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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0615.PDF
FLIGHT, 13 May 1955 615 The World's Air Forces Their Composition, Duties and Aircraft r ; FROM time to time, over a period of many years, Flighthas reviewed the military aircraft of all nations. On thisoccasion we inquire for the first time into the national air forces themselves—their organization, strength, equipment and, where divulged, their future plans. A data table shows the salient characteristics of a great multitude of aircraft and a special section is devoted to national insignia. The authors have been gratified by the ready compliance of most of the authorities concerned, and the work stands as a unique com- pendium. Not inappropriately, NATO is accorded pride of place. Thereafter the air forces are reviewed alphabetically. NATO THE SUPREME Allied Commander Europe, General Alfred M.Gruenther (U.S.A.), has as his Air Deputy General Lauris Norstad (U.S.A.). His air commanders are: Allied Air Forces CentralEurope, Air Chief Marshal Sir Basil Embry (U.K.); Allied Air Forces Northern Europe, Maj-Gen. W. R. Carter (U.S.A.); AlliedAir Forces Southern Europe, Maj-Gen. Patrick W. Timberlake (U.S.A.). Air Marshal Sir John Boothman (U.K.) is both Air Com-mander-in-Chief Eastern Atlantic Area and Air Commander-in- Chief Channel and Southern North Sea. NATO's largest air command is Allied Air Forces CentralEurope (AAFCE), comprising the 4th A.T.A.F. (U.S., French and Canadian), the 1st Canadian Air Division, the 1st CATAC(France), and the 2nd A.T.A.F. (U.K., Netherlands and Belgium). x^llied Air Forces Northern Europe has ten squadrons of the RoyalNorwegian Air Force and eight squadrons of the Royal Danish Air Force. Allied Air Forces Southern Europe is made up of the6th A.T.A.F. (Italy, Greece and Turkey), a large Italian contri- bution and Greek, Turkish and Portuguese squadrons. Britain's contribution is the 2nd Tactical Air Force, with which,since 1952, have been co-ordinated squadrons and wings from Belgium and the Netherlands, to form the 2nd Allied Tactical AirForce (2nd A.T.A.F.). Three Belgian wings were integrated during 1952/53, and Netherlands integration is now all but com-plete. The Dutch element is rapidly growing. For added support, certain Netherlands bases, equipped, like the new NATO bases,with the most modern facilities for jet fighters, have been placed under 2nd A.T.A.F.'s operational control, and to increase recon-naissance strength a Netherlands unit has been assigned as part of an R.A.F. reconnaissance wing based at Laarbruch, one of thelargest NATO bases in Europe. Other bases have been occupied by a light bomber wing, now equipped with Canberras. In 4th A.T.A.F. integration of the U.S., French and Canadianelements has not proceeded below headquarters level, but frequent cross-training programmes, with transfer of pilots and aircraftfrom one national base to another, have resulted in greatly increased standardization and flexibility.In the 12th Air Force, which constitutes America's commitment to NATO air strength, two fighter/bomber wings and two fighter/intercepter wings have been equipped during the past year with North American F-86Ds and F-86Fs. Two of the tactical recon-naissance wings are in process of receiving Martin-built RB-57s (licence-built English Electric Canberras), and Martin TM-61guided missiles having atomic capability, have been assigned to the force. Support facilities have been increased in recent months bythree new bases in France, with another two in process of completion. NATO-assigned wings of the R.C.A.F., organized into the 1stCanadian Air Division, have undergone a year of growth and consolidation which has seen the fourth and final fighter baseadded to the command (at Marville, France). The new Mk 5 (Orenda-powered) Sabres have arrived in strength, and addition-ally the Canadian Government has announced its intention of equipping part of its twelve NATO squadrons with Avro CanadaCF-100 twin-jet all-weather fighters. France's contribution, the Premier CATAC, consists of fifteensquadrons which, through recent re-grouping of technical, admini- strative and ground-defence facilities, have been established onfive operational bases. Much progress has been made in elec- tronics, both in radar and in the use of micro-wave communicationcircuits. Strength has increased with the re-equipment of two complete wings with Dassault Ouragans, and soon the NATOsquadrons, like certain French national units, will be receiving Mystere IVAs. The following is an official NATO account of the operationaltasks and commitments of AAFCE, prepared especially for this issue of Flight and touching on some weighty matters withnotable candour: — "In most military theatres close to the Soviet bloc it is necessaryto consider preparation for war in two different fields: first, that of the all-out war using all available weapons, and secondly, thatof the restricted war, of the 'bush-fire' type, in which atomic weapons may not be used. In Central Europe the second type ofwar is extremely unlikely. Such a localized outbreak is usually provoked by vague boundaries, indeterminate policies of border-ing countries, civil wars, etc. In Central Europe, on the other hand, the border is defined, the nations are aligned into two campsby treaty, and the possibilities of civil war in the neutral countries are remote. The headquarters of Allied Air Forces Central Europe(AIRCENT) can therefore, while not losing sight of the possibility of a small war, devote its preparations almost entirely to readinessfor an all-out war. "If AIRCENT is to prepare for an all-out conflict it must bearin mind the vital fact that its own operations will be fought within the framework, as it were, of the strategic slugging-match betweenthe contesting powers. While the respective strategic air forces and air defence systems attempt to achieve or to parry the finaldecision, AIRCENT's mission is to fight a battle jointly with the armies of Central Europe to prevent the Red Army and airforce from overrunning the Continent during the duration of the strategic war. Thus our task is seen as that of offensively defend-ing our territory and destroying the forces opposing us while we simultaneously attempt to preserve as much of Europe as possiblefrom destruction by the Red air force. "To do this we build our campaign around the tactical atomicbomb. The conventional tactical air forces assigned to AIRCENT are equipped and organized after the classic pattern which hasbeen developed directly from World War II. This is because they support armies that are similarly developed. The spearhead ofatomic power, however, expressed by the tactical atomic bomb, is now in a position to exert itself as the tactical weapon outstrippingall others in its impact on the enemy forces. But while these weapons remain restricted in numbers their delivery must besupported, exploited, and supplemented in every possible way by fighters, fighter-bombers, and reconnaissance aircraft of the con-'ventional unit. Thus, though the tactical atomic bomb will do the major damage to the enemy's forces, its crushing blows must befollowed up by large-scale offensive and exploiting action of con- ventional aircraft working both by day and night attempting todestroy the parts of the enemy forces surviving after the atomic bombers have done their work. "The enemy tactics and techniques will of necessity have under-gone great changes as a result of the advent of nuclear warfare. He will make every effort to elude our atomic blows by dispersingboth his air and ground forces, and also by attacking us on the ground in formations sufficiently dispersed to make atomic attackuneconomic. The fighter-bombers, night bombers and recce air- craft of the conventional units will therefore be heavily engagedin direct and indirect support of the army as it struggles to contain this type of enemy attack, and must simultaneously strive to pro-duce situations onto which atomic attack can be made profitable. "Reconnaissance operations in support of a force partly atomicand partly conventional, must be available in greater proportions than have hitherto been standard calculations for tactical airforces. When a single fighter-bomber is capable of delivering a blow equal to 2,000 heavy aircraft of World War II, the recon-naissance effort which should be considered adequate to place this blow where it would do the most harm is necessarily greaterin terms of proportions of aircraft in the force. To achieve the best results in atomic attack it is highly desirable, if at all possible,to have such photographic cover of the target as will enable a study to be made to determine the most suitable delivery of the weapon.Bomb damage assessments must be made, and the compression of operations into a very short time dictates a lavish use of all typesof reconnaissance aircraft and a tremendeus problem in processing. "AAFCE has the responsibility, through its assigned forces, ofthe air defence of the forward tactical areas and of the civil popula- tions and military installations therein. Though this problem isstill in course of resolution, the Supreme Commander has agreed with AIRCENT opinion that the present division of air defenceareas between nations and forces is unsatisfactory, and must be bettered. If this problem is to be properly solved nations willhave to yield some of their defence prerogatives to NATO, but they are rapidly becoming convinced of AIRCENT's opinion thatwith the speeds and heights used by modern aircraft one country is too small an area to be a self-contained air defence unit. "AIRCENT must also have operational plans prepared foraction against Baltic ports and port facilities, that can sustain operations against CINCNORTH's area, and must likewise be
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