Aircraft Inventory

The US Air Force has over 5,778 aircraft commissioned as of 2004. Until 1962, the Army and Air Force maintained one system of aircraft naming, while the U.S. Navy maintained a separate system. In 1962, these were unified into a single system heavily reflecting the Army/Air Force method. For more complete information on the workings of this system, refer to United States Department of Defense aerospace vehicle designation. The various aircraft of the Air Force include: A Ground Attack The ground-attack aircraft of the USAF are designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as close air support for, and in proximity to, U.S. ground forces. The proximity to friendly forces require precision strikes from these aircraft that are not possible with bomber aircraft listed below. They are typically deployed as close air support to ground forces; their role is tactical rather than strategic, operating at the front of the battle rather than against targets deeper in the enemy's rear.

A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft A-10A/C Thunderbolt II AC-130H/U Spectre/Spooky II

B Bombers In the US Air Force, the distinction between bombers, fighter-bombers, and attack aircraft has become blurred. Many attack aircraft, even ones that look like fighters, are optimized to drop bombs, with very little ability to engage in aerial combat. Many fighter aircraft, such as the F-16, are often used as 'bomb trucks', despite being designed for aerial combat. Perhaps the one meaningful distinction at present is the question of range: a bomber is generally a long-range aircraft capable of striking targets deep within enemy territory, whereas fighter bombers and attack aircraft are limited to 'theater' missions in and around the immediate area of battlefield combat. Even that distinction is muddied by the availability of aerial refueling, which greatly increases the potential radius of combat operations. The US is the only country, besides Russia, that operates strategic bombers.

The B-52 Stratofortress airframe is over 50 years old and is scheduled to remain in service for another 30 years, which would keep the airframe in service for nearly 90 years, an unprecedented length of service for any aircraft. Plans for successors to the current strategic bomber force remain only paper projects, and political and funding pressures suggest that they are likely to remain paper-bound for the foreseeable future.

B-2 Spirit stealth strategic bomber

B-1 Lancer supersonic strategic bomber B-1B Lancer B-2A Spirit B-52H Stratofortress

C Cargo Transport The Air Force can provide rapid global mobility, which lies at the heart of U.S. strategy in this environmentwithout the capability to project forces, there is no conventional deterrent. As U.S. forces stationed overseas continue to decline, global interests remain, making the unique mobility capabilities of the USAF even more in demand. Air mobility is a national asset of growing importance for responding to emergencies and protecting American interests around the globe. Cargo and transport aircraft are typically used to deliver troops, weapons and other military equipment by a variety of methods to any area of military operations around the world, usually outside of the commercial flight routes in uncontrolled airspace. The workhorses of the USAF Air Mobility Command are the C-130 Hercules, C-17 Globemaster III, and C-5 Galaxy. These aircraft are largely defined in terms of their range capability as strategic airlift (C-5), strategic/tactical (C-17), and tactical (C-130) airlift to reflect the needs of the land forces they most often support. The CV-22

is used by the Air Force for the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). It conducts long-range, special operations missions, and is equipped with extra fuel tanks and terrain-following radar.

C-17 Globemaster III, the USAF's newest and most versatile transport plane

C-5 Galaxy heavy airlift

CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft C-5A/B/C/M Galaxy C-12C/D/F Huron C-17A Globemaster III C-20A/B/C Gulfstream III C-20G/H Gulfstream IV C-21A Learjet

C-27J Spartan C-37A/B Gulfstream V C-38A Courier C-40B Clipper C-41A Aviocar C-47T Skytrain (6th Special Operations Squadron) C-130E/H Hercules C-130J Super Hercules CV-22B Osprey

E Special Electronic Missions The purpose of electronic warfare is to deny the opponent an advantage in the EMS and ensure friendly, unimpeded access to the EM spectrum portion of the information environment. Electronic warfare aircraft are used to keep airspaces friendly, and send critical information to anyone who needs it. They are often called "The Eye in the Sky."

E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system E-3B/C Sentry E-4B E-8C JSTARS E-9A EC-130H/J Compass Call/Commando Solo

F Fighters The fighter aircraft of the USAF are small, fast, and maneuverable military aircraft primarily used for air-to-air combat. Many of these fighters have secondary ground-attack capabilities, and some are dual-roled as fighter-bombers (e.g., the F-16 Fighting Falcon); the term "fighter" is also sometimes used colloquially for dedicated ground-attack aircraft. Other missions include interception of bombers and other fighters, reconnaissance, and patrol. Out of the 5,778 manned aircraft in service, 2,402 are fighters, and 1,245 of those are variants of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

From 2006 to 2025, the USAF plans to reduce its inventory of tactical aircraft by 28%.

F-22 Raptor stealth air superiority fighter

F-15E Strike Eagle strike fighter F-15C/D Eagle F-15E Strike Eagle F-16C/D Fighting Falcon F-22A Raptor F-35A Lightning II

H Search and Rescue These craft are used for search and rescue and combat search and rescue on land or sea. HC-130P/N Hercules HH-60G/MH-60G Pave Hawk

K Tanker The USAF's aerial refueling aircraft are derivatives of civilian jets. Usually, the aircraft providing the fuel is specially designed for the task, although refueling pods can be fitted to existing aircraft designs if the "probe and drogue" system is to be used. There is no known regular civilian in-flight

refueling activity. In large-scale operations (and even daily air operations), air-to-air refueling is extensively used; fighters, bombers, and cargo aircraft rely heavily on the lesser-known "tanker" aircraft. This makes these aircraft an essential part of the Air Force's global mobility and the U.S. force projection.

KC-10 Extender tri-jet air-to-air tanker KC-10A Extender KC-135E/R/T Stratotanker

M Multi-Mission Specialized multi-mission aircraft provide support for global special operations missions. These aircraft conduct infiltration, exfiltration, resupply, and refueling for SOF teams from improvised or otherwise short runways. MC-130E/H/P/W Combat Talon I/Combat Talon II/Combat Shadow/Combat Spear

Q Multi-Mission RPAs (Remote Piloted Aircraft) Initial generations of RPAs were primarily surveillance aircraft, but some were fitted with weaponry (such as the MQ-1 Predator, which used AGM114 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles). An armed RPA is known as an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV).

MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle

MQ-1 Predator MQ-9 Reaper

O Observation These aircraft are modified to observe (through visual or other means) and report tactical information concerning composition and disposition of forces. OC-135B Open Skies

R Reconnaissance The reconnaissance aircraft of the USAF are used for monitoring enemy activity, originally carrying no armament. Several unmanned remotelycontrolled reconnaissance aircraft (RPAs) have been developed and deployed. Recently, the RPAs have been seen to offer the possibility of cheaper, more capable fighting machines that can be used without risk to aircrews. Note: Although the U-2 is designated as a 'utility' aircraft, it is indeed a reconnaissance platform.

RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle reconnaissance aircraft

Lockheed U-2 spy plane RC-26B

RC-135S/U/V/W Cobra Ball/Combat Sent/Rivet Joint/Rivet Joint RQ-4A Global Hawk RQ-11 Raven RQ-170 Sentinel U-2R/S "Dragon Lady"

T Trainer The Air Force's trainer aircraft are used to train pilots, navigators, and other aircrew in their duties. T-1A Jayhawk T-6A Texan II (A)T-38A/B/C Talon TG-10B/C/D TG-15A/TG-15B Diamond T-52A

U Utility Utility aircraft are used basically for what they are needed for at the time. For example, a Huey may be used to transport personnel around a large base or launch site, while it can also be used for evacuation. These aircraft are all around use aircraft. U-28A UH-1N Iroquois UV-18A/B Twin Otter

V VIP Staff Transport These aircraft are used for the transportation of Very Important Persons. Notable people include the President, Vice President, secretaries, government officials (e.g., senators and representatives), the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other key personnel.

VC-25A (Air Force One) VC-9C VC-25A (one used as Air Force One) C-32A/B (sometimes used as Air Force Two) C-40B/C W Weather Reconnaissance These aircraft are used to study meteorological events such as hurricanes and typhoons. WC-130J Super Hercules WC-135C/W Constant Phoenix

Undesignated foreign aircraft used by Special Operations Squadrons An-26 (6th Special Operations Squadron) CN-235-100 (427th Special Operations Squadron) Mi-8 (6th Special Operations Squadron)