Luke AFB 312th FS Scorpions Art

Luke AFB 312th FS Scorpions Art

The 312th Fighter Squadron is an active U.S. Air Force unit stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona . It currently operates as an F – 35A Lightning II training squadron , primarily responsible for training pilots for the Belgian Air Component . Originally activated in July 1942 during World War II , the squadron served as a fighter replacement training unit flying P – 39 Airacobras , later transitioning to P – 47 Thunderbolts and some P – 40 Warhawks , before being disbanded in 1944 as part of an Army Air Forces training reorganization. The unit was reconstituted in 1984 at Luke AFB as the 312th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron , becoming the USAF’s first F – 16C replacement training squadron , operating Block 25 and Block 42 F – 16s until its inactivation in January 1991 . After more than 30 years inactive, the squadron was redesignated and reactivated in June 2023 , returning to Luke AFB to support modern fifth – generation fighter training.