425th Fighter Squadron

The 425th Fighter Squadron's mission is to provide advanced weapons and tactics continuation training for the Republic of Singapore Air Force General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon pilots, weapon systems officers and maintenance personnel. RSAF aircrew and maintenance personnel are assigned to the 425th for two years, during which they receive advanced tactics training, participate in Exercise Red Flag, shoot live missiles at Combat Archer, and deploy to locations throughout the United States to participate in composite operations and dissimilar air combat exercises. The tailband consists of black with red trim and red lion heads in a row. The lion head is in the same form that is in the RSAF insignia. The tail code is the standard 'LF' seen at Luke AFB but the country insignia is either RSAF or USAF depending on who owns the aircraft. ==History==

World War II The squadron was established on 23 November 1943, as the 425th Night Fighter Squadron at Orlando AAB, Florida and activated on 1 December. It initially trained with the Douglas P-70 Havoc night fighter at Orlando, although it also trained with the Northrop YP-61 Black Widow. In January, training was interrupted when the night fighter school was moved from Florida to Hammer Army Airfield, California. After the relocation, the squadron completed its training in March 1944 The 425th was deployed to Ninth Air Force in England, being assigned to RAF Charmy Down.. Charmy Down become the home of three night fighter squadrons (422d, 423d, and 424th), however the squadron arrived un-equipped as the production Northrop P-61 Black Widows were late in arriving. Subsequently, the squadron had its aircrews posted to various RAF night fighter and signal schools for theatre indoctrination. Meanwhile, as there was no sign of the P-61s. the pilots kept up their flight time on Cessna UC-78s and de Havilland Mosquitoes. The unit was reactivated at Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, on 15 October 1969 as the 425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and was assigned to the 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, replacing the 4441st Combat Crew Training Squadron. Initially equipped with the Northrop F-5C Freedom Fighters of the 4441st, the squadron's initial mission was Undergraduate Pilot Training for Republic of Vietnam Air Force pilots in the aircraft. In 1973 with the end of the Vietnam War, the squadron was assigned the task of training the aircrews of nations that had acquired the Northrop F-5E Tiger II under the Mutual Assistance Pact. The first F-5E Tiger II was delivered to the 425th on 6 April 1973. Although the USAF did not operate any F-5s at the time, the F-5E/Fs assigned to the 425th carried USAF serial numbers and were procured through normal aircraft procurement procedures and channels. Carried tail code "LZ". Although the squadron has an American heritage, it was mix of both USAF and RSAF personnel and equipment. At first the squadron borrowed F-16A/B block 15s from the USAF in late 1992. This consisted of seven F-16As and two F-16Bs which were all borrowed. Most likely by coincidence, the Republic of Singapore Air Force ended up buying one of these F-16As years later that had been borrowed by them from the USAF. On 3 June 1998 the RSAF obtained F-16A #81-0677 as a GF-16A for ground maintenance/handling and weapons loading training. To complete the squadron, seven F-16A/Bs were sent from Singapore to join the squadron. In 1995 the squadron leased twelve USAF F-16C/D block 42s as their nine USAF block 15s were withdrawn from service. The seven F-16A/Bs owned by the RSAF flew back to Singapore during this time period as well. In the end, the USAF could not honor the lease as they needed the block 42s back. A deal was struck with Lockheed Martin to lease a dozen new-built F-16C/D block 52's (4 F-16Cs and 8 F-16Ds) with options to buy them later. The aircraft were leased for a 2.5-year period, for an estimated cost of USD $12.3 million. This program had no name assigned like the Peace Carvin FMS arrangement. RSAF pilots and maintenance personnel are assigned to the 425th FS for two years. During their tour of duty they receive advanced tactics training, participate in Red Flag and Maple Flag exercises, shoot live missiles at Combat Archer and deploy to locations throughout the U.S. to participate in composite operations and dissimilar air combat exercises. ==Lineage==

• Constituted as the 425th Night Fighter Squadron on 23 November 1943 : Activated on 1 December 1943 : Inactivated on 25 August 1947 • Redesignated: 425th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron on 22 August 1969 : Activated on 15 October 1969 : Inactivated on 1 September 1989 • Redesignated: 425th Fighter Squadron on 1 December 1992 : Activated on 30 December 1992 • IX Air Defense Command, 6 August 1944 • XIX Tactical Air Command, 7 October 1944 • Ninth Air Force, 7 July 1945 • Fourth Air Force, 9 September 1945 • Air Defense Command, 21 March 1946 • Fourth Air Force, 31 July 1946 – 25 August 1947 • 58th Tactical Fighter Training Wing (later 58th Tactical Training Wing), 15 October 1969 • 405th Tactical Training Wing, 29 August 1979 – 1 September 1989 • 58th Operations Group, 30 December 1992 • 56th Operations Group, 1 April 1994 – present Stations • Orlando Army Air Base, Florida, 1 December 1943 • Hammer Field, California, 30 January 1944 • Visalia Army Air Field, California, 25 February – 1 May 1944 • RAF Charmy Down (AAF-487), England, 26 May 1944 • RAF Scorton (AAF-425), England, 12 June 1944 • Stoneman Park, England, 12 August 1944 • Vannes Airfield (A-33), France, 18 August 1944 • Coulommiers Airfield (A-58), France, 11 September 1944 • Prosnes Airfield (A-79), France, 13 October 1944 • Verdun Airfield (A-82), France] 9 November 1944 • Frankfurt/Rhein-Main Airfield (Y-73), Germany, 12 April 1945 • Furth/Industriehafen Airfield (R-30), Germany, 2 May 1945 • Crépy-en-Laommis, France, 5 July 1945 (Ground Echelon) • Saint-Victoret, France, 18–24 August 1945 (Ground Echelon) • Lemoore Army Air Field, California, 9 September 1945 • Camp Pinedale, California, 23 October 1945 • March Field, California, 8 March 1946 • McChord Field, Washington, 1 September 1946 – 25 August 1947 • Williams Air Force Base, Arizona, 15 October 1969 – 1 September 1989 • Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, 30 December 1992 – present Aircraft • Northrop YP-61 Black Widow (1944) • de Havilland Mosquito (1944) • Northrop P-61 Black Widow (1944–1947) • Douglas A-20 Havoc (1944) • Douglas P-70 Havoc (1944) • Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter (1969–1989) • General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon (1993–present) ==See also==