assumed the former staff functions of 17th Air Force, while the 3d Air Force and its 603rd Air and Space Operations Center assumed responsibility for U.S. military air operations in Africa (except for Egypt), with the 603 AOC absorbing the former 617th Air Operations Center. Operating units in 2023 Third Air Force (3 AF), headquartered at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is USAFE-AFAFRICA's sole numbered air force, operating alongside Headquarters USAFE-AFAFRICA. Its mission is ensuring the combat readiness of assigned USAFE-AFAFRICA units, formulation of plans for combat operations and non-combat humanitarian operations in the USAFE and AFAFRICA areas of responsibility, and conducting day-to-day operations for both European and Africa Commands. As of March 2022, the Third Air Force had ten wings totalling over 32,000 personnel. Some of the major units assigned to USAFE-AFAFRICA are: United Kingdom 48th Fighter Wing (RAF Lakenheath) 492nd Fighter Squadron (F-15E Strike Eagle) 493rd Fighter Squadron (F-35A Lightning II) 494th Fighter Squadron (F-15E Strike Eagle) 495th Fighter Squadron (F-35A Lightning II) 100th Air Refueling Wing (RAF Mildenhall) 351st Air Refueling Squadron (KC-135R Stratotanker) 501st Combat Support Wing (RAF Alconbury) 422nd Air Base Group (RAF Croughton) 420th Air Base Squadron (RAF Fairford) 423rd Air Base Group (RAF Alconbury) 421st Air Base Squadron (RAF Menwith Hill) 426th Air Base Squadron (Sola Air Station, Norway) Italy 31st Fighter Wing (Aviano Air Base) 56th Rescue Squadron (HH-60G Pave Hawk) 57th Rescue Squadron (Pararescuemen) 510th Fighter Squadron (F-16CM/DM (Block 40) Fighting Falcon) 555th Fighter Squadron (F-16CG/DG (Block 40) Fighting Falcon) Turkey 39th Air Base Wing (Incirlik Air Base) 425th Air Base Squadron (Izmir Air Station) 717th Air Base Squadron (Ankara Air Station) Germany 52nd Fighter Wing (Spangdahlem Air Base) 470th Air Base Squadron (NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen, Germany) 480th Fighter Squadron (F-16CJ/DJ (Block 50) Fighting Falcon) 701st Munitions Support Squadron (Kleine Brogel Air Base, Belgium) 702nd Munitions Support Squadron (Büchel Air Base) 703rd Munitions Support Squadron (Volkel Air Base, Netherlands) 704th Munitions Support Squadron (Ghedi Air Base, Italy) 86th Airlift Wing (Ramstein Air Base) 37th Airlift Squadron (C-130J Super Hercules) 76th Airlift Squadron (C-21A, C-37A Gulfstream V) 424th Air Base Squadron (Chièvres Air Base, Belgium) 65th Air Base Group (Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal) 496th Air Base Squadron (Morón Air Base, Spain) 435th Air Expeditionary Wing (Ramstein Air Base) 409th Air Expeditionary Group (Nigerien Air Base 201, Niger) 324th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron (MQ-9 Reaper) (Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy) 768th Expeditionary Air Base