496th FIS

The 496th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron (FIS) was an active United States Air Force unit primarily tasked with air defense missions during the Cold War. Activated in 1943, it originally trained pilots and provided air defense for the northeastern United States during World War II before being inactivated in 1944. The squadron was reactivated in 1951 and stationed at various bases in Europe, including Hahn and later Ramstein Air Base in West Germany, as part of NATO's air defense network. The 496th FIS operated several aircraft over its history, notably the F-86 Sabre and F-102 Delta Dagger, until its final inactivation in 1968.