In 1969, it was redesignated the 418th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron and replaced another unit at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, training German Air Force pilots in the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter at Luke, continuing this mission until inactivated on 1 October 1976 as the Starfighter was replaced in German service.

After several months of training with Douglas P-70 Havoc night fighters, the unit was deployed to the Pacific Theater, moving first to Camp Patrick Henry, near Newport News, Virginia where they boarded the USS General John Pope, sailing through the Panama Canal to Milne Bay, New Guinea.

However, it was found that the P-70 was not very successful in actual combat interception of Japanese fighters at night[5] and after a short time, Fifth Air Force modified some Lockheed P-38F Lightnings in the field as single-seat night fighters by fitting an SCR-540 radar with Yagi antennae on the nose on both sides of the planes' central nacelle, and above and below the wings.

In September 1944, the squadron was re-equipped with Northrop P-61 Black Widows and moved to Morotai Island in the Netherlands East Indies where they engaged enemy aircraft.

From Kadena Airfield, the unit attacked a wide range of enemy targets on Hainan Island, Hong Kong, and along the east China coast.

[4] After V-J Day, the 418th moved briefly to Atsugi Airfield, Japan during October 1945 where it was part of the occupying forces.

[11] The training was in support of foreign military sales, and the squadron operated twin-seat trainers with USAF markings and serial numbers, although the planes were produced in Germany by Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB) under license from Lockheed and were owned by the German government.

F-104G production ended with the delivery of the last aircraft by MBB in 1973 to the squadron, the last German Air Force students graduated in the summer of 1976.