The United States Air Force (or US Air Force , or USAF ) is the Air force the United States. Its mission is the defense of the United States by the control of the air and space.
Its manpower in 2004 was of 358 612 Military S of which approximately 20% of Woman S and its air park included/understood approximately 7 500 aircraft and 500 intercontinental ballistic missiles
USAF was created the September 18th 1947 by the National Security Act of 1947 and the Truman Executive Order n° 9877. It took again the missions and manpower entrusted before to US Army Air Force (USAAF). In fact, its first commander-in-chief is not other than the General Carl A. Spaatz, before chief of the USAAF.
It is currently about the most powerful air force in the world. From a technological point of view, it is the branch of the Armed forces of the United States which has the most important budget of research and development.
History
See also: United States Army Air Force
The United States Air Force finds its origin in the formation, the 1907, of an aeronautical formation within the Signal Body (body of the transmissions) of the US Army. It will be necessary for him to wait 40 years before obtaining its independence the September 18th 1947 in spite of the many attempts carried out by the persons in charge of the air forces to the courses of the Entre-deux-guerres.
The decisive role by aviation during the Second world war - in particular the fact that it only was able to implement the weapon of Dissuasion: the atomic bomb - determined the creation of USAF starting from the United States Army Air Force, body semi-autonomous which gathered into semi-1945, more 2 250 000 men and had approximately 20 000 planes.
The fast demobilization with leaving the war made that at the time of its setting-up, USAF counted only 300 000 men and some operational teams.
The beginning of the Cold war and the numerical superiority then crushing Red Army encouraged the United States to be reinforced gradually by giving the strategic priority to the bombers S of Strategic Air Command (SAC) responsible for the placement of the nuclear weapon.
In 1950, the War of Korea and its possible consequences - which made fear a new world war - supported the adoption of a fast expansion policy.
During 10 years, USAF maintained the tactical and strategic forces very important (1 000 bombers at the end of the Years 1950 - B-36, B-47 then B-52 -) and a fast renewal of the hunter S by apparatuses sophisticated more and more (F-84, F-102, F-4…).
When the United States engaged in the Guerre of Vietnam, the military reinforcement took place especially in favor of the Tactical Air Command.
The end of the operations in Southeast Asia involved a fast reduction in manpower - of 427 Escadron S and 904 000 men in 1968 with 258 will squadrons and 559 000 soldiers in 1979 -.
Its manpower was of 510 000 personnel in 1991.
In 2006, it was of 350 000 personnel.
has to supplement
Structure and organization
Commands
The Major Commands (major Commands) are subdivisions of USAF corresponding to a specific mission (as the Air Mobility Command whose main mission is air transport) or to a particular geographical area (like Pacific Air Forces stationed around the Pacific). The Commands are attached directly to the general headquarter (QG) of USAF. The last major reorganization of the Commands took place in 1992, with the fusion of the Strategic Air Command and of the Tactical Air Command to form the Air Fights Command, the redesignation of Military Airlift Command in Air Mobility Command and that of the Air Training Command in Air Education and Training Command.The creation of the Air Force Cyberspace Command, the last Command in date, starting from the 8th Air Force, was announced on November 2nd, 2006.
The National Air Guard (ANG) gathering the whole of the units air of the National guard of the various states of the Union, although deferring directment to the HQ of USAF, is not regarded as a Major Command . Its HQ, under the orders of Lt. Gen. Daniel James III is based with the Pentagone with Washington DC.
Air Forces in 2006
The Air Forces (or Air forces) defer directly to the Commands and have an operational role. They are often responsible for the operations of a Command in a precise geographical area. The Air Forces are made up of Wings , Groups and Squadrons .
Wings
The Wings (which one can translate by Escadre S ) correspond to the level of command under the Air Forces and generally comprise between 1 000 and 5 000 men.Wing is responsible for the maintenance of a base. It consists of several will squadrons gathered in one or more Groups.
There are two principal types of Wings:
- Wings operational which ensures of the missions operational in addition to their functions of support. The units of combat are gathered within Group Operations.
- the Air Bases Wing does not have a function of combat and provides only the functions of support and maintenance of an important base
Wings are composed of several Groups redécoupés to them-even in with several will squadrons. The 48th Fighter Wing is an good example of this organization:
- 48th Fighter Wing
- 48th Operations Group
- 492nd Fighter Squadron
- 493rd Fighter Squadron
- 494th Fighter Squadron
- 493rd Fighter Squadron
- 48th Maintenance Group
- 48th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron
- 48th Component Maintenance Squadron
- 48th Equipment Maintenance Squadron
- 48th Maintenance Operations Squadron
- 48th Ammunition Squadron
- 48th Component Maintenance Squadron
- 48th Medical Medical Group
- 48th Operations Squadron
- 48th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
- 48th Dental Squadron
- 48th Medical Support Squadron
- 48th Aerospace Medicine Squadron
- 48th Mission Support Group
- 48th Civil Engineering Squadron
- 48th Mission Support Squadron
- 48th Security Forces Squadron
- 48th Communications Squadron
- 48th Services Squadron
- 48th Contracting Squadron
- 48th Logistics Readiness Squadron
- 48th Mission Support Squadron
- 492nd Fighter Squadron
- 48th Operations Group
Groups
Squadrons
Short history
- 1947-91 To maintain the balance of terror with bomber of the nuclear weapons and following ballistic missiles in the Cold war.
- 1948-49 Operation Vittles, the Airlift with West Berlin.
- 1950-53 To support the terrestrial troops UNO in the War of Korea.
- 1964-73 War of Vietnam.
- 1973 Operation Grass Nickel, delivery of weapons per airlift with Israel at the time of the War of Kippour.
- 1979 Operation Eagle Claw , mission fallen through to release the American hostages in Iran.
- 1986 Operation El Dorado Canyon, bombardment in the Libya.
- 1990-91 Shield of the desert, protection of the Saudi Arabia against the Iraq.
- 1991 Storm of the desert against Iraq.
- 1991-96 Operation Provide Comfort, maintenance of the zone of air exclusion in the north of the parallel 36ème in Iraq.
- 1991-2003 Operation Southern Watch, maintenance of the zone of air exclusion in the south of the parallel 33ème in Iraq.
- 1993-95 Operation Deny Flight, maintenance of the zone of air exclusion in Bosnia-Herzégovine.
- 1995 Operation Deliberate Force, bombardments in Bosnia-Herzégovine.
- 1996 Operation Serves Strike, bombardments in Iraq.
- 1997-2003 Operation Northern Watch, maintenance of the zone of air exclusion in the north of the parallel 36ème in Iraq.
- 1998 Operation Serves Fox, bombardments in Iraq.
- 1999 Opération Allied Forces, bombardments of the Serbia, in the Guerre of Kosovo.
- 2001-recent Operation Enduring Freedom, bombardments in Afghanistan.
- 2003-04 Operation Iraqi Freedom, invasion of Iraq.
See too
Sources
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