PHOTOS

Unit History

  The unit formed at Balikesir in 1948, was equiped with P-47D Thunderbolts. The units distinctive Tiger patch was created in 1950 and in 1952 the Squadron was redesignated the 192 Filo and entered the jet age with the F-84. Between 1952 and 1970 they flown the F-84F/G Thunderjet and the RF-84F Thundersteak in attack and reconnaissance missions. Between 1970 and 1975 they flown the F-5A and RF-5A.

  The Turkish Tigers, flying the F-5, were the winners of the "Air South Tactical Weapons Meet" competition, known as "Best Hit" that took place in 1973 at Istrana, Italy.

  On September 1976 they converted to the F-104G Starfighter with the mission of defending the Turkish airspace. They get more responsibilities, between 1984 and 1988, when they become one of the "All Weather" Squadrons assigned to NATO.

  On March 1993 40 F-16C/D arrived at Balikesir, and the Squadron gets ground-attack role added to their mission.

  192 Filo forms part of 1ci Taktik Hava Kuvveti Komutabligi at 9 Ana Jet US, Balikesir in Western Turkey.

  In June 1994, and 1997, 192 Filo deployed to Ghedi in Italy as part of the NATO Operation "Deny Flight"

  192 Filo became a member of NATO Tiger Society in 1980, and has organized and hosted a Mini-Tiger Meet in 1995 in Balikesir.

 

 

192nci Filo - 192nd Squadron

Türk Hava Kuvvetleri (THK) - Turkish Air Force

9 Ana Jet US - Jet Base 9

1ci Taktik Hava Kuvveti Komutabligi - First Tactical Air Force 

Unit History

  On December 1st 1953, the 313 Sqn was formed at Volkel Air Base.

They flew then the T-33 and the F-84G. The squadron's mission was to upgrade new pilots that received their wings in the United States, with the purpose of adapting them to the European theater.

  On June 1958 the squadron received officially the mission of advanced trainning, and went to Woensdrecht Air Base.

  On January of 1959 the 313 Squadron became the Instruction Squadron Nº 2, flying the T-33 and the Gloster Meteor TMk. 7.

  On October 12th 1972, 313 Squadron was reactivated at Twenthe Air Base. Since then, till September 1986, their mission was operational conversion of the pilots formed in Canada, with the TOCC (Theater Operational Conversion Course). They used the NF-5A/B for this purpose. However on September 1986, the 316 Sqn takes over this mission and the 313 becames an operational Squadron in NF-5.

  After alomost twenty years as an operational conversion unit operating the NF-5, 313 Sqn began converting to the F-16A/B in December 1987. On July 1st of 1988 they fly the last NF-5 flight, and in December 1989 the squadron becames fully-fledge front-line operational.

  With the F-16, the squadron has dual roles encompassing both air-defence and ground-attack. With this new operational status, the squadron changes its patch to a Tiger.

  In order to emphasise the switch in equipment and roles for 313 Sqn, the Commanding Officer in 1990, Major B. Ruijs, requested permission for the new Squadron to became a member of the NATO Tigers.

  313 Sqn attended its first Mini-Tiger Meet at Upper Heyford in 1990. It did not took long for 313 Sqn to make his mark along the NATO Tiger Community, in 1991, during the Tiger Meet at RAF Fairford, the Squadron received the prize for "Best Tiger Spirit".

  In April 1994, 313 Sqn regains again their trainning status, which is now called Tactical Qualification Trainning (TQT). They train pilots coming from different aircraft and also to refresh those that have not flown for a long period.

  In 2000, the F-16 was upgraded to F-16 MLU and in November 2001, trainning was transferred to 306 Sqn at Volkel. 313 Sqn was re-designated again as an operational unit.

 

 

The Dutch F-5s were delivered by Canadair and were designated NF-5s.

 

 

Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu) - Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNoAF)

F-16AM - F-16A upgraded to MLU standard

MLU - Mid Life Update

NF-5 - Netherlands

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