346th Test Squadron

346th Test Squadron
A B-52D Stratofortress dropping bombs over Vietnam[a]
Active	1942–1945; 1947–1949; 1953–1974; 1993–1995; 2000–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Role	System testing
Size	120 personnel[1]
Part of	Air Combat Command
Garrison/HQ	Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland
Engagements
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Air Force Organizational Excellence Award Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Palm
Insignia
346th Test Squadron emblem[b][2]
346th Bombardment Squadron emblem[c]
346th Bombardment Squadron emblem[d][3]

The 346th Test Squadron is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the 318th Cyberspace Operations Group at Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas. The squadron tests military cyberspace operation systems.

The squadron was first activated as the 346th Bombardment Squadron in 1942. After training in the United States, it moved to the , where it earned two Distinguished Unit Citations in operations against the Axis Powers. After V-E Day, the squadron remained in Italy until November 1945, when it was inactivated. The squadron was activated in the reserves from 1947 to 1949, but does not appear to have been fully manned or equipped.

In 1953, the squadron was activated as the 346th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron as part of Strategic Air Command. It returned to the bombardment mission two years later, and served in this role until inactivating in 1974. Although the squadron remained in the United States except for one deployment in the 1950s, during the Vietnam War it deployed its aircrews and Boeing B-52 Stratofortresses to Southeast Asia. For extended periods, all squadron personnel and equipment were deployed.

The squadron was activated in 1993 as the 346th Test and Evaluation Squadron and performed operational testing and evaluation until inactivating in 1995. It was activated in its current role in 2000.

The squadron mission is to conduct independent operational tests and evaluations, emissions security tests, and other specialized tests of cyberspace capabilities. It operates Air Force Space Command’s cyber test & training range. The 346th's 120 personnel include 50 active duty airmen, 30 Department of Defense civilian employees and 40 contractors.^[1]

The 346th conducts operational tests for components of weapons systems, equipment, or software to determine its operational effectiveness and suitability. It identifies unexpected critical system performance issues that might affect system combat effectiveness before system fielding.^[1]

The squadron was activated in June 1942 as the 346th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 99th Bombardment Group, at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida, moving on paper the same day to 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 .^[2]

The squadron's ground echelon went by ship from New York City to Marrakech, Morocco; the air echelon flew to Morrison Field, Florida, then along the South Atlantic Route.^{[citation needed]} The ground and air echelons of the squadron were reunited at Navarin Airfield, Algeria in March 1943. It moved 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.^[4] In early June 1943, the squadron participated in Operation Corkscrew, the reduction of Pantelleria Island in preparation for the invasion of Sicily.^[5]

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).^[4]

In November 1943, the 346th 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.^[4]

Following V-E Day, the squadron became part of the occupation forces in Italy, until inactivating in November 1945.^[2][4]

The squadron was again activated under Air Defense Command (ADC) in the reserve at Birmingham Municipal Airport, Alabama, on 19 May 1947 and again assigned to the 99th Group.^[2] Its training was supervised by ADC's 477th AAF Base Unit (later the 2587th Air Force Reserve Training Center).^[6] Although it was nominally a very heavy bomber unit, it is not clear whether or not the squadron was fully staffed or equipped with combat aircraft.^[7] In 1948 Continental Air Command (ConAC) assumed responsibility for managing reserve and Air National Guard units from ADC.^[8] President Truman’s reduced 1949 defense budget, however, required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force,^[9] ConAC also reorganized its reserve units under the Wing Base Organization, and the 19th Air Division and other reserve units at Birmingham Municipal Airport, including the squadron, were inactivated and replaced by the 514th Troop Carrier Wing in June 1949.^[2][6]

The squadron was reactivated in January 1953 at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington^[2] when the 111th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing, an Air National Guard unit that had been mobilized for the Korean War, was returned to state control. The squadron assumed the mission, personnel, and Convair RB-36 Peacemaker strategic reconnaissance aircraft of the 111th Wing's 103d Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, which returned to the Maryland Air National Guard. Engaged in worldwide strategic bombardment training and stood nuclear alert until 1956 when the B-36 was retired.

Re-equipped with B-52 Stratofortresses and continued training and nuclear alert status. Deployed personnel and aircraft to Pacific during Vietnam War, engaging in Operation Arc Light combat missions over North Vietnam; also deployed personnel and aircraft to Thailand flying out of U-Tapao Royal Thai Naval Airfield for combat missions over Cambodia and Laos. Inactivated in 1974 with the inactivation of parent 99th Bombardment Wing and transfer of Westover Air Force Base to the Air Force Reserve.

The 346th's mission changed when it became the 346th Test and Evaluation Squadron in June 1993 and was activated under the 99th Test Group at Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota. For the next two years, it performed operational test and evaluation for Air Combat Command systems. The squadron and 99th Group were inactivated at Ellsworth in 1995 as ACC centralized its operational test and evaluation under the 53d Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.^[2]

The squadron was again activated at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas in August 2000 as the 346th Test Squadron and assigned to the 318th Information Operations Group.^[2] As part of the unit's focus on cyber defense, in 2014 it began participating in a joint project of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center and Twenty-Fourth Air Force to protect Air Force industrial control systems against attacks from external sources. This project recognized that industrial control systems (systems commonly used to automate physical industrial processes such as electrical and transportation operations) have become increasingly automated, rendering them vulnerable to cyber attacks.^[10]

• Constituted as the 346th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy) on 28 January 1942

Activated on 1 Jun 1942

Redesignated 346th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 29 September 1944

Inactivated on 8 November 1945

• Redesignated 346th Bombardment Squadron, Very Heavy on 13 May 1947

Activated in the reserve on 29 May 1947

Inactivated on 27 June 1949

• Redesignated 346th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Heavy and activated on 1 January 1953

Redesignated 346th Bombardment Squadron, Heavy on 1 October 1955

Inactivated on 31 March 1974

• Redesignated 346th Test and Evaluation Squadron on 1 June 1993

Activated on 15 June 1993

Inactivated on 21 September 1995

• Redesignated 346 Test Squadron on 17 July 2000

Activated on 1 August 2000^[2]

• 99th Bombardment Group, 1 June 1942 – 8 November 1945
• 99th Bombardment Group, 29 May 1947 – 27 June 1949
• 99th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing (later 99th Bombardment Wing), 1 January 1953 – 31 March 1974
• 99th Test Group, 15 June 1993 – 21 September 1995
• 318th Information Operations Group (later 318th Cyberspace Operations Group), 1 Aug 2000 – present^[2]

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942–1945
• Convair B-36 Peacemaker, 1953–1956
• Convair RB-36 Peacemaker, 1953–1956
• Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, 1956–1974^[11]

Award streamer	Award	Dates	Notes
	Distinguished Unit Citation	5 July 1943	Sicily, 346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Distinguished Unit Citation	23 April 1944	Austria, 346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device	2-21 March and 15–31 March 1970	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 October 1967-1 March 1968	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	2 March-1 April 1968	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 July 1971-30 June 1972	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 June 2008-31 May 2009	346th Test Squadron[2]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	18 August 2009-1 October 2010	346th Test Squadron[2]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	2 October 2010-30 September 2011	346th Test Squadron[2]
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award	1 October 2013-30 September 2014	346th Test Squadron[2]
	Air Force Organizational Excellence Award	1 June 2003-31 May 2004	346th Test Squadron[2]
	Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm	2 March 1969-31 March 1970	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	Air Offensive, Europe	16 March 1943 – 5 June 1944	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Tunisia	16 March 1943 – 13 May 1943	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Air Combat, EAME Theater	16 March 1943 – 11 May 1945	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Sicily	14 May 1943 – 17 August 1943	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Naples-Foggia	18 August 1943 – 21 January 1944	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Anzio	22 January 1944 – 24 May 1944	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Rome-Arno	22 January 1944 – 9 September 1944	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Central Europe	22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Normandy	6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Northern France	25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Southern France	15 August 1944 – 14 September 1944	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	North Apennines	10 September 1944 – 4 April 1945	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Rhineland	15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]
	Po Valley	3 April 1945 – 8 May 1945	346th Bombardment Squadron[2]

• List of B-52 Units of the United States Air Force

Explanatory notes

Citations

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Rodgers, Edith C. (May 1947). "The Reduction of Pantelleria and Adjacent Islands, USAF Historical Study No. 52 8 May – 14 June 1943" (PDF). Air Historica Offic, Headquarters, Army Air Forces. Retrieved 22 October 2023.

• McNabb, TSG Scott (30 November 2011). "346th Test Squadron practices the 'art' of cyber testing". Twenty-Fourth Air Force Public Affairs. Retrieved 31 July 2017.
• Terdimann, Daniel (30 June 2014). "How Air Force One's communications are 'hardened'". Twenty-Fourth Air Force Public Affairs. Retrieved 31 July 2017.