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.

List of Aircraft Used by the USAF

 * AWACS/C&C/EW Aircraft
 * 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
 * Beechraft 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
 * Attack Aircraft
 * Fairchild-Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II (Close Air Support Aircraft) x 352
 * Lockheed AC-130U Spectre II (Fixed Wing Gunship) x 17 (+ 8 AC-130H 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 76
 * Fighters
 * McDonnell-Douglas F-15C/D Eagle (Air Superiority Fighter) x 222 - being replaced by the F-22 Raptor
 * McDonnell-Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle (Multirole Strike Fighter) x 220
 * General Dynamics F-16C/D Fighting Falcon (Multirole Fighter) x 1,003
 * Lockheed Martin F-22A Raptor (Air Superiority Fighter) x 496
 * Aerial Tankers
 * KC-10 Extender (Aerial Tanker) x 60 (to be replaced by the Northrop Grumman KC-45 Mesotanker)
 * KC-135 Stratotanker (Aerial Tanker) x 417 (to be replaced by the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus)
 * Transport Aircraft
 * Lockheed C-5 Galaxy (Strategic Airlifter) x 81
 * Beechcraft C-12 Huron (Cargo Aircraft) x 28
 * Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (Strategic Airlifter) x 223
 * de Havilland Canada UV-18 Twin Otter (Utility STOL Aircraft) x 3
 * Gulfstream Aerospace C-20 Gulfstream III/IV (VIP/Passenger/Cargo Aircraft) x 7
 * Bombardier C-21 Learjet 35 (VIP Transport) x 55
 * Bell-Boeing CV-22B Osprey (VTOL Transport Aircraft) x 50
 * Fairchild C-26 Metroliner (Cargo Aircraft) x 11
 * Aleina C-27J Spartan (Cargo Aircraft) x 38
 * Boeing C-32 (Passenger Aircraft) x 8
 * Gulfstream Aerospace C-37 Gulfstream V (Passenger/VIP Transport Aircraft) x 11
 * Gulfstream Aerospace C-38 Courier (Passenger/VIP Transport Aircraft) x 2
 * Boeing C-40 Clipper (Passenger Aircraft) x 10
 * Lockheed C-130H Hercules (Tactical Transport) x 328
 * Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules (Tactical Transport) x 89 (129 ordered)
 * VIP Transport
 * McDonnell-Douglas VC-9C
 * Boeing VC-25A x 2
 * Boeing VC-32A x 2
 * Boeing VC-40B/C Clipper x 6
 * Weather Reconnaissance Aircraft
 * Lockheed WC-130H/J Hercules (Weather Reconnaissance Aircraft) x 20
 * Boeing WC-135C/W Constant Phoenix (Weather Reconnaissance Aircraft) x 2