303rd Aeronautical Systems Wing
The 303rd Aeronautical Systems Wing (303 ASW) was a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Force Materiel Command Aeronautical Systems Center, 2005-2010. It was stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio as a tenant unit.
| 303rd Aeronautical Systems Wing | |
|---|---|
Emblem of the 303rd Aeronautical Systems Wing | |
| Active | 1951–1964; 1986–1989; 2005–2010 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Aeronautical Systems |
| Part of | Air Force Materiel Command |
| Garrison/HQ | Wright-Patterson Air Force Base |
The wing was the successor organization to the World War II Eighth Air Force 303rd Bombardment Group. The group was one of the first VIII Bomber Command B-17 Flying Fortress units in England. The "Hell's Angels" were the first B-17 group to complete 25 combat missions in June 1943, going on to fly more than 300 combat missions, more than any other group. The 359th BS B-17F 41-24605 "Knock-out Dropper" was the first aircraft in Eighth Air Force to complete 50, then 75 missions.
During the Cold War, the Strategic Air Command 303rd Bombardment Wing was a Boeing B-47 Stratojet medium bomber wing in the 1950s, and in the 1980s became a Tactical Missile Wing assigned to the United States Air Forces in Europe.