53d Weapons Evaluation Group:
The 53d Weapons Evaluation Group (53 WEG) is an Air Combat Command tenant organization that reports to the 53d Wing located at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The 53 WEG is comprised of five squadrons and two detachments at four geographically-separated locations: the 53d Test Support Squadron (53 TSS), 81st Air Control Squadron (81 ACS), 82d Aerial Targets Squadron (82 ATRS), and 83d Fighter Weapons Squadron (83 FWS) are all located at Tyndall Air Force Base, FL; the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron (86 FWS) is located at Hill Air Force Base, UT; Detachment 1, 82 ATRS is located at Holloman Air Force Base, NM; Detachment 1, 86 FWS is located at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. The 53 WEG conducts the Air Force air-to-air and air-to-ground Weapons System Evaluation Programs, known as WSEP East (Tyndall AFB) and WSEP West (Hill AFB), under Combat Air Forces (CSAF) Plan 53. The 53 WEG supports Nuclear WSEP under COMACC Plan 001 and AFGSC/CC Plan 001. It also supports Weapons Instructor Course (WIC) air-to-air formal training syllabi under COMACC Plan 92. Unit personnel provide all USAF aerial target support for Department of Defense (DoD) and international partners in the Eglin-Gulf ranges, full-scale targets for Title 10 testing on White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) near Holloman Air Force Base, and utilizes the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR) for air-to-ground evaluations. Annually, WSEP reports and identifies weapons system performance and deficiencies, including recommendations for corrective action directly to the United States Air Force Warfare Center, Air Combat Command, and the Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
53d Test Support Squadron
The 53d Test Support Squadron is responsible for technical and staff functions for the 53 WEG. The squadron's primary mission is to support the Air Force's air-to-air and air-to-ground operational weapons test programs to include the Weapons System Evaluation Program and other DoD operational and developmental tests. The squadron enables over 20 aerial target configurations by providing various electronic attack pods and expendable countermeasures designed to test current and emerging weapons systems. Additionally, the squadron provides engineering, prototyping, and fabrication support for all units in the 53 WEG. Lastly, the unit supports the 53 WEG’s communications, technical, engineering, acquisition, logistics, scheduling, and strategic planning, coordinating with all users of the Gulf Range complex.
81st Air Control Squadron
The 81st Air Control Squadron, “WETSTONE Control,” is the USAF Warfare Center’s only assigned air control squadron. The 81 ACS is tasked to provide battle management command & control (BMC2) to test, evaluation, and training operations in the Gulf of Mexico region to include COMBAT ARCHER, COMBAT HAMMER, and to execute a BMC2 evaluation program—COMBAT AXE. The 81 ACS is the DoD’s only active-duty squadron authorized to provide BMC2 to live-fire air-to-air weapons tests and evaluations. Annually, the squadron provides BMC2 to over 350 live air-to-air missile firings. Furthermore, as Air Combat Command’s only ACS in the Gulf of Mexico region, the 81 ACS provides BMC2 to a diverse range of mission sets. Each year, the 81 ACS integrates with over 4400 sorties to include fighter and C2 operational test and evaluation (OT&E) missions, 325th Fighter Wing, 33d Fighter Wing, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi Air National Guard combat training missions, the AC-130/MC-130 Weapons School, and large force exercises including CHECKERED FLAG, SKULL WARS, AFNORTH QUICKDRAW, and SENTRY SAVANNAH. Finally, the 81 ACS provides unique, threat-representative airborne adversary control for fifth-generation fighter training and large force exercises.
86th Fighter Weapons Squadron
The 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron is the DoD’s cornerstone of counterland and countersea evaluations. They conduct the USAF Combat Weapons System Evaluation Program (WSEP) West. The squadron manages air-to-surface (COMBAT HAMMER) weapons system evaluations. The 86 FWS is the single DoD agency charged with conducting predictive battle damage analysis of precision guided air-to-ground munitions (PGM) using operational weapons, aircraft, maintenance personnel, and aircrew. The squadron hosts up to 12 unit evaluations annually, primarily from Hill AFB, UT and evaluates those units’ readiness while evaluating the reliability, maintainability, suitability, and accuracy of operationally fielded precision-guided, and high technology weapons against realistic targets protected by realistic enemy defenses. Additionally, the squadron maintains the DoD’s comprehensive database on PGM performance and investigates capabilities and limitations of currently fielded PGMs. Weapons assessed include all fielded variants of the USAF inventory. As the only employment opportunity for fielded standoff weapons for operational units, Combat HAMMMER provides certification for pre-deployment and liaison support for employment, and re-deployment of ACC, USAFE, PACAF, ANG, and USAFRC forces participating in the exercise and conducts investigative firings of air-to-ground PGMs to address CAF employment issues and support ongoing OT&E efforts.
Current as of: Jan. 10, 2025.