416th Flight Test Squadron

The 416th Flight Test Squadron is a United States Air Force squadron. It is assigned to the 412th Operations Group, Air Force Materiel Command at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The 416th performs flight testing on General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft.

The squadron's first predecessor was constituted as the 26th Reconnaissance Squadron in January 1942. However, it was redesignated the 416th Bombardment Squadron before being activated in June 1942. After training in the United States, It deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. From bases in North Africa and Italy, it engaged in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. It earned two Distinguished Unit Citations for its performance in combat. It remained in Italy following V-E Day until inactivating in November 1945. The squadron was active in the reserves from 1947 to 1949, but was not fully manned or equipped.

The second predecessor is the 6516th Test Squadron, which was established in 1989 to test the F-16. In October 1992, the two squadrons were consolidated as the 416th Test Squadron.

The 416th performs flight testing on General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. It also provides test support with Northrop T-38 Talons.^{[citation needed]}

The first predecessor of the squadron was established as the 26th Reconnaissance Squadron in January 1942, shortly after the Attack on Pearl Harbor. However, before it was activated in June, it was redesignated the 416th Bombardment Squadron, becoming one of the four original squadrons of the 99th Bombardment Group at MacDill Field, Florida. However, the Army Air Forces had decided to concentrate all heavy bomber training under Second Air Force, and before the end of the month, the squadron moved to Pendleton Field, Oregon to begin its training in Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses. It continued training with the B-17 until January 1943, when it began deploying to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations.

The squadron arrived in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in late March 1943, beginning operations from Navarin Airfield, Algeria, moving forward to Oudna Airfield, Tunisia after the Allies drove Axis forces from North Africa in May 1943. The squadron concentrated on targets such as airfields, harbor facilities, shipping, viaducts and bridges in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. In early June 1943, the squadron participated in Operation Corkscrew, the reduction of Pantelleria Island in preparation for the invasion of Sicily.

The squadron helped neutralize enemy fighter aircraft opposition to Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, penetrating enemy air defenses by bombing airplanes, hangars and fuel and ammunition storage sites at Gerbini Airfield. For these actions, it was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC).

In November 1943, the 416th became part of Fifteenth Air Force, which focused on the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. The following month it moved to Tortorella Airfield, Italy. From this base, it engaged in the bombardment of enemy targets in Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, and Yugoslavia; attacking oil refineries, marshaling yards, aircraft factories, and other strategic objectives. On 23 April 1944, the squadron participated in an attack on aircraft factories in Wiener Neustadt, Austria, despite heavy enemy interceptor opposition. For this action, it was awarded a second DUC.