The 48th Fighter Wing is part of the United States Air Force's Third Air Force, assigned to Headquarters Air Command Europe and United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE). It is based at RAF Lakenheath, England. The 48 FW is the only F-15 wing based in Europe which hosts two F-15E Strike Eagle squadrons. The wing also hosts two F-35A Lightning II squadrons. The 48 FW was given the name "Statue of Liberty Wing" on 4 July 1954 and remains the only U.S. Air Force unit with both a name and a numerical designation.
Statue of Liberty emblem of the 48th FBW
43rd Air Refueling Squadron KB-29M Superfortresses refueling 48th Fighter Wing F-84G Thunderjets over the Philippines, 1953.
North American F-100D Super Sabres of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing – 1957. The aircraft in foreground, AF Ser. No. 54-2222, is the Wing Commander's aircraft. Note the blue, white and red stripes on the vertical stabilizer in the pattern of the French tricolor. 2222 was sold to Denmark in 1959 as Serial G-222. The aircraft was then sold to Turkey in 1982 as Serial WFU-1987. It was finally scrapped in 1992
Royal Air Force Lakenheath or RAF Lakenheath is a Royal Air Force station near the village of Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, UK, 4.7 miles (7.6 km) north-east of Mildenhall and 8.3 miles (13.4 km) west of Thetford. The installation's perimeter borders Brandon.
Boeing F-15E Strike Eagles of the 48th Fighter Wing taxiing at Lakenheath.
A Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter, 1951
USAF Boeing B-47E-50-LM (AF Serial No. 52-3363) in flight.
A F-100D Super Sabre of 494 Tactical Fighter Squadron 48 TFW, 1965