Bob Archer

176 Pages·2003·17.76 MB·English

US Air Force
T HE N EW C E N T U RY
Bob Archer
Midland Publishing
US Air Force: The New Century Contents
© 2000 Robert J Archer
ISBN 1 857801024
Published by Midland Publishing Introduction 3
24 The Hollow, Earl Shilton
Abbreviations 4
Leicester, LE9 7NA, England
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]
Chapters
E-mail: [email protected]
1 Evolution 5
Midland Publishing is an imprint of Design concept and layout 2 The Command Structure 18
Ian Allan Publishing Ltd © 2000 Midland Publishing
3 Active Duty Current Wing
and Autonomous Group Histories.. 39
Worldwide distribution (except North America): Printed in England by
Midland Counties Publications Ian Allan Printing Ltd 4 Current Aircraft Types and
Units, Maizefield, Hinckley Fields Riverdene Business Park, Molesey Road, their Designations 84
Hinckley, Leics., LE10 1YF, Great Britain Hersham, Surrey, KT12 4RG 5 Munitions 139
Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone]
6 Tail Codes 145
E-mail: [email protected] All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced, 7 Active US Air Force Bases 153
North American trade distribution: stored in a retrieval system, transmitted
Specialty Press Publishers & Wholesalers Inc. in any form or by any means, electronic, Appendix
11605 Kost Dam Road, North Branch, M N 55056 mechanical or photo-copied, recorded Total Aircraft Inventory 174
Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone] or otherwise, without the written
Toll free telephone: [phone] permission of the publishers.
Photograph on front cover and title page: Below: B-1B 85-0091 coded 'EL' of the 77th BS, Opposite: 347th Wing F-16C 90-0763 displaying
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor 91-4001 leads 28th BW, based at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota its bombing mission tally from sorties over
second prototype 91-4002 over the high Sierras was at RAF Fairford in June 1999. It was one of southern Iraq as part of Operation 'Southern
in northern California while on air test from those upgraded to Block D standard with the Watch'. The Wing's home base is Moody AFB,
Edwards AFB. The F-22 is set to become the integration of a towed repeater decoy system to Georgia. The symbols include SOOIb GBU-12
cornerstone of the US Air Force air defence enhance its defensive capability for Operation and 2,000lb GBU-10 laser guided bombs.
mission. Lockheed Martin 'Allied Force'. Bob Archer Steve Hill / Mil-Slides
2 US Air Force: The New Century
Introduction
US Air Force: The New Century has its roots in the This volume is the result of countless hours of It would be impossible to credit everyone who
book United States Military Aviation: The Air Force, research employed to obtain, check and double helped, although the following contributed items of
which was produced in 1980 by Midland, in their check many the many thousands of individual facts information: Greg Caries of Lockheed Martin, Colin
benchmark series on 'Military Air Arms'. However, for accuracy. Much of the information covering Clark of Gulfstream, Paul and Phil Cossey, Douggie
the detailed individual aircraft histories included then recent years has been well documented by respect- Couch, Steve Hill, Colin Johnson, John Pike of the
have been omitted this time, in favor of a more wide- ed authors, and therefore can be considered as fac- Federation of American Scientists, and Iris Reiff of
ranging review and much improved all-color illustra- tual. However, for the period from 1947, when the Air the 52nd FW PA office. Various public affairs offices
tion, made possible by advances in our production Force first became independent, until the Vietnam at bases worldwide provided all manner of items of
technology since the original volume. War period, at least, a wealth of information is still verification. Bernie Parsons and Graham Wickens
This new book sets out principally to give an waiting to be discovered. The main cause for this helped with technical support, particularly with my
overview of the organization, its equipment and roles rests with the unfounded fear of 'giving too much personal computer, attempting to drag the author
at the beginning of the new millennium, although it away' to the other side, during the early Cold War into the 21st century in such matters.
also provides a brief account of the evolution of the period. The need to maintain security was para- I am thankful to friends who opened up their photo-
Air Force. A huge reorganisation, begun in the after- mount, and besides, there was not the freedom of graph collections to provide illustrations, particularly
math of the Gulf War, has now been implemented, information which is enjoyed today. Furthermore the Paul Bennett, Paul Bigelow, Joe Bruch, Bob Dorr,
enabling the Air Force to plan for the new challenges methods of acquiring information then were not as Peter Foster, Mai Gault, Robert Greby, Kevin Jack-
of the 21 st Century. The Command Structure guides straight forward as that possible today. son, George Pennick, Brian Rogers, Peter Rolt, Andy
the reader through these changes, and signposts The advent of the internet has offered an explo- Thomson, as well as Alec Molton and Mike King of
the way forward into the future. By far the largest sec- sion of information, with the US Government and the Mil-Slides. These friends also contributed additional
tion of the book chronicles the active duty flying military posting an astonishing amount of data. material. The team at Midland Publishing deserve
wings and autonomous groups. Much of the detail Much of the background detail has been obtained huge thanks, yet again, for unscrambling the data
for this section was obtained from the Air Force His- from official sources on the internet. Friends have and producing the finished work in record time.
torical Research Unit, to whom I am indebted. provided a considerable amount of additional detail, Finally (and not wishing to sound like an Oscar
Every active duty flying unit is recorded with their and in more than one instance, even proved the US winner) I would like to thank my wife Susanne for her
lineage, aircraft assignments, and home stations. Air Force records to be wrong! Colin Smith and Dave undying support throughout the year it took to pre-
The book has the dual purpose of being a guide to Wilton, in particular, provided much of the data relat- pare this work, and to the children Georgia and Vic-
the current US Air Force, as well as being a source ing to aircraft operated by the active duty wing and toria, who did their utmost to press computer keys in
of reference to researchers seeking further informa- group histories, while Lindsay 'Eccles' Peacock proof- the middle of the text!
tion on commands, units and aircraft types. The read some of the sections, and offered invaluable
work is not intended as an official record, and any advice. The late British Aviation Review was a con- Bob Archer
errors or omissions are entirely my responsibility. stant and invaluable source of reference. Bury St Edmunds, England April 2000
US Air Force: The New Century 3
Abbreviations
Units : RW Reconnaissance Wing DE Delaware
AACS Airborne Air Control Squadron 1 SOF Special Operations Flight FL Florida
ABG Air Base Group 1 SOG Special Operations Group GA Georgia
ABS Air Base Squadron SOS Special Operations Squadron HI Hawaii
ABW Air Base Wing i SOW Special Operations Wing IA Iowa
ACG Air Control Group 1 SW Space Wing ID Idaho
ACW Air Control Wing ; Tc Test Centre IL Illinois
ADS Air Demonstration Squadron ; TEG Test & Evaluation Group IN Indiana
ADS Air Defense Sector T&ES Test & Evaluation Squadron KS Kansas
AG Airlift Group TG Training Group KY Kentucky
ALF Airlift Flight TG Training Group ! LA Louisiana
AMW Air Mobility Wing l TRS Training Squadron ! MA Massachusetts
ARG Air Refueling Group I TRW Training Wing ! MD Maryland
ARS Air Refueling Squadron TS Test Squadron ! ME Maine
ARW Air Refueling Wing 1 TSS Test Support Squadron ; MI Michigan
AS Airlift Squadron TW Test Wing ! MN Minnesota
ATS Aerial Targets Squadron USAFWS USAF Weapons School ! MO Missouri
AW Airlift Wing WEG Weapons Evaluation Group \ MS Mississippi
BS Bomb Squadron Wg Wing j MT Montana
BW Bomb Wing WRS Weather Reconnaissance Squadron I NB Nebraska
CTS Combat Training Squadron ! NC North Carolina
: ND
del or Del detachment or Detachment Bases North Dakota
ECS Electronic Combat Squadron AAB Army Air Base 1 NH New Hampshire
EWG Electronic Warfare Group AAfld Army Airfield \ NJ New Jersey
FG Fighter Group AAF Army Air Force : NM New Mexico
FITS Flight Test Squadron ! AB Air Base \ NV Nevada
FS Fighter Squadron AFAF Air Force Auxiliary Field 1 NY New York
FTG Flying Training Group AFB Air Force Base ; OH Ohio
FTS Flying Training Squadron Afld Airfield OK Oklahoma
FTW Flying Training Wing ANGB Air National Guard Base ! OR Oregon
FW Fighter Wing ARB Air Reserve Base PA Pennsylvania
FWS Fighter Weapons School ARS Air Reserve Station PR Puerto Rico
Gp Group JRB Joint Reserve Base Rl Rhode Island
HF Helicopter Flight MAS Naval Air Station SC South Carolina
HS Helicopter Squadron ; RAF Royal Air Force I SD South Dakota
IW Intelligence Wing RVN Republic of Vietnam TN Tennessee
MATS Materiels Squadron TX Texas
MS Missile Squadron States UT Utah
OG Operations Group AK Alaska VA Virginia
OL Operating Location AL Alabama | VI Virgin Islands
OL-CH Operating Location - Camel Hump AZ Arizona I VT Vermont
OL-FR Operating Location - France CA California WA Washington
RQG Rescue Group CO Colorado Wl Wisconsin
RQS Rescue Squadron CT Connecticut WV West Virginia
ROW Rescue Wing CZ Canal Zone WY Wyoming
RS Reconnaissance Squadron ! DC District of Columbia
4 US Air Force: The New Century
Chapter One
Evolution
The United States Air Force is without question the destroy enemy missiles in the boost phase ! The first of 50 planned CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor air-
most technologically advanced air arm in the world, Most of the other current types will continue in craft will begin to join AFSOC in 2003, initially with
16th SOW at Hurlburt Field, Florida. Bell/Boeing
possessing in both quantity and quality a capability service, having received upgrades to extend their
beyond the wildest dreams of most other air arm careers for periods far beyond that originally survival rate on the battlefield. The non-stealthy F-15,
commanders. The current strength of the USAF is planned. With design and development of new pro- in service with the US, Israel and Saudi Air Forces,
approximately 6,300 fixed and rotary winged types. grams being so costly, it has become far more has achieved a remarkable kill ratio of more than one
This figure is unlikely to see any significant change viable, in many cases, to extend the service lives of hundred for the loss of none. This remarkable tally
in the short term, although it will decrease slightly existing airframes by incorporating state-of-the-art has been achieved by a combination of a superlative
towards the end of the present decade as the F-22 improvements. Aircraft such as the B-52 and KC-135 aircraft matched with highly trained pilots. The
Raptor begins to enter service, replacing the F-15 are both planned to remain in service for several advent of 'Red Flag' exercises, for example, has pro-
Eagle, but not on a one-for-one basis. Early in the more decades, with the likelihood of both types see- vided pilots with the opportunity to receive realistic
next decade the winner of the Joint Strike Fighter ing a career spanning more than 70 years. The experience of combat scenarios, enabling them to
competition will begin to become operational, advent of low-observability technology, however, be familiar with the tactics to be employed opera-
enabling older F-16C and D models to be retired. has created a necessity for the Air Force to replace tionally. The training realism enables the adage 'you
Helicopters including the MH-53 Pave Low will also less stealthy fighter and fighter bomber types, train as you fight' to become the by-word for the
be replaced by the highly capable CV-22 Osprey. although the high cost has been partially counter- modern day fighter pilot. While it is not possible to
The AL-1A Airborne Laser should also be in service balanced by orders for fewer aircraft. The enhanced fully re-create actual combat, exercises such as 'Red
offering the Air Force an unprecedented capability to capabilities of these designs should enable a higher Flag' are the next best thing.
US Air Force: The New Century 5
understood at that time. Balloons had proved them-
selves to be of value militarily with the Signals Corps
during the American Civil War, but little further
progress had been made with manned flight by the
Army.
Undeterred, the Wright Brothers patented their
design in 1906 and continued with development.
President Theodore Roosevelt had shown interest in
the concept and authorized the Signal Corps to
establish an Aeronautical Division. The new organi-
zation began work on 1 August 1907, and early the
following year ordered a dirigible balloon similar to
the Zeppelin type, and contracted with the Wright
Brothers for an airplane. The first model crashed, but
a replacement was delivered in 1909. Progress with
aviation was slow, although Congress approved the
first appropriation for military aviation in 1911. The
Navy was also taking an interest in aviation with pro-
grams of their own. Early efforts to separate the avi-
ation section from the Signals Corps ended in failure.
However the Corps did form the Aviation Section in
1914 signifying recognition, and accepting respon-
The advent of unmanned craft is only in its infancy. enabled several rounds of cutbacks to take place. sibility for operating military aircraft. The First Aero
Already reconnaissance missions are routinely un- Furthermore, the break up of the Soviet Union into Squadron was formed in 1916 and began operations
dertaken by comparatively inexpensive Unmanned the Confederation of Independent States (CIS) has on the Mexican border. Despite being woefully inad-
Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Other craft are being studied further reduced tension in western Europe. Many of equate, it did prove the value of aircraft and led to the
which may eliminate the pilot from direct confronta- the smaller CIS nations are unable, or unwilling to allocation of funds for more suitable equipment.
tion with an enemy in several roles. The implemen- operate vast numbers of sophisticated weapons.
tation of UAVs will also reduce the reliance upon Even Russia itself has found it increasingly difficult to World War One
deploying forces overseas in certain circumstances. maintain its enormous military at Cold War levels. The US entered World War One in April 1917. During
The airborne early warning (AWACS) force, for The USAF has switched from sheer weight of the intervening years since the acquisition of the first
example, is one of the most effective, yet overworked numbers, to a service equipped with remarkably aircraft in 1909 only 142 aircraft had been delivered.
teams in the Air Force. The demands placed upon effective weapons systems in much smaller quanti- In May 1917 the French government made a request
AWACS personnel are colossal, although there are ty. These weapons have been tailored to meet the which was to have a most profound impact on the
plans in the pipeline to help reduce this burden by challenges facing the Air Force as it embarks upon US aviation industry. The French needed 5,000
developing early warning UAVs. These will monitor the new world order in place at the start of the 21st pilots, 4,500 aircraft and 50,000 ground personnel.
specific areas and relay data immediately to a single century. Several rounds of severe cutbacks have The request was approved, with the US Congress
E-3 Sentry, thereby reducing the need for several air- taken place, pruning the USAF to an unprecedented making $640 million available to fund the require-
craft operating simultaneously over a battlefield. The level. ment. The first US flying units arrived in France dur-
RC-135 'Rivet Joint' is another community in high ing the Fall of 1917, and the presence gradually
demand with a vast commitment, particularly over- From humble beginnings ... increased as more squadrons were formed and
seas. This too is likely to have its workload reduced The Department of the Air Force was established on trained. The US squadrons flew alongside those of
at some stage by additional UAVs. 18 September 1947 as an agency of the Department the French and British to conduct operations. The
Throughout the forty years of the Cold War, the Air of Defense. The National Security Act authorized the war ended on 11 November 1918, with the US pos-
Force was maintained as a massive organization, creation of the United States Air Force as a separate sessing 45 squadrons equipped with 740 airplanes,
designed primarily to be a deterrent as its first stage. entity from the US Army. On 26 September 1947 the flown by 744 pilots, 457 observers and 23 gunners.
The number of combat aircraft was kept at a level Defense Secretary signed the order authorising the Hundreds more had been lost due to poor training
capable of successful retaliation in the event of transfer of Army Air Forces personnel from the and inexperience. Despite these shortcomings the
deterrence failing. The likelihood of direct confronta- Department of the Army to the new Department of US flew more than 35,000 combat hours over enemy
tion between the two super powers, was always a the Air Force. In effect this created the United States lines, accruing 13,000 pursuit and 6,000 observation
possibility, although the key element in its preven- Air Force, with establishment on an equal footing flights. A total of 150 bombing raids was mounted,
tion was a strong and well armed military. The Sovi- with the Army and Navy. delivering 275,000 pounds of explosives.
et Union was convinced, certainly during the latter The USAF can trace its heritage to events at the
years of the Cold War, that such a campaign against very start of the twentieth century. Attempts by far
the US would escalate into nuclear warfare. Docu- sighted, and extremely brave aviation pioneers to The ultimate peace dividend! More than 100
mentary evidence received from former eastern bloc design aircraft capable of sustained flight had been B-52s, of several different sub-types, being
governments has shown that the Soviet military had ongoing for a number of years. In January 1905 scrapped within AMARC at Davis Monthan AFB,
clear plans to invade western Europe by several brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright approached the Arizona in October 1994. The aircraft have been
sectioned, and carefully placed on the ground to
armored thrusts backed by air power. The fact that War Department with an offer to provide the govern-
enable Russian satellites to monitor the destruc-
such an invasion did not take place proves that the ment with a heavier than air flying machine. The offer tion process in compliance with strategic arms
deterrent factor worked, almost certainly with the was examined by the Board of Ordnance and Forti- limitation treaties. Bob Archer
threat of nuclear strikes on Russian cities, being the fications, but rejected as there were other more
gamble which their leadership was not prepared to pressing needs to be considered. An earlier attempt F-100A 52-5777 in the colorful markings of the
388th FW. The Super Sabre epitomized the early
take. to obtain an airplane had ended in disaster when a
Cold War era, serving in the United States, Europe
The peace dividend provided by the elimination of design by Samuel P Langley crashed into the
and the Far East, before making a significant
the threat from eastern Europe, and the scaling down Potomac River while under test. The role of airships, contribution during the Vietnam War.
of both side's arsenals through various treaties, has gliders and airplanes in warfare had yet to be fully Alec Molton / Mil Slides
6 US Air Force: The New Century
By the end of the war the air arm was composed to aid Poland if Germany attacked, were suddenly at expanded their influence westward through South
of 1,200 officers and 185,000 other ranks. Lessons war. The inevitability of a full scale conflict in Europe East Asia and east across the many small islands
were learnt which pointed to a future role. By August suddenly aroused fears in the USA that it might even- spanning the Pacific Ocean. The British and US joint
1918 the Aviation Section was removed from the Sig- tually be involved. In 1939 the US had a modest air plan for Europe was to take the offensive to the
nals Corps and designated as the Air Service. Air arm composed of 26,000 personnel, which was little enemy by attacking his military facilities and indus-
power had conducted a comparatively small role, more than ten per cent of the 200,000 men in the trial complexes around the clock. However to do this
but had proved the potential as a serious factor Army. The American fledgling aerospace industry effectively there needed to be a large heavy bomber
which could be exploited. Demobilisation followed also found itself with large orders for aircraft from force in place. The US began ferrying substantial
the Armistice, with the Air Service shrinking to 10,000 Britain and France, as well as the US Army which numbers of heavy bombers to Britain, while aircraft
personnel by June 1920. On 4 June 1920 the Air Ser- began to realize it needed to make some prepara- manufacturing plants in the US and UK stepped up
vice was assigned to the Army as a combatant arm tions. Norway fell to the Germans in April 1940, fol- production. The US Eighth Air Force began to be
by order of the Army Reorganisation Act. This placed lowed soon afterwards by Belgium and the established in February 1942 as the commanding
an authorized strength of 1,516 officers and 16,000 Netherlands. By June most of France had been oc- element in England.
enlisted, with a requirement that 90% of the former cupied. Only the English Channel prevented Britain While the offensive from England gained momen-
were pilots or observers. Continued requests for from coming under German control. Rearming the tum, the US and British decided to mount an inva-
independence from the Army enabling the Air Ser- US became all the more urgent, with the Army sion of North Africa during the latter part of 1942. The
vice to be autonomous led to nothing. Despite the requesting vast sums of money to purchase Twelfth Air Force was formed as the US component.
wrangling over independence, the acquisition of weapons. The Lend-lease Act of March 1941 boost- The success of the campaigns enabled US and RAF
new more modern equipment enabled the Air Ser- ed heavy bomber production significantly. The Sec- squadrons to eventually operate from southern Italy,
vice to demonstrate capabilities including record retaries of War and Navy established a group of while elements of the Fifth Army landed behind
breaking flights. The Air Corps was established in young officers with the task to estimate the overall enemy lines to organize a second front. Meanwhile
July 1926, replacing the Air Service, and strength- production requirement which would be sufficient to in northern Europe the USAAF and RAF continued to
ened military aviation. Aircraft development contin- defeat potential enemies. Air War Plans Division 1 take their toll on the German war machine. The air
ued with the construction of metal and monoplane was presented to the President in September 1941 campaign preceding Operation 'Overlord' involved
design, coupled to more powerful engines. The Gen- and proved to be remarkably accurate. the destruction of every conceivable target in north-
eral Headquarters Air Force was formed in 1935 as Shortly before 8 am local time on 7 December ern France. On 6 June 1944 the Allies stormed the
an additional unit within the Army. The new organ- 1941 a force of 183 Japanese aircraft began attacks Normandy Beaches. Aircraft continued to pound
ization was established as the operational air arm, on strategic targets across Hawaii including Hickam enemy targets, although a disinformation campaign
while the Air Corps retained responsibility for supply Field, Wheeler Field and the naval bases at Pearl had led the Germans to believe the invasion would
and training. However the need for a single adminis- Harbor, Ford Island and Kaneohe Bay. Defending air be in the area of Calais. While stiff opposition was
trative control element became apparent, with the squadrons were taken by surprise with most of the met, the Germans had been fooled, and the Allies
Army Air Force being created on 20 June 1941. The aircraft being destroyed on the ground, or prevent- managed to break from the coast and advance. Dur-
new USAAF set to work planning on an expansion ed from take off due to damage to their airfields. US ing the following weeks, the Germans could not
program to increase personnel levels and introduce warships were sunk at their moorings, although as manage to fly fighter aircraft in the area as the Allies
vast numbers of aircraft into service. luck would have it, the three US aircraft carriers had gained overwhelming air superiority. Gradually
assigned to the Pacific Fleet were all at sea and were the Germans retreated from France and Belgium
The Second World War undamaged. The Japanese lost 20 bombers, nine and by September 1944 the Allies were in a position
The United States sat on the sidelines throughout fighters and 55 aircrew. The entire operation, which to attempt to cross the River Rhine at Arnhem in the
the 1930s as the signs of war in Europe and Far East was launched from six aircraft carriers, had been Netherlands. The Battle of the Bulge was met with
began to unfold. The Japanese conquest of Man- accomplished in less than five hours. The US was at some success for the Germans, although the com-
churia in 1931 set the stage for events which would war whether it liked it or not. bination of sustained tactical bombing with a fierce
reshape history. On 1 September 1939 Hitler's forces Military planners assessed the situation and ground offensive decimated the 25 German divi-
crossed the border into Poland. In the space of just placed the defeat of Germany as its top priority, with sions which collapsed in the face of the Allied
16 days the crack German panzer divisions con- the conquest of Japan a close second. The ongoing counter offensive. The Luftwaffe was also beaten. It
quered the Polish nation, wiping out their army in the German advance continued through the Balkans had flown hundreds of sorties, and although it inflict-
process. France and Britain, who had both promised and into North Africa, while the Japanese had ed considerable damage it suffered heavy losses
US Air Force: The New Century 1
due to the inexperience of its pilots. Heavy bomber The B-29 had proved to be an exceptionally effec- The creation of these crganisations was timely as
raids on airfields reduced the Luftwaffe capability, in tive heavy bomber in the Pacific theater. As the US the postwar period was a time of great tension
a campaign which was to be its last major effort. forces drove back the Japanese, American bombers between the two emerging superpowers of Russia
As the Germans continued to suffer loss of terri- were able to use the airfields on the recaptured and the United States. On 1 June 1948 the Air Trans-
tory, the heavy bombers began to concentrate on a islands. In particular the Marianas, which were 1,500 port Command merged with the Naval Air Transport
strategic offensive by attacking oil facilities. The miles southeast of the Japanese mainland, offered Service to form the Military Air Transport Service.
campaign worked and by June 1944 production was the possibility of inflicting massive damage on the Three weeks later the Russians severed all surface
halved. Throughout the Winter of 1944 bad weather manufacturing base. However the Marianas were links between the western occupied sectors of Berlin
forced Allied bombers to use radar to acquire their still under Japanese control, with the only choice and the outside world in an attempt to force aban-
targets. The Allies pushed through the Rhineland available being to operate from India with staging donment of the city. Rather than simply succumb to
during early 1945, and by the Spring the final defens- bases in China. The logistics involved were awe the Russian threat, the US, British and French began
es had crumbled. In the East the Russian's offensive inspiring as most of the fuel had to be carried by the airlifting supplies into the city. The task required
across Poland had met with equal success. On 25 B-29s into China before operations could begin. more capacity than was readily available from units
April American and Russian forces met at the River Despite these setbacks, the campaign had a limited stationed in Europe, with other commands world-
Elbe, and the Nazi government surrendered uncon- success. The fall of the Marianas to the US came in wide making available additional C-47s and C-54s.
ditionally on 7 May. Air power, and in particular the June 1944, with Guam and Tinian offering facilities The task force began an around the clock operation,
establishment of air superiority, had been the decid- for the B-29s. On 24 November 1944 the B-29s which continued unabated for almost a year. The
ing factor which enabled the ground forces to began their campaign against Japan. Results were Russians eventually lifted the blockade on 12 May
advance with less enemy opposition. disappointing due to various factors. A change of 1949, although stocks of food, medicine and fuel
tactics to low level mission using incendiary bombs were low, requiring airborne resupply to continue
War in the Pacific had devastating effects. The attacks wiped out until the end of September 1949. The US had shown
The attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 was whole areas of towns and cities, but despite the the Russians it was prepared to back its allies uncon-
the first of several offensives as the Japanese cap- ferocity of the campaign the Japanese leaders ditionally. In addition the airlift proved to Air Force
tured American territory across the Pacific Ocean, resisted all calls to surrender. The final blow was the planners the need for a well equipped transport ser-
including Guam and the Wake Islands. Within the delivery of an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima vice with larger, more capable aircraft.
Asian continent, Malaya and Singapore fell to the on 6 August 1945 by 509th Composite Group B-29 While the airlift was responding to the immediate
Japanese soon afterwards, followed by Thailand Enoia Gay. Three days later Bock's Car delivered a task, and at the same time calling the Russian bluff,
and Burma. US forces began to be assembled to halt second bomb on Nagasaki. With the likelihood of legendary 'hard man' Lt General Curtis E LeMay was
the offensive and prevent the Japanese from their more atomic bombs on their cities, the Japanese assuming the helm of Strategic Air Command. He
expansionist ideals. On 18 April 1942 sixteen B-25 agreed to a surrender on 10 August. The uncon- replaced General George C Kenney in October 1948.
Mitchell bombers took off from the aircraft carrier ditional surrender had come about without a US What confronted Gen LeMay was a disorganized
USS Hornet in a spectacular low level attack on soldier setting foot on mainland Japan. Air power and largely ineffective force of bombers numbering
Tokyo and other Japanese targets. All sixteen air- had proved to be a decisive factor in both Europe 35 B-50s, a similar number of B-36s, and almost 500
craft crash landed in China afterwards, but most of and the Far East, and had established itself as an B-29s. LeMay set out to establish the command as
the crews were saved. Led by Lt Col James Doolit- equally important part of the overall military strategy. the primary visible deterrent. Within a very short time
tle, the raid did little physical damage, but had a pro- SAC was to become synonymous with being the 'big
found effect on Japanese strategy. Battles were The Cold War stick'. The elderly B-29s continued in service, but
launched from aircraft carriers at sea, with the The US Army Air Force had grown in size and impor- were supplemented by additional numbers of B-36s
Japanese determined to destroy the American war tance, and proved itself to be urgently in need of and B-50s. The new jet powered designs, then being
machine. The Battle of Midway on 3 and 4 June 1942 being a separate entity. Plans were drawn up for the developed, offered SAC unprecedented capabilities
was a great victory for the Americans, as the Japan- segregation, and on 26 September 1947 the US Air of speed and range, providing the command with a
ese lost four aircraft carriers. The Japanese occu- Force was created. As these plans were being pre- truly worldwide, rapid response to any threat. The
pied many strategically important islands across the pared, the outlines of the Cold War were becoming B-47 Stratojet and the B-52 Stratofortress bombers
Pacific, with the US Navy being tasked to dislodge increasingly discernible. The Marshall Plan for eco- were ordered in vast numbers to form an organiza-
them using firepower from warships as well as fight- nomic aid to the war ravaged countries of Europe, tion never seen before, and the like of which will
er bombers from aircraft carriers. In almost every and the Truman Doctrine to aid countries threatened never be seen again.
battle, air operations spearheaded the ground inva- by aggression, were put into action in 1947. This
sion. Recapture of the Philippines greatly weakened resulted in numerous nations showing their alle-
the Japanese in the western Pacific, and enabled the giance to one side or the other.
The B-47 Stratojet was the first jet aircraft to enter
Americans to plan for sustained attacks on Okinawa, The postwar demobilisation brought about a huge SAC service. Dozens were forward deployed to
and eventually Japan itself. On 1 April 1945 the US loss of capability, with the vast majority of its combat overseas locations, including bases in the UK,
began the invasion of Okinawa. The Japanese elements being ineffective at best. The separation on a regular basis to act as a deterrent. RB-47H
offered stiff resistance, with kamikaze suicide tactics from the Army was a smooth operation, due primar- 53-4296 was a significant aircraft, as it was the
last Stratojet to be retired by SAC, leaving the
damaging many US warships, but eventually the ily to preparations having begun some months ear-
Command on 29 December 1967. Steve Hill
island fell. The Ryukyu Islands then became a lier. The transfer of personnel and assets was a
launchpad for US operations against the Japanese gradual process which continued into 1948. Initially F-106A Delta Dart 57-2466 of the 101st FIS,
mainland. the Air Force's prime capability for the implementa- Massachusetts Air National Guard. The last of
In the Far East, the US and allies began to attack tion of US deterrence were a number of atomic the Century Series, the F 106 played an
important part in the defense of North America,
Japanese strongholds in Burma, Singapore, Malaya bombs and several hundred obsolete World War
and spanned the period from May 1959 when
and parts of China. The formidable Himalayan Two bombers. The answer to the ineffectiveness lay the type entered service until the late 1990s
mountains lay between India and China, requiring an initially in reorganising the entire structure, which when the final OF-106 drones were withdrawn.
air transport operation which was extremely precar- had begun in 1946 with the creation of Air Defense Massachusetts ANG
ious. Slowly the resupply effort improved. Air power Command, Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air
Throughout the 1950s and into the '60s, the C-124
again enabled forces on the ground to take the Command. Further commands were formed to con-
Globemaster II was the backbone of the heavy
offensive. Early in 1945 the British drove the Japan- trol training, aerial transportation, and research, as
airlift capability for MATS. Although slow and
ese out of Burma. This success was followed by well as the Air Force's activities abroad, and its noisy, the C-124 nevertheless served faithfully
additional victories across the Far East. reserve component. until final retirement in 1974. via Doug Remington
8 US Air Force: The New Century
US Air Force: The New Century 9
10 US Air Force: The New Century