The 81st Tactical Fighter Wing (81st TAC) was a United States Air Force unit activated during World War II and later reactivated during the Cold War. Initially formed as the 81st Fighter Group in 1942, it participated in combat operations in the Mediterranean Theater. During the Cold War, the unit was stationed at RAF Bentwaters and RAF Woodbridge in the United Kingdom, where it played a significant role in NATO’s air defense with aircraft such as the F-101 Voodoo and A-10 Thunderbolt II. The 81st TAC was inactivated in 1993 following the post-Cold War drawdown of U.S. forces in Europe.
