List of USAF Reconnaissance wings assigned to Strategic Air Command

This is a list of United States Air Force Strategic Reconnaissance Wings assigned to Strategic Air Command (SAC) from 1946 to 1992 when SAC was disestablished. At the bottom of the list is a gallery of images of example mission equipment used by these Wings.

Note: Due to the United States Air Force common practice of redesignating units, bases and equipment, links that you will find in this list may take you to an article with different headings than you might expect. If you continue to read through that article, you will find the subject linked from.

Reconnaissance Wings Assigned to Strategic Air Command
Strategic Reconnaissance
Wing Designation
Activated or
Redesignated
Base Assigned Mission
Equipment
Redesignated
or Inactivated
New Designation
5th SRW Constituted (1 Jul 1949)
  • RB-17G
  • F-2
  • F-9
  • F-13
  • RB-29
  • RB-36D
Oct 1955 Redesignated as 5th Bomb Wing
6th SRW
  • Redesignated (25 Mar 1967)
as 6th Strategic Wing
  • Redesignated (1 Apr 1988)
as 6th SRW
Eilson AFB (1965)
  • KC-135
  • RC-135
  • TC-135
1 Sep 1992 (Inactivated)
9th SRW
  • Redesignated (25 Jun 1966)
as 9th SRW
  • Redesignated (1 Sep 1991)
as 9th Wing
  • Redesignated (1 Oct 1993)
as 9th Strategic Wing
Beale AFB (25 Jun 1966)
  • SR-71
  • U-2
  • TR-1
  • KC-135
  • T-38
  • MC-12
(Still Operational)
26th SRW
  • Constituted (9 May 1952)
  • Activated (28 May 1952)
Lockbourne AFB
  • RB-47
  • KC-97
1 Jul 1958 (Inactivated)
28th SRW
  • Redesignated (1 Apr 1950)
as 28th SRW
  • Redesignated (16 Jul 1950)
as 28th SRW, Heavy
Rapid City AFB
  • RB-29
  • RB-36D
  • GRB-36D
1 Oct 1955 Redesignated as
28th Bomb Wing, Heavy
55th SRW
  • Redesignated (27 Oct 1950)
as 55th SRW, Medium
  • Activated (1 Nov 1950)
  • Redesignated (1 Sep 1991)
as 55th Wing
  • RB-29
  • RB-50
  • RB-47E
  • KC-97
  • E-4A
  • E-4B
  • C-135
  • EC-135
  • KC-135
  • RC-135
  • NKC-135
  • OC-135
  • TC-135
  • WC-135
  • EC-130
  • T-38
  • SM-65
(Still Operational)
68th SRW, Medium
  • Constituted (4 Oct 1951)
  • Activated (10 Oct 1951)
Lake Charles AFB (Oct 10, 1951)
  • RB-29
  • KC-97
16 Jun 1952 Redesignated as
68th Bomb Wing, Medium
70th SRW
  • Established (23 Mar 1953)
  • Activated (14 Jan 1955)
  • RB-47E
  • KC-97
25 Oct 1961 (Inactivated)
71st SRW, Fighter
  • Redesignated (4 Nov 1954)
as 71st SRW, Fighter
  • Activated (24 Jan 1955)
Larson AFB
  • GRB-36
  • RF-84K (GRF-84)
  • RF-84F
1 Jul 1957 (Inactivated)
72d SRW, Heavy
  • Constituted (4 Jun 1952)
  • Activated (16 Jun 1952)
Ramey AFB RB-36 1 Oct 1955 Redesignated as
72d Bomb Wing, Heavy
90th SRW, Medium Redesignated (16 Jun 1952)
as 90th SRW, Medium
Forbes AFB
  • RB-29
  • RB-47
  • KB-29
  • KC-97
20 Jun 1960 (Inactivated)
91st SRW
  • Constituted (11 Oct 1948)
  • Activated (10 Nov 1948)
  • Redesignated (6 Jul 1950)
as 91st SRW, Medium
  • RB-29J
  • KB-29
  • KC-97
  • RB-45C
  • YRB-47
  • B-17G
  • B-50
  • RB-47E
8 Nov 1957 (Inactivated)
99th SRW, Heavy Activated (1 Jan 1953) Fairchild AFB (1 Jan 1953)
  • RB-36
  • GRB-36D
1 Oct 1955 Redesignated as
99th Bomb Wing, Heavy
100th SRW Redeignated (25 Jun 1966)
as 100th SRW
Davis-Monthan AFB
  • U-2
  • BQM-34
  • WB-57
30 Sep 1976 Redesignated as
100th Air Refueling Wing, Heavy
4080th SRW
  • Designated (1 May 1956)
as 4080th SRW, Light
  • Redesignated (15 Jun 1960)
as 4080th Strategic Wing
Turner AFB (1 May 1956)
  • U-2
  • RB-57D
25 Jun 1966 (Discontinued)
4200th SRW
  • Constituted (Dec 1964)
  • Activated (1 Jan 1965)
Beale AFB (1 Jan 1965)
  • T-38
  • SR-71
25 Jun 1966 (Discontinued)

Mission Equipment

edit

The following gallery shows one example of each type of aircraft used by these reconnaissance wings as Mission Equipment.