and 22 December 1959, the second and third British-based Thor IRBM squadrons were declared operational and assigned to Royal Air Force personnel. When SAC turned over the fourth and final British-based Thor IRBM to the Royal Air Force on 22 April 1960, the deployment of the Thor IRBM weapon system in the United Kingdom was completed. The wing was inactivated on 1 April 1960, followed shortly by the elimination of 7th Air Division's Directorate of Ballistic Missiles.