United States Air Force

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U.S. military to be formed, and is the largest and one of the world's most technologically advanced air forces. The USAF articulates its core functions as Nuclear Deterrence Operations, Special Operations, Air Superiority, Global Integrated ISR, Space Superiority, Command and Control, Cyberspace Superiority, Personnel Recovery, Global Precision Attack, Building Partnerships, Rapid Global Mobility and Agile Combat Support. The Air Force is a military service within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who is appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate. The highest-ranking military officer in the Department of the Air Force is the Chief of Staff of the Air Force who exercises supervision over Air Force units, and serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Air Force combat forces are assigned, as directed by the Secretary of Defense, to the Combatant Commanders, and neither the Secretary of the Air Force nor the Chief of Staff have operational command authority over them.

Fighters

 * McDonnell-Douglas F-15C/D Eagle (Air Superiority Fighter) x 258 - being replaced by the F-22 Raptor
 * McDonnell-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle (Multirole Strike Fighter) x 254
 * General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (Multirole Fighter) x 1,164
 * Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor (Air Superiority Fighter) x 292 - another 160 on order
 * Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II (Stealth Strike Fighter) x 84 - another 2,132 on order

Attack Aircraft

 * Fairchild-Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II (Close Air Support Aircraft) x 352
 * Lockheed AC-130U Spectre II (Fixed Wing Gunship) x 34 (18 AC-130U and 16 AC-130J)

Bombers

 * Rockwell B-1B/R Lancer (Strategic Bomber) x 84
 * Northrop Grumman B-2A Spirit (Stealth Bomber) x 48
 * Boeing B-52J Stratofortress (Strategic Bomber) x 78

ELINT Aircraft

 * Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady (Reconnaissance Aircraft) x 31
 * Boeing E-3 Sentry (Airborne Early Warning and Control System Aircraft) x 32
 * Boeing E-4 Nightwatch (Airborne Command Post) x 4
 * Boeing E-6 Mercury (Airborne Command Post) x 16
 * Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint STARS (Airborne Command and Control Aircraft) x 16
 * Bombardier E-9A Widget (Surveillance Aircraft) x 2
 * Bombardier-Northrop Grumman E-11A Sentinel (Battlefield Airborne Communications Node) x 4
 * Beechcraft MC-12W Huron (Surveillance Aircraft) x 41
 * Lockheed Martin EC-130H Compass Call (Electronic Warfare) x 14
 * Lockheed Martin EC-130J Commander Solo III (Electronic Warfare x 7
 * Boeing OC-135B Open Skies (Observation Aircraft) x 2
 * Boeing RC-135S/U/V/W Cobra Ball/Combat Sent/Rivet Joint (Reconnaissance Aircraft) x 22

Transport Aircraft

 * Lockheed Martin C-5M Super Galaxy (Strategic Airlifter) x 82
 * McDonnell-Douglas KC-10 Extender (Aerial Tanker) x 60 (to be replaced by the Northrop Grumman KC-45 Mesotanker)
 * Beechcraft C-12 Huron (Cargo Aircraft) x 28
 * Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (Strategic Airlifter) x 224
 * De Havilland Canada UV-18 Twin Otter (Utility STOL Aircraft) x 4
 * Gulfstream Aerospace C-20 Gulfstream III/IV (VIP/Passenger/Cargo Aircraft) x 8
 * Bombardier C-21 Learjet 35 (VIP Transport) x 56
 * Bell-Boeing CMV-22B Osprey (VTOL Transport Aircraft) x 50
 * Boeing VC-25A (VIP Transport) x 2
 * Fairchild C-26 Metroliner (Cargo Aircraft) x 12
 * Alenia C-27J Spartan (Cargo Aircraft) x 38
 * Boeing C-32 (Passenger Aircraft) x 8
 * Boeing VC-32A (VIP Transport) x 2
 * Gulfstream Aerospace C-37 Gulfstream V (Passenger/VIP Transport Aircraft) x 12
 * Gulfstream Aerospace C-38 Courier (Passenger/VIP Transport Aircraft) x 2
 * Boeing C-40 Clipper (Passenger Aircraft) x 10
 * Boeing VC-40B/C Clipper (VIP Transport) x 6
 * Lockheed C-130H Hercules (Tactical Transport) x 262
 * Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules (Tactical Transport) x 116 (36 more on order)
 * Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker (Aerial Tanker) x 418 (to be replaced by the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus)
 * CASA C-144 (Transport Aircraft) x 18
 * PZL-Mielec C-145 Skytruck (STOL Utility Aircraft) x 6
 * Fairchild-Dornier C-146 Wolfhound (Transport Aircraft) x 18

Weather Reconnaissance Aircraft

 * Lockheed WC-130H/J Hercules (Weather Reconnaissance Aircraft) x 20
 * Boeing WC-135C/W Constant Phoenix (Weather Reconnaissance Aircraft) x 2

Training Aircraft

 * Raytheon T-1A Jayhawk (Trainer Aircraft) x 159
 * Beechcraft T-6A Texan II (Trainer Aircraft) x 449
 * Northrop T-38A/C Talon (Advanced Trainer) x 480
 * Cessna T-41C Mescalero (Trainer Aircraft) x 4
 * Cessna T-51A (Trainer Aircraft) x 3
 * Diamond T-52A (Trainer Aircraft) x 20
 * Cirrus T-53A (Trainer Aircraft) x 25