21st Space Wing

Inactive United States Air Force wing

The 21st Wing (21 WG) is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. It was established in 1953 as the 21st Fighter Bomber Wing, deploying to Europe to join NATO's Allied Command Europe, before being inactivated in 1958. It reactivated in 1958 as the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, executing air defense operations over Japan and deterring North Korea, being inactivated in 1960. It was reactivated in 1966 as the 21st Composite Wing, and in 1979 redesignated the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, performing air defense, close air support, and a variety of other missions in Alaska, before being redesignated the 21st Wing and being inactivated in 1991. The 21st Wing was activated as a space wing on 15 May 1992, replacing the 1st Space Wing and 3rd Space Support Wing. It was inactivated on 24 July 2020 and replaced by the Peterson Schriever Garrison, with the 21st Operations Group being redesignated as Space Delta 2, the 73 Space Group was redesignated as Space Delta 3, and its ground–based missile warning units, combined with overhead persistent infrared units of the 460th Operations Group, was redesignated as Space Delta 4.

The 21st Space Wing was the United States Space Force's ground–based missile warning and space control wing. It was also the Space Force's, and prior to its transfer the Air Force's, most geographically dispersed wing, with forces spread across 22 locations. Its ground–based radars included the Precision Acquisition Vehicle Entry Phased Array Warning System (PAVE PAWS), Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS), and Perimeter Attack Radar Characterization System (PARCS). At the time of its inactivation on 24 July 2020, the 21st Space Wing had 4,200 space professionals and airmen under its command. The 21st Space Wing served as the host wing for Peterson Air Force Base, providing base support for the combined United States–Canadian North American Aerospace Defense Command, United States Space Command, United States Northern Command, elements of the United States Army's Space and Missile Defense Command, the United States Air Force's 367th Recruiting Squadron, and Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing.

On 1 January 1953 the 21st Fighter Bomber Wing (21 FBW) was activated as a part of Tactical Air Command's Ninth Air Force at George Air Force Base, California. It directly commanded the 21st Fighter Bomber Group, which oversaw the 72nd Fighter Bomber Squadron, 416th Fighter Bomber Squadron, and the 531st Fighter Bomber Squadron. All fighter bomber squadrons initially flew North American F 51 Mustang piston engine fighters, but within six months of activation upgraded to fly the North American F 86F Sabre jet fighter.

No. (Number) Commander officeholder sort = Moore, Todd R. born year = died year = term start = 11 July 2017 term end = 10 July 2019 timeinoffice =