17th Electronic Warfare Squadron

MISSION
The 17th Electronic Warfare Squadron’s (17 EWS) mission is to provide electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO) effectiveness verification to support CCMD, C-MAJCOM, and AOC operations at the speed of war. 17 EWS will develop, assess, and apply EMSO-based criteria to CCMDs through all phases of conflict, which include combat plans development, execution in near real-time, and post-mission analysis IAW CJCSM 3320.01D Enclosure D. The primary means of accomplishing this mission is through the Electronic Warfare Assessment Center (EWAC) at Robins AFB, GA. The EWAC is an operations floor capability that incorporates intelligence and operational mission data from multiple networks and classification levels to provide the highest level of electromagnetic spectrum situational awareness from which assessments can be made and passed to the warfighter in near real-time. The 17 EWS will apply lessons learned from their assessments to advise future exercise development and combat plans. The 17 EWS also develops, assesses, and applies EMSO-based criteria to CCMD-related Large Force Exercise objective development, execution, and post mission analysis.

MISSION STATEMENT
Verify cumulative EMSO effectiveness for combat operations, as well as the large force test and training events conducted in preparation for combat operations.

VISION
Provide exquisite support to the warfighter through CCMD EMSO verification, at the speed of war.

PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES
The 17 EWS consists of three flights:  EUCOM, PACOM, and Operations Support.  The EUCOM and PACOM flights are the operations flights that conduct the large force EMSO assessment mission of the 17 EWS for their geographically assigned area.  The Operations Support flight is composed of weapons and tactics professionals, engineers/acquisition professionals, and data scientists to provide subject matter expertise, assessment plan development support, data capture plans and methods, and assessment report generation support.

HISTORY
The 17 EWS was constituted as the 17th Tow Target Squadron on 23 November 1943 at Wheeler Field, HI, where it provided aerial gunnery training to the Seventh Air Force.  The squadron was inactivated as part of the military drawn down following the conclusion of World War 2. The squadron was reactivated in 1955 under the Air Defense Command at Vincent Air Force base where it again provided aerial gunnery training. The squadron moved to MacDill Air Force Base in 1958 where it supported fighter weapons training at Eglin Air Force Base before being inactivated in 1959.  On 1 July 1974 the unit was reactivated and redesignated as the 17th Defense Systems Evaluation Squadron. Under this designation, the unit flew EB-57 aircraft and provided electronic warfare training for Tactical Air Command and also flew operational test flights for Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) systems until it was inactivated on 13 July 1979. Today’s 17th Electronic Warfare Squadron was redesignated as such on 15 July 2024 and activated 1 August 2024.