On 9 May 2025, USAF’s 85th Fighter Group celebrated its Initial Operational Capability (IOC) during a ceremony at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, located near Fort Smith (AR).

 

The 85th Fighter Group, as an active associate of Ebbing's 188th Wing, is a geographically separated unit of the 33rd Fighter Wing, which is headquartered at Eglin AFB (FL), was activated during July 2024 to lead the international F-16 and F-35 training missions.

 

On 2 July 2024, the 57th Fighter Squadron "Black Knights" was the 57th Fighter Squadron "Black Knights" was simultaneously reactivated with the 85th Fighter Group. During the IOC event at Ebbing, it also marked the graduation of the first Polish Air Force (PWL) pilots trained on the F-35A Lightning II platform under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme.

 

Poland became the first of seven partner nations expected to send F-35 students through Ebbing’s training facility by 2030. Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore, who will also relocate a dozen F-16s in 2025 from Luke AFB (AZ) to Ebbing ANGB, are among those expected to follow.