The United States Air Force PortalThe United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare branch of the armed forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. Initially part of the United States Army as the Army Air Corps, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947. It was the last branch of the US military to be formed. The USAF is one of the largest and most technologically advanced air forces in the world, with about 5,573 manned aircraft in service (3,990 USAF; 1,213 Air National Guard; and 370 Air Force Reserve); approximately 180 Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles, 2130 Air-Launched Cruise Missiles, and 450 Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles; and has 330,159 personnel on active duty, 68,872 in the Selected and Individual Ready Reserves, and 94,753 in the Air National Guard. In addition, the Air Force employs 151,360 civilian personnel. The Department of the Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force who heads administrative affairs. The Department of the Air Force is a division of the Department of Defense, headed by the Secretary of Defense. The highest ranking military officer in the Department of the Air Force is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Picture spotlightPhoto credit: USAF photo. A 5-ship of F-15 Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons over the Kuwaiti oil fires following the Gulf War.
photo source: Air Force Link Article spotlightMiG Alley was the name of an air corridor over the northwest part of North Korea. During the Korean War MiG Alley saw the first large scale jet combat mostly between F-86 Sabre and Soviet-built MiG-15 Fagot aircraft. The area became known for fierce aerial combat after Chinese and Soviet pilots began flying against United Nations forces. The jet-on-jet combat continued from November 1950 until the armistice on 27 July 1953. The actual number of aircraft shot down by both sides over MiG Alley has never been fully confirmed with both sides claiming more kills than the opposing side acknowledged losses. Regardless of the actual numbers, however, the aerial combat claimed many lives through the course of the war. USAF newsService considering retrofitting late-model C-130's with new engines Summary: The U.S. Air Force is interested in procuring commercial off-the-shelf engines to replace antiquated propulsion systems on C-130 aircraft. At a technology summit in Arlington, Virginia, General Philip Breedlove told of the service's efforts to follow up on the successes of the C-130J upgrade with commercially available fuel efficient engines. Breedlove says the prioritization of use of C-130J's in inter-theater operations for cost savings has tied up logistics. The C-130 also suffers from performance and maintenance issues that have led to the cancellation of the FCS Manned Ground Vehicles program that was unable to fall within weight parameters while maintaining protection requirements. While enhancing the current generation of aircraft, the Air Force is also heading an initiative to develop fuel efficient technologies for the next generation of propulsion systems. the ADaptive Versatile ENgine Technology program seeks to develop an engine that is 30% more efficient than the F119 or F135 engines that power the F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor fifth-generation stealth fighter aircraft. The Versatile, Affordable, Advanced Turbine Engines and Highly Efficient Embedded Turbine Engine programs are also being pursued to develop propulsion technologies for sub-sonic military aircraft. Aerospace vehicle spotlightThe Republic Aviation Company F-84 Thunderjet was an American-built turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Air Force proposal for a daytime fighter, the F-84 flew in 1946. Although it entered service in 1947, the Thunderjet was plagued by so many structural and engine problems that a 1948 Air Force review declared it unable to execute any aspect of its intended mission and considered cancelling the program. The aircraft was not considered fully operational until the 1949 F-84D model and the design matured only with the definitive F-84G introduced in 1951. In 1954, the straight-wing Thunderjet was joined by the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak fighter and RF-84F Thunderflash photo reconnaissance aircraft. The Strategic Air Command had F-84 Thunderjets (F-84s and RF-84s) in service from 1948 through 1957. The Thunderjet became the Air Force's primary strike aircraft during the Korean War, flying 86,408 missions, dropping 111,171,000 pounds (50,427 tons) of bombs and 12,258,000 pounds (5,560 tons) of napalm, and destroying 60% of all ground targets in the war as well as eight Soviet-built MiG fighters. Over half of the 7,524 F-84s produced served with NATO nations. The F-84 was the first aircraft to fly with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds demonstration team, the first production fighter aircraft to utilize in-flight refueling, and the first single-seat fighter capable of carrying a nuclear bomb. Biography spotlightHenry Harley "Hap" Arnold (1886–1950) was an aviation pioneer and Chief of the United States Army Air Corps (from 1938), Commanding General of the U.S. Army Air Forces (from 1941 until 1945) and the first and only General of the Air Force (in 1949). He is the only person to achieve five-star rank in two armed services. Arnold was born 25 June 1886 in Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, to a strong-willed physician of Baptist beliefs and strong Mennonite ties. Hap graduated Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, with the class of 1903. On 10 September 1913, he married Eleanor "Bee" Pool, the daughter of a banker and one if his father's patients, with Thomas D. Milling as his best man. Arnold died 15 January 1950 at his home in Sonoma, California, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Did you know...?...that before the F-117 Nighthawk was given an official name, the engineers and test pilots referred to the ungainly aircraft, which went into hiding during daylight to avoid detection by Soviet satellites, as "Cockroach"? Quotes"This business – defending our Nation – is all about trust. The American people place special confidence in us:
Schwartz, General Norton A. (September 30, 2008). "The Air Force: fighting today's war" (Purple Heart presentation ceremony, Walter Reed Army Medical Center). Air Force Link. United States Air Force. Retrieved December 15, 2008. USAF topics
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