Editing Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (section)

===Korean War===
[[File:F-80s-36fbs-korea-1950.jpg|thumb|F-80Cs of the 8th Fighter-Bomber Group in Korea, 1950]]
Shooting Stars first saw combat service in the [[Korean War]], and were among the first aircraft to be involved in jet-versus-jet combat.

The Americans used the F-80C variant and RF-80 photo-recon variants in Korea. The F-80 flew both air-to-air and air-to-ground sorties, claiming several aerial victories against North Korean [[Yak-9]]s and [[Ilyushin Il-10|Il-10]]s.

On 1 November 1950, a Russian MiG-15 pilot, Lieutenant Semyon F. Khominich, became the first pilot in history to be credited with a jet-versus-jet aerial kill after he claimed to have shot down an F-80. According to the Americans, the F-80 was downed by flak. One week later, on 8 November, the first American claim for a jet-versus-jet aerial kill was made when Lieutenant Russell J. Brown, flying an F-80, reported that he downed a MiG-15.<ref name=Knez>Knez, Saso, Diego Fernando Zampini and Joe L. Brenan. {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20130604071241/http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_315.shtml "Korean War Database."]}}  ''AirCombat Information Group, (ACIG),'' 28 October 2003. Retrieved: 6 July 2008.</ref> Soviet records claim that no MiGs were lost that day and that their pilot, Senior Lieutenant Kharitonov, survived by pulling out of a dive at low altitude.<ref name=Knez/>
[[File:F-80d-48-708-80fbs-8fg.jpg|thumb|F-80C Shooting Star of the 8th Fighter Bomber Group in Korea]]
Despite initial claims of success, the speed of the straight-wing F-80s was inferior to the 668&nbsp;mph (1075&nbsp;km/h) MiGs. The MiGs incorporated German research showing that swept wings delayed the onset of compressibility problems, and enabled speeds closer to the speed of sound. F-80s were soon replaced in the air superiority role by the [[North American F-86 Sabre]], which had been delayed to also incorporate swept wings into an improved straight-winged naval [[North American FJ-1 Fury|FJ-1 Fury]]. However, F-80 pilots still destroyed a total of six MiG-15s in aerial combat. When sufficient Sabres were in operation, the Shooting Star flew exclusively ground-attack missions, and were also used for advanced flight training duties and air defense in Japan. By the end of hostilities, the only F-80s still flying in Korea were photo-reconnaissance variants.

F-80Cs equipped 10 USAF squadrons in Korea:
* '''[[8th Fighter Wing|8th Fighter-Bomber Wing]]''' (35th, 36th, and 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadrons), based at [[Suwon Air Base]], was the longest-serving F-80 unit in Korea. It began missions from Japan in June 1950 and continued to fly the Shooting Star until May 1953, when it converted to [[North American F-86 Sabre|F-86 Sabre]]s.
* '''49th Fighter-Bomber Group''' (7th, 8th, and 9th FBS) deployed to [[Daegu International Airport|Taegu AB (K-2)]], Korea, from Japan in September 1950 and continued fighter-bomber missions in the F-80C until June 1951, when it converted to the [[Republic F-84 Thunderjet|F-84 Thunderjet]].
* '''51st Fighter-Interceptor Wing''' (16th and 25th FIS) operated F-80Cs from [[Gimpo International Airport|Kimpo AB (K-14)]] and Japan from September 1950 to November 1951 when it transitioned to F-86s.
* '''35th Fighter-Interceptor Group''' and two squadrons, the 39th and 40th FIS, went to [[Pohang]], Korea in July 1950, but converted to the [[North American P-51 Mustang|P-51 Mustang]] before the end of the year.

One RF-80A unit operated in the Korean War:
* ''8th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron'', later redesignated 15th TRS, served from 27 June 1950 at Itazuke, Japan, Taegu (K-2), and Kimpo (K-14), South Korea, until after the armistice. The squadron also utilized a few converted RF-80Cs and RF-86s.

During the Korean war, 368 F-80s were lost, including 277 in combat missions and 91 non-combat losses<ref name="alternatewars.com">{{Cite web|url=https://www.alternatewars.com/BBOW/Stats/USAF_Losses_Korea.htm|title=USAF Losses in Korea}}</ref> Of the 277 F-80s lost in operations (approximately 30% of the existing inventory), 113 were lost to ground fire, 14 to enemy aircraft, 54 to "unknown causes" and 96 were "other losses".<ref name="alternatewars.com"/> F-80s are credited by the USAF with destroying 17 aircraft in air-to-air combat and 24 on the ground.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/*/http://afhra.maxwell.af.mil/numbered_studies/467670.pdf "USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, Korean War."] ''Air Force Historical Study 81,'' p. 46. Retrieved: 1 August 2011.</ref> Major [[Charles J. Loring Jr.]] was posthumously awarded the [[Medal of Honor]] for his actions while flying an F-80 with the 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing on 22 November 1952.