The U.S. Air Force has revived a World War II fighter squadron and assigned it a new mission as an MQ-9 Reaper drone unit permanently based at Kunsan Air Base in South Korea.
The 431st Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, activated on Sunday under the command of Lt. Col. Douglas Slater, will be a tenant unit of the 8th Fighter Wing, known as “the Wolf Pack,” the service announced in a release.
The unit will field MQ-9 Reaper drones and function as a surveillance and intelligence force, bolstering security for South Korean allies.
“Deploying the MQ-9 brings a powerful capability to the region,” Slater said in the release. “We’re here to support the mission, deepen cooperation, and demonstrate our shared commitment to maintaining security and stability across the Indo-Pacific.”
In August, the Air Force began transferring F-16 Fighting Falcon warplanes to Osan Air Base in a shift towards the North Korean border to consolidate air combat power and bolster the Seventh Air Force’s support to South Korean defense forces, Air Force Times previously reported.
The 431st was originally activated in 1943 by the Fifth Air Force and saw service across the Indo-Pacific during World War II, when it was known as the 431st “Hades” Fighter Squadron. After postwar transformations and a stint as the 431st Test and Evaluation Squadron, it was inactivated in 1992.
The squadron’s new mission will see it deploy the powerful MQ-9. The highly maneuverable Reaper drone can operate for 24-hour missions and conduct precision strikes with a variety of munitions, including AGM-114 Hellfire missiles and the GBU-54 Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition. The drone is also capable of traveling at a range of well over 1,000 miles with exceptional stealth.
The MQ-9 squadron will conduct surveillance missions across the Pacific and be prepared to respond rapidly to emerging threats, the service stated.
“It’s an honor to write the next chapter, side by side with our Korean allies. Activating the 431st reflects our shared commitment, hard work, and the strength of an alliance ready for today’s challenges,” Capt. Ryan Jayawardena, director of operations for the 431st, said in the release.
Zita Ballinger Fletcher previously served as editor of Military History Quarterly and Vietnam magazines and as the historian of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. She holds an M.A. with distinction in military history.
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