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Aviation History
1994
1994 - 2040.PDF
AIR FORCES OF THE WORLD Bottom-Up Review (BUR) calls for only 13 active and seven reserve fighter wings — down from today's force of 16 and 12 fighter wings, respectively — by the end of this century. As a follow-up to the BUR, a comprehensive study of US nuclear forces is being conducted. For planning purposes, the Pentagon sees a continued requirement for up to 94 B- 52H bombers, equipped with air-launched cruise missiles and 20 B-2 bombers, however. The US Congress backed the Pentagon's plan to cancel both the proposed joint-service A/F-X attack aircraft and the USAF's multi-role fighter. A Joint Advanced Strike Technology programme has been initiated to develop a future strike aircraft for the USN and USAF, using many common components, including engines, training equip ment, avionics, ground-support equipment and mission- planning systems. In detail, the ACC includes the assets of the 8th Air Force with its B-52, B-l and, eventually, 20 B-2 bombers; the 2nd Air Force's battle-management aircraft; and the 20th Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missiles. The 1st Air Force at Tyndall AFB, Florida, the 9th Air Force at Shaw AFB, South Carolina, and the 12th Air Force at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, round out the ACC. The AMC, headquartered at Scott AFB, Illinois, has more than 166,000 personnel, half of which are Reserve and Air National Guard forces. It provides rapid, global, airlift and aerial refuelling. As the USAF component for US Transportation Command, units include the 15th Air Force, March AFB, California, the 21st Air Force, McGuire AFB, New Jersey and the 22nd Air Force located at Travis AFB, California. Aircraft operated are all the C-5 and C-141 long-range transports plus about half of MAC's C-130 and utility fleet, as well as the newly developed C-17 Globemaster aircraft. Nineteen subordinate airlift and air-refuelling wings are part of AMC. Air Force Space Command, headquartered at Peterson AFB, Colorado, played a key role in the Gulf conflict and its task is growing as the service depends more on its satellites. The Special Operations Command, headquartered at Hurburt Field, Florida, serves as the air component of US Special Operations Command, a unified command. It is composed of one special-operations wing at Hurlburt Field (1st SOW) and two special operations groups, the 352d SOG and 353d SOG at RAF Alconbury, UK, and Kadena AFB, Japan, respectively. Equipment include the AC-130 Spectre gunships, MH-53 Pave Low and MH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters, the MC-130E Combat Talon I, MC- 130H Combat Talon II, C-130A/E, EC-130 Volant Solo and HC-130 Combat Shadow. Air Training Command at Randolph AFB, Texas, operates more than 1,100 aircraft, including the T-37,T-38,T-41,T- 43 and T-1A. The T-l entered service in mid-1992 and the T-41s are due to be replaced by the T-3 Firefly, beginning this year. The USAF and USN plan to buy more than 750 primary trainers under the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System $6 billion contract, due for award in 1994. Other major commands include the Air Education and Training Command located at Randolph AFB, Texas, and the AF Materiel Command, at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, which manages USAF R&D, test and acquisition of major weapons systems. The Pacific Air Forces, headquar tered at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, and the US Air Forces in Europe, located at Ramstein AB, Germany, plan, conduct, and co-ordinate offensive and defensive air operations in the Pacific/Asian theatres and Europe, respectively. The AF Reserve's first composite wing was formed at Grissom AFB, Indiana, when its KC-135 and A-10 units joined to become the 434th Wing. Two Air National Guard (ANG) and US Air Force Reserve units augment the AFSOC's operations. These are the ANG's 193d SOG at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, flying the EC-130E, and the Air Force Reserve's 919th SOW at Duke Field, Florida, flying the AC-130 Spectre. The ANG has both a state and a feder al mission. With 6% of the USAF's special-operations aircraft, the ANG also provides 100% of the fighter-interceptor and RF-4C forces. USAF (Including AFRES and ANG) Type B-1B Lancer B-2A B-52H Stratofortress EF-111A Raven F-4G Phantom No 96 20** 124 40 27 Role strat bomber trat bomber strat bomber tact strike EW/combat A-10/0A-10 Thunderbolt II F-15/YF-15 Eagle F-16/YF-16 Fighting Falcon F-lll F-117/YF-117 E-3 Sentry E-4 E-8 EC-18 EC-130 EC-135/RC-135 RF-4 Phantom TG-3/4 TG-9 WC-135 C-5/C-5A Galaxy C-9 C-12 C-17 C-21 C-23 Sherpa 126 689 625 135 54 34 4 2 6 23 40 4 3/10 4 7 82 23 72 11 78 3 C-27 Spartan 10 C-130/C-130A/B/E/H Hercules 454 C-135 Hercules 10 C-137 C-141/NC-141 Starlifter CT-39 EC-137 NC-130/1 HC-130N/P WC-130E/H NC-135 NT-39 VC-25 AC-130/AC-130A Spectre HC-130 Hercules MC-130 MH-53/60 KC-10 KC-135/NKC-135 T-l Jayhawk T-38/AT-38 Talon T-37 Tweet T-39 T-41 T-43/CT-43 NT-33 TC-135 TG-7 U-26 UV-18 CH-53 HH-l/UH-1 HH-3 HH-60/M/HH-60G UH-60 NCH-53 ** on order 7 243 1 1 4/1 4 6 1 3 2 10 6 31 41/16 59 316 67 618 31 4 100 12 1 2 9 1 2 5 26 6 40/25 18 2 close-air suppt fighter/attack fighter/attack fighter/attack fighter/attack AEW aircomm post surveillance recce/surv recce/surv/C[3] ELINT/recce recce recce/surv recce/surv weather/recce trans trans trans tact lift airlift freight mission trans trans trans trans trans trans trans trans trans trans trans trans trans special ops special ops special ops special ops tanker tanker trng trng trng trng trng trng trng trng trng misc para trng SAR missile support utility special ops/SAR SAR/missile supt special ops/SAR United States Navy (USN) The USN is to reduce its active carrier fleet under the Clinton defence programme. Under the plan, the USN will operate 11 carrier battle-groups and one operational reserve carrier. The USN has 12 carriers. The Clinton Administration plans to eliminate one active navy air-wing and one reserve navy air-wing, leaving the USN with ten active air wings and one Navy reserve air wing. The Forrestal (CV-59) and the Ranger (CV-61) were sched uled to be de-commissioned in 1993, leaving the USN with six conventionally powered and seven nuclear-powered air craft carriers, including the Entei-prise (CVN-65) and six ships of the Nimitz class. The Saratoga (CV-60) will also be mothballed and two Nimitz-class carriers, CVN-74 (John C Stetwis) and CVN- 75 (United States), are under construction, and are planned for delivery by the end of the decade. The Navy plans to de commission some additional conventionally powered carri ers when the CVN-74 and 75 set sail. Under the Clinton plan, a contract for construction of the ninth Nimitz-class carrier, CVN-76, will be awarded in FY1995. The USN's land-based maritime-patrol squadrons are also being reduced in the face of a re-structured maritime ASW mission and battle force. Near-term reductions will bring the service's P-3 squadrons down from 24 active and 13 reserve squadrons in 1990 to 13 active and nine reserve squadrons by 1995. With the decision to terminate the A/F-X advanced strike aircraft, the USN will proceed with development and pro curement of the F/A-18E/F to achieve initial fielding in 2001. All A-6s will be retired by 1997. To help compensate for the A-6 retirement, the F-14 will be given a limited ground- attack capability. The USN is also upgrading EA-6Bs and upgrading and procuring new E-2C Hawkeyes, to enable them to extend their capability and service life until a replacement aircraft is developed in the next century. All 12 Hawkeye squadrons are equipped with ?Z-2Cs. There are over 30 helicopter squadrons in the USN, with UH-ls, SH-2s, SH-3s, CH-46s, and SH-60Bs, plus three mine-countermeasures squadrons operating the RH-53D. The latter are being replaced by the MH-53E. Five trans port squadrons provide worldwide fleet support, including carrier onboard delivery. Naval Air Training Command has 20 squadrons in six wings operating T-45As, T-34Cs, T-44As, T-2Cs and TA-4Js. T- 39Ns are used to train radar operators. T-45A deliveries are under way for fast-jet training. The USN Reserve operates a large fleet of fixed- and rotary-wing types. USN (excluding USN Reserve) Type F-18A/B Hornet F-18C/D Hornet F-14A Tomcat F-14D Tomcat F-5E/F Tiger II F-16N Falcon A4E/F Skyhawk A-6E Intruder KA-6D Intruder EA-6A/B Prowler S-3A/B Viking ES-3A Viking US-3A Viking P-3A/B/C Orion EP/3A/B/E Orion RP-3A/D Orion U/VP-3A Orion E-2C Hawkeye TE-2C Hawkeye C-130F/T Hercules LC-130F/R Hercules E-6A C-2A Greyhound C-20D (Gulfstream III) CT-39E/G Sabreliner P QD Mirthtinrt^la u-yo iNigriungaie DC-9-30 U-6A NU-IB UC-12B/F/M RC-12F/M T-44A T-38A/B Talon TA-4J Skyhawk NTA-4J Skyhawk NTA-4F Skyhawk TF-16N Falcon T-2C Buckeye T-39D Sabreliner T-45A Goshawk T-34B/C Turbo-Mentor TC-130G/Q Hercules TP-3A Orion TC-4C SH-60B/F Seahawk SH-3D/H Sea King HH-60H Black Hawk SH-2F Seasprite M/CH-53E Sea Stallion RH-53D Sea Dragon U/HH-46D Sea Knight HH-1N Iroquois TH-57B/C VH-3A/D No 118/24 245/102 257 44 23/3 21 32 48 8 8/79 14/83 16 5 1/60/242 1/1/12 6/5 9/5 71 2 3/12 3/4 16 33 2 5 1 7 -L 1 10 3 1 7/4/6 2/2 54 4/2 160 1 1 4 142 1 26 8/258 1/1 10 8 136/69 16/101 18 57 31/16 10 13/33 133 43/83 5/11 Role AD/attack/trng AD/attack/trng AD/FGA/recce AD/FGA/recce aggressor aggressor aggressor attack tanker ECM MR/ASW ECM COD MR/ASW ELINT survey VIP AEW trng trans trans TACAM0 COD VIP comms medevac trans utility utility utility EW trng trng trng trng trng trng trng trng trng trng trng trng trng ASW/SAR ASW/SAR combat SAR ASW heavylift minesweeping SAR/trans SAR/utility trng VIP US Marine Corps (USMC) The active-duty Marine aviation arm is divided into three FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 24 - 30 August 1994
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