page_title: 116th Air Control Wing
section_title: B-1B Lancer
hierarchical_section_title: 116th Air Control Wing / History / B-1B Lancer
caption_attribution_description: Four U.S. Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancer from the 128th Bomb Squadron, 116th Bomb Wing, Georgia Air National Guard, in flight over Georgia (USA) on 19 April 2002.
context_page_description: The 116th Air Control Wing is a Wing of the Georgia Air National Guard/United States Air Force, stationed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. If activated for federal service, the wing is gained by Air Combat Command.
  The 116th ACW is the only Air National Guard unit operating the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, an airborne ground surveillance and battle management aircraft. Joint STARS detects, locates, classifies, tracks and targets ground movements on the battlefield, communicating real-time information through secure data links with U.S. command posts.
  On 1 October 2002, the 116th ACW was established as the first Joint Air National Guard/United States Air Force Unit. The Joint Unit was inactivated on 30 September 2011 and the 116th ACW was returned to the sole jurisdiction of the Georgia Air National Guard on 1 October 2011.
context_section_description: In 1992 as part of the post Cold War reorganizations of the Air Force, the 116th converted to the Air Force Objective organization and the 128th was assigned to the reactivated 116th Operations Group.  In 1992 Tactical Air Command was inactivated and the 116th was assigned to the new Air Combat Command (ACC).
  After calling Dobbins home for 50 years, the 116th was presented with a new challenge in 1996. The wing simultaneously converted from the F-15 Eagle fighters to the Rockwell B-1 Lancer strategic bomber and moved 110 miles south to Robins Air Force Base near Warner Robins, Georgia.  As part of the post Cold-War drawdown, the active-duty fleet of B-1Bs were being reduced for budget reductions and being taken off alert status by the former Strategic Air Command.
  Having to make the most of the available facilities, including the former Strategic Air Command alert facility at Robins, the 116th Bomb Wing was quickly up and running and participated in a number of deployments and exercises around the world in the B-1B.
caption: Four U.S. Air Force Rockwell B-1B Lancer from the 128th Bomb Squadron, 19 April 2002
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