Air force is the branch of a nation’s armed forces
responsible for military operations in the air. An air force consists of pilots
and other personnel, aircraft, support equipment and military bases. Some air
forces also have guided missiles and spacecraft.
Most countries have some type of air force. More powerful nations have an independent air force equal in rank to the other branches of the nation’s armed forces. These countries usually also have an air force unit in their army and navy. Many smaller, less powerful nations have an air unit as part of their army or navy.
AIR FORCES DIFFER GREATLY IN SIZE AND FIGHTING STRENGTH, DEPENDING ON A NATION’S WEALTH, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL DEFEND NEEDS. THE LARGE AIR FORCES OF INDUSTRIAL NATIONS HAVE MODERN BOMBERS, FIGHTERS, TRANSPORT PLANES, HELICOPTERS AND OTHER AIRCRAFT. Most developing nations cannot afford the advanced technology required to build a modern air force. But some have assembled relatively strong air forces through loans and trade with industrial nations. Many smaller developing nations have air forces that consist of older aircraft.
The United States and Russia have the most powerful and complex air forces. These forces include thousands of aircraft and long-range missile, some with nuclear
Warheads. Other powerful nations, including China, France, and the United Kingdom (UK), also have such missiles.
Until the development of aeroplanes and guided missiles in the 1990’s, nations relied on armies and navies for military power. The operations of these forces, however, are limited by land and sea barriers. Today, armies and navies remain extremely important. But the main striking force of the most powerful nations consists of aeroplanes and guided missiles.
The role of air forces.
A nation’s air force may have several different roles depending on the country’s security needs. Air forces within an army or navy support the operations of that branch. A navy’s air force, for example, may operate attack and reconnaissance (observation) planes from aircraft carriers to obtain information about operations in enemy territory. A navy’s air force may also patrol its country’s coastline. An air force that serves as a separate military branch, however, usually has several roles related to establishing control of the air. These roles include (1) COMBAT, (2) DEFENCE AND (3) TRANSPORT.
COMBAR MISSIONS involve fighting directly against an enemy force. The two chief types of combat missions are strategic and tactical. In strategic missions, air forces operate over long distances, usually travelling from one continent to another. The most common strategic missions involve attacked with bombs and long-range missiles against specific targets in enemy cities and industrial areas. Strategic attacks are designed to destroy the enemy’s ability and desire to fight.
Tactical missions are short or medium-range operations carried out in cooperation with ground or sea forces in battle. Such missions include attacks on enemy ground forces and counter air tactical missions. In these missions, fighter planes may attack enemy aircraft to gain control of the air over a battle area. In interdiction attacks, aircrafts strike transportation networks and other targets behind enemy lines. Such attacks prevent enemy forces and supplies from reaching the battlefield.
DEFENCE MISSIONS protect a nation’s territory from enemy attack. Advanced air forces use radar stations and satellites to detect surprise attacks by enemy bombers or missiles. In case of such an attack, an air force uses missiles and fighter planes to shoot down enemy bombers and missiles.
The threat of a counterattack can also serve as part of a nation’s air defences, especially among nations that have nuclear weapons. Nations may avoid launching a nuclear attack because of their fear of a counterattack.
TRANSPORT MISSIONS, also called airlifts, support a nation’s combat operations by moving troops and equipment quickly by air. In a strategic airlift, aircraft transport troops and equipment over long distances. A tactical airlift provides air support to battlefield operations. For example, aircraft may drop paratroopers and supplies in a battle area or behind enemy lines. In peacetime, air forces may transport food and other supplies to areas struck by disaster.
OTHER MISSIONS include reconnaissance and air rescue. Reconnaissance missions gather military information using visual observation or cameras, radar, and other sensing devices aboard aircraft and satellites. Air rescue missions use small planes or helicopters to rescue people trapped in dangerous areas.
The organization of air forces
The leader of an independent air force may be a chief of staff or air marshal and hold the rank of general. Air forces of smaller countries often come under the command of the army or navy.
The squadron is the basic administrative unit of air forces. A squadron usually consists of aircraft of one type or model. Most fighter and attack squadrons have 18 to 24 assigned aircraft, which are usually grouped into smaller units of 2 to 4 planes called flights. Bomber squadrons typically have from 10 to 19 assigned aircraft. Two or more squadrons form units called groups or wings. In large air force, these units may combine to form larger divisions or commands.
Aircraft and missiles.
Aircraft are usually classified by their function. The main types of aircraft are (1) attack and fighter aircraft, (2) bombers, (3) transport aircraft and (4) reconnaissance aircraft.
Attack and fighter aircraft are designed for speed and manoeuvrability in combat. They usually have a crew of one or two and carry missiles or bombs, depending on their mission. These aircraft attack enemy planes and ground targets or defend against air attacks. Bombers are usually large, medium-range or long-range planes that carry a combination of bombs and guided missiles for striking strategic targets. Only a few nations with powerful air forces have bombers. Bomber crews range in size from about four to six people.
Bombers are usually large, medium-range or long-range planes that carry a combination of bombs and guided missiles for striking strategic targets. Only a few nations with powerful air forces have bombers. Bomber crews range in size from about to six people.
Transport aircraft carry troops or cargo. The crew of a typical transport plane includes a pilot, copilot, navigator, flight engineer and one or more loadmasters responsible for the cargo or passengers.
Reconnaissance aircraft carry cameras or electronic sensors to gather information about enemy forces. Reconnaissance aircraft include both aeroplanes specifically designed for reconnaissance and modified versions of other aircraft.
Other aircraft include trainers, tankers, and helicopters. Trainers are used to train pilots. Tankers refuel other aircraft in flight. Helicopters serve a variety of functions. Some, called gunships, carry guns and missiles and are used in combat. Others transport troops and equipment over short distances.
Missiles used by air forces may be launched from the ground or from aircraft. Ground-launched strategic missiles include intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM’s) and intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM’s). ICBM’s can deliver a nuclear warhead to a target up to 15,000 kilometres away. IRBM’s can reach from about 2,700 to 5,500 kilometres. In some nations, such as in the United States, the air force is responsible for ICBM’s. But in others, including China and Russia, these missiles fall under a separate command. Air forces defend against ballistic missile attacks with ground-launch antiballistic missiles (ABM’s).
Air-launched missiles include both strategic and tactical missiles. Bombers carry air-launched strategic missiles such as the cruise missile, that can hit targets hundreds of kilometers away. Fighter and attack aircraft and helicopters fire tactical air-to-air missiles (AAM’s) at enemy aircraft and air-to-surface missiles (ASM’s) at ground targets.
Major air forces of the world.
The power of an air force depends on the quality of its TECHNOLOGY, TRAINING, AND EQUIPMENT. The world’s most powerful air forces have advanced aircraft, well-trained crews, and efficient maintenance and supply systems. They include the air forces of the United States, Russia, China, France, India, The United Kingdom, Germany, and Israel. After the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, Russia claimed most of the aircraft that had belonged to the massive Soviet Air Force. Other small but important air forces include those of Italy, North Korea, Turkey, and Ukraine.
The United States Air Force has about 1,700 fighter and attack aircraft and about 230 bombers. The air force also operates several satellite and radar systems. It has about 420,000 members, along with 78,000 in the Air Force Reserve. An additional 118,000 people serve in Air National Guard units, which are administered by the states. The US Air Force commands about 550 ICBM’s but no IRBM’s. Under a 1987 treaty, the United State and the Soviet Union agreed to eliminate their IRBM’s.
The US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard all have their own air force units. The US Navy has the world’s largest air arm with about 1,700 combat aircraft. The US Army air unit includes about 1,700 combat aircraft.
The Russian Air Force has about 3,700 combat aircraft, including about 3,200 fighters. The air force has about 300,000 members. A separate strategic force has responsibility for about 1,200 ICBM’s. Another force for space operations launches and operates military satellites. The Russian Navy aviation branch has about 900 combat aircraft.
Several other farmer Soviet republics control ICBM’s and planes that had belonged to the Soviet Air Force. Ukraine, controls about 165 ICBM’s and over 900 combat aircraft, including more than 100 bombers. Kazakhstan has about 100 ICBM’s. Belarus has about 80 ICBM’s.
The Chinese Air Force has about 4,500 fighter and attack planes and about 470 bombers. Many of its planes are based on Russian designs. About 470,000 people serve in the air force. China’s Navy operates an additional 880 combat aircraft. China also has 14 ICBM’s and over 90 IRBM’s under a separate strategic force.
The French Air Force has about 800 combat aircraft, mostly fighter and attack planes. The force has about 92,000 members. A separate strategic air force operates about 60 bombers equipped with IRBM’s. The French navy has about 100 combat aircraft.
The Indian Air Force has about 800 combat planes, including about 400 fights and more than 30 attack helicopters and it has a large arsenal of surface-to-air missiles. About 110,000 people serve in the Indian Air Force. India’s naval air force has about 60 additional combat aircraft and 75 armed helicopters.
The Unite Kingdom’s Air Force, called the Royal Air Force (RAF), has about 690 combat aircraft, mostly fighter and attack aeroplanes. It has about 80,000 members. The Royal Navy’s air arm about 50 combat aircraft and approximately 150 armed helicopters.
The German Air Force, called the Luftwaffe, includes about 650 attack and fighter aircraft, with about 120 additional combat aircraft in the navy’s air unit. About 96,000 people serve in the Luftaffe.
The Israeli Air Force has about 660 fighter and attack aircraft and about 32,000 members. It is one of the largest and most capable air force in the Middle East, with highly experienced pilots.
History
Early air force. The first air force was established by France in 1794, during a war against several other European nations. The air force flew large ballons filled with hot air or gas. The French used the ballons to observe movements of enemy troops.
The first air attack took place in 1849. Austria controlled much of Italy at that time and the people of Venice revolted. The Australians sent unmanned balloons carrying time bombs over the city. Some of the bombs exploded as planned. But the wind changed direction and blew several balloons back over the Austrian troops, where the rest of the bombs exploded.
During the American Civil War (1861 – 1865), both the Union and Confederate armies used balloons. The Union Army organized a balloon corps to direct artillery fire and observe Confederate troop movements. Almost every major army in the world soon established a balloon corps.
Balloons became much less important in warfare after Orville and Wilbur Wright made the world’s first aeroplane fight in 1903. By 1909, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States had purchased planes for their armed forced. In 1912, the UK established the Royal Flying Corps as the air arm of Royal Flying Corps as the air arm of the Royal Army and Navy. In 1918, the corps became the Royal Air Force, the first independent air force.
World War I began in 1914. In the war, the Allies, who included France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United State, fought the Central Powers, who included Germany and Ausria – Hungary. At that time, most aeroplanes flew at a maximum speed of about 120 kilometres per hour. They could reach an altitude of about 3,000 metres. By 1918, when the war ended, the maximum speed of aircraft had reached about 190 kilometres per hour, and maximum altitude had more than doubled. Planes also had become much more manoeuvrable.
At the beginning of the war, the fighting nations used planes only for observing enemy ground used planes only for observing enemy ground movements. Aircraft soon began to exchange gunfire, but many could not shoot forward because the plane’s propeller was in front. Bullets might shatter the blades of the propeller. In 1915, a Dutch designer, Anthony Fokker, developed a machine gun for the Germany that fired only when the propeller blades were not blocking the muzzle. The Allies began to use a similar gun in 1917.
During the war, pilots fought air battles called dogfights and fliers who shot down five or more enemy planes became known as aces. Toward the end of the war, battles between squadrons of planes replaced most combat between single pilots. Early in the war, pilots had dropped bombs by hand. Later, they used mechanical devices to release the bombs.
In September 1918, American officer Billy Mitchell directed the largest air assault of the war. He commander about 1,500 Allied aircraft in a mission over St. Mihiel in France, where the Germans had advanced. The Allied planes gained control of the air, dropped bombs behind the German lines, and attacked enemy ground forces. Two months later, the Allies won the war.
The growth of national air forces. World War I had resulted in the creation of a number of air services. In 1915, the government of British India asked the Australian government to send an air force to Mesopotamia (now chiefly part of Iraqi). The government sent a group of Australian airmen, known as the first Hall Flight, to take part in operations against Turkish forces in Mesopotamia. In 1916, the government set up No. 1 Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC). After World War I, the Australian government disbanded the AFC, but replaced it with a temporary force, the Australia Aviation Corps, which the army controlled. In 1921, the government established the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a separate arm of the services.
Despite the success of military aviation during the war, however, most military did not realize its importance. In the United States, Mitchell became so bitter in his criticism of the US defence progranmme that he was court-martialled.
In the 1920’s, most nations reduced the strength of their air forces. A few air force officers such as the RAF’s Lord Trenched worked to improve organization and training. Trenched was the UK’s chief of the air staff from 1919 to 1929. As a result of his work, the RAF developed into an efficient force. During the 1920’s and early 1930’s, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden formed independent air forces.
World War II. Air power played a vital role in deciding the outcome of World War II. In the war, Germany, Italy, Japan and other Axis powers fought the Allies, who included Canada, China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The war began in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. The Germans used a new
Maethod of warfare called blitzkrieg (lighting war). Germany’s air force, the Luftwaffe, bombed Polish troops, destroyed airfields, and struck at key cities, highways, and railways. On the ground, tanks and infantry overwhelmed the Polish forces. Between April and June 1940, Germany attacked and defeated Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
The Germans planned to invade the UK neir xt, but first they had no defeat the Royal Air Force. In July 1940, the Luftwaffe started to bomb British ships and ports. German air raids on London began in September. The RAF was outnumbered, but it had better planes and pilots than the Luftwaffe. The British also had developed radar and a decoding device that enabled them to read coded German messages. Both developments were carefully guarded secrets that helped the RAF intercept Luftwaffe raids. By October, the RAF had shot down more than 1,700 attacking planes and had lost about 900 of its own s Germany postponed its plans to invade the UK, but air raids on British cities continued.
The United States entered the war on Dec 8, 1941, the clay after about 360 Japanese aircraft attacked the US fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack destroyed or damaged 21 ships and more than 300 planes, temporarily crippling the Pacific Fleet and Hawaii’s air defence.
In mid-1942, American airpower halted Japanese advances in the Pacific in two important battles at sea. In the Battle of the Coral Sea, in May, planes based on air-craft carriers did all the fighting. The opposing warships did not fire a shot at one another, Japan lost more planes, but fewer ships, than the United States lost in the battle. Neither side won, but the battle prevented a Japanese assault on New Guinea. A month later, in the Battle of Midway, Japan lost 4 aircraft carrier and more than 200 planes. The Unite States lost 1 carrier and about 150 planes. The battle blunted Japan’s naval strength for the rest of the war and ended the threat of a Japanese attack on Hawaii and the United States.
By mid-1942, Japan had captured large parts of China and had cut off the country’s main supply routes. To help China continue fighting Japan, Allied forces flew supplies from India to China over the Himalaya, the world’s tallest mountain range. This dangerous route was called the “Hump”. During this airlift, which lasted almost three years, the Allies carried about 600,000 metric tons of supplies to China.
The Allies attacked Germany in 1943, when the UK and the United States started a bombing offensive that lasted almost until the end of the war. The RAF bombed German cities at night and American planes attacked enemy industries during the day. In 1944, the Luftwaffe began to use Jet fighter planes. These planes could fly about 885 kilometres per hour, compared with about 640 kilometres per hour for propeller-driven fighters. Germany also developed the first guided missiles, the V-1 and V-2. In 1944 and 1945, the Germans fired more than 12,000 missiles at enemy cities. But these technological advances came too late to affect the outcome of the war. Germany surrendered in May 1945.
In August 1945, American B-29 bombers dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombers had flown from Tinian Island, more than 2,000 kilometres away. Japan surrendered in September, and the war ended.
The development of jet aircraft in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s greatly increased the range and speed of attacking planes. In 1939, a German Heinkel He 178 made the first successful jet-powered flight. By 1944, Germany had developed the Messerschmitt Me 262, the first jet to fly combat missions. The first American jet plane, the Bell XP-59, flew in 1942 but was little used in World War II. After the war, several nations, including the UK, the Soviet Union, and the United States, rapidly developed jet-powered air forces. Soon each of these nations operated a fleet of jet fighters and long-range bombers. By the late 1950’s, France and China also began developing jet-powered air forces.
Air forces in the nuclear age. The United States emerge as the most powerful nation at the end of World War II. It was the only nation with atomic weapons and the aircraft to use them. But the Soviet Union soon began to challenge the United States, competing for power and international influence in a struggle known as the Cold War. In 1949, the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb. Several other nations have developed nuclear weapons since then.
The Soviet Union successfully tested its first ICBM in 1957, several months before the first successfully United States test. The Soviet Union also launched the first space satellite in 1957. The United States and the Soviet Union competed for supremacy in missiles and space. They also developed antiballistic missiles (ABM’s) designed to destroy enemy missiles in flight. To provide warning of a missile attack, the two nations set up missile detection systems on the ground and in space.
By the late 1960’s, the number of missiles and nuclear warheads had grown alarmingly large. In 1969, the United States and the Soviet Union began a series of conferences in an effort to limit country’s missile strength. After several more conferences in the 1970’s and 1980’s, they agreed to eliminate their IRBM’s.
Many smaller nations established strong air forces during the 1980’s by obtaining aircraft from the United States or the Soviet Union. These nations included Finland, Hungary, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
The Soviet Union began withdrawing its force from Eastern Europe in 1990. In 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to reduce their long-range missiles and bombers, including their ICBM forces, by about third. They also ended a continuous alert for long-range bombers carrying nuclear weapons and took other steps to reduce the threat of a nuclear air attack. This alert had been in effect in the United States since 1957. In late 1991, the Soviet Union broke up. These developments reduced the threat of nuclear war and the need for huge armed forces. As a result, major air forces planned large cuts in personnel and equipment in the mid-1990’s.
Air forces in limited wars. Fear of a massive nuclear was helped prevent nations with nuclear weapons from using them. In all wars fought since World War II, nations restricted the weapons from using them. In all wars fought since World War II, nations restricted the weapons they used, the targets they attacked, and the areas of battle in order to avoid a nuclear conflict, in such wars, calls limited wars, air forces played an important role.
The Korean War (1950 – 1953) brought the first combat between jet aircraft. The United States and other members of the United Nations aided South Korea. United States military leaders limited attacks on military targets, but aeroplanes often fought each other. As many as 150 jet fighters took part in some air battles. Each Side adopted the principle of asylum, which allowed aircraft to withdraw from the battle zone without being pursued. Neither side won complete victory in this war.
During the Vietnam War (1957 -1975), the United States supported South Vietnam, and the Soviet Union and China backed North Vietnam and the Viet Gong rebels of South Vietnam. From 1965 to 1968, the US Air Force and the air arm of the US Navy conducted frequent bombing raids against North Vietnam and later attacked targets in South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The US Air Force used helicopter gunships to locate and attack enemy forces in the jungles and mountains. United States helicopters also rescued downed aviators, transported the wounded, and carried supplies and troops. In 1969, the United States began withdrawing its troops from Vietnam. The United States removed the last of its troops and stopped its air attacks in 1973. Two years later, the war ended with a North Vietnamese and Viet Cong victory.
Wars in the Middle East. In 1967, the Israeli Air Force destroyed most of the air forces of Egypt. Jordan and Syria in the Six-Day War. Egypt rebuilt its air force and in 1973, staged a surprise attack with Syria against Israel. For a brief period, Egypt established control of the skies. Israel’s airpower, however, regained control and helped drive back the attackers. An airflift of supplies from the United States also helped Israel win the war.
In the Persian Gulf War in 1991, airpower played a decisive role. In that war, a coalition of nations led by the United States drove Iraq out of Kuwait. Before the war began, the coalition moved huge amounts of equipment to the Persian Gulf region in one of the largest airlifts in history.
Coalition air forces began the war in mid-January 1991 with massive bombing of targets in Iraq and Kuwait. The United States Air Forces used precision-guided “smart” bombs and the F-117 “stealth” fighter-bomber. The special design and surface materials of “stealth” bombers make them difficult to detect with radar. The coalition quickly gained control of the air, destroying many Iraqi aircraft on the ground and forcing many others to flee to Iran. When the coalition launched a ground attack in late February, the air had so devastated the Iraqis that they surrendered within days.
Famous Air Battles:
1918 – St. Mihiel (Sept 12-16). An Allied air armada of about 1,500 aircraft hurled German planes back over eastern France, achieving effective air control.
1940 – Battle of Britain (July 10 – Oct. 31). The German Luftwaffe (air force), numbering more than 2,000 aircraft, tried to bomb the British into submission, but the much smaller Royal Air Force (RAF) repelled almost daily assaults. The battle saved the United Kingdom from invasion during World War II. It also proved that air forces could fight decisive actions by themselves, not just in support of infantry and artillery.
1941 – Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7). A 360-plane surprise attack by Japan on the based aircraft defeated Japanese naval air units in the central Pacific Fleet plunged the United States into World War II.
1942 – Coral Sea (May 4 -8) and Midway (June 4-6). United States carrier-based aircraft defteated Japanese naval air units in the central Pacific Ocean. Both sides launched more than 100 aerocentral in each battle. These battles demonstrated the absolute dependence of a surface battle fleet on its air arm. In the Battle of the Coral Sea, ships rarely fired at other ships. The Battle of Midway ended with the defeat of the Japanese fleet. (Midway Island).
1944-1945 – V-Weapon campaign. The German fired more than 12,000 V-1 and V-2 guided missiles on England, Belgium, and the Netherlands. These attacks marked the first systematic use of guided and ballistic missiles in warfare.
1945 – Hiroshima (Aug 6) and Nagasaki (Aug 9). The US Army Air Forces dropped the first atomic bombs used in combat. Both were dropped on the Japanese cities by B-29 bombers based on Tinian Island 2,189 kilometres away.
1950 – 1953 – Korean Air Campaign. In the first –scale clashes between jet aircraft, hundreds of US and Soviet-built jets battled over North Korea.
1967 – Arab-Israeli War (June 5 -10). The Israeli Air Force destroyed about 400 Arab combat planes and lost 19 on the first day of the war. The Arabs could not recover. When the war ended, the Israelis controlled Arab territory totaling more than three times the area of Israel.
1986 – Air raid on Libya (April 14 -15). US President Ronald Reagan ordered air strikes against military installations near the Libyan cities of Tripoli and Benghazi. In the bombing raid, 18 US Air Force fighter-bombers stationed in the United Kingdom joined 15 US Navy attack planes from aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean Sea. The raid was in response to evidence linking Libya to the bombing of a nightclub in Berlin.
1991 – Persian Gulf War (Jan 17 –Feb 28). In operation “Desert Storm”, a coalition led by the United States attacked Iraqi targets. Other air forces involved included those of France, Italy, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The coalition flew more than 110,000 sorties (missions) and lost 36 aeroplanes (Persian Gulf War).
Wars: Korean War, Persian Gulf War, Vietnam War, World War I, and World War II.
Weapons and equipment: Aeroplane, Airship, Bomb, Bomber, Glider, Guided missile, Helicopter, Machine gun, Nuclear weapon, Radar, Rocket, Torpedo and V/STOL.
Other related articles: Aerospace medicine, Airborne troops, Aircraft carrier, Amphibious warfare, Antiaircraft defence, Armed services of Australia, Aviation, Decorations (medals and orders), Armed services of India, Insignia. Armed services of Ireland, Logistics, Luftwaffe, Armed services of Philippines, Space exploration, Armed services of United Kingdom, Armed services of United States, and war aces.
Most countries have some type of air force. More powerful nations have an independent air force equal in rank to the other branches of the nation’s armed forces. These countries usually also have an air force unit in their army and navy. Many smaller, less powerful nations have an air unit as part of their army or navy.
AIR FORCES DIFFER GREATLY IN SIZE AND FIGHTING STRENGTH, DEPENDING ON A NATION’S WEALTH, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATIONAL DEFEND NEEDS. THE LARGE AIR FORCES OF INDUSTRIAL NATIONS HAVE MODERN BOMBERS, FIGHTERS, TRANSPORT PLANES, HELICOPTERS AND OTHER AIRCRAFT. Most developing nations cannot afford the advanced technology required to build a modern air force. But some have assembled relatively strong air forces through loans and trade with industrial nations. Many smaller developing nations have air forces that consist of older aircraft.
The United States and Russia have the most powerful and complex air forces. These forces include thousands of aircraft and long-range missile, some with nuclear
Warheads. Other powerful nations, including China, France, and the United Kingdom (UK), also have such missiles.
Until the development of aeroplanes and guided missiles in the 1990’s, nations relied on armies and navies for military power. The operations of these forces, however, are limited by land and sea barriers. Today, armies and navies remain extremely important. But the main striking force of the most powerful nations consists of aeroplanes and guided missiles.
The role of air forces.
A nation’s air force may have several different roles depending on the country’s security needs. Air forces within an army or navy support the operations of that branch. A navy’s air force, for example, may operate attack and reconnaissance (observation) planes from aircraft carriers to obtain information about operations in enemy territory. A navy’s air force may also patrol its country’s coastline. An air force that serves as a separate military branch, however, usually has several roles related to establishing control of the air. These roles include (1) COMBAT, (2) DEFENCE AND (3) TRANSPORT.
COMBAR MISSIONS involve fighting directly against an enemy force. The two chief types of combat missions are strategic and tactical. In strategic missions, air forces operate over long distances, usually travelling from one continent to another. The most common strategic missions involve attacked with bombs and long-range missiles against specific targets in enemy cities and industrial areas. Strategic attacks are designed to destroy the enemy’s ability and desire to fight.
Tactical missions are short or medium-range operations carried out in cooperation with ground or sea forces in battle. Such missions include attacks on enemy ground forces and counter air tactical missions. In these missions, fighter planes may attack enemy aircraft to gain control of the air over a battle area. In interdiction attacks, aircrafts strike transportation networks and other targets behind enemy lines. Such attacks prevent enemy forces and supplies from reaching the battlefield.
DEFENCE MISSIONS protect a nation’s territory from enemy attack. Advanced air forces use radar stations and satellites to detect surprise attacks by enemy bombers or missiles. In case of such an attack, an air force uses missiles and fighter planes to shoot down enemy bombers and missiles.
The threat of a counterattack can also serve as part of a nation’s air defences, especially among nations that have nuclear weapons. Nations may avoid launching a nuclear attack because of their fear of a counterattack.
TRANSPORT MISSIONS, also called airlifts, support a nation’s combat operations by moving troops and equipment quickly by air. In a strategic airlift, aircraft transport troops and equipment over long distances. A tactical airlift provides air support to battlefield operations. For example, aircraft may drop paratroopers and supplies in a battle area or behind enemy lines. In peacetime, air forces may transport food and other supplies to areas struck by disaster.
OTHER MISSIONS include reconnaissance and air rescue. Reconnaissance missions gather military information using visual observation or cameras, radar, and other sensing devices aboard aircraft and satellites. Air rescue missions use small planes or helicopters to rescue people trapped in dangerous areas.
The organization of air forces
The leader of an independent air force may be a chief of staff or air marshal and hold the rank of general. Air forces of smaller countries often come under the command of the army or navy.
The squadron is the basic administrative unit of air forces. A squadron usually consists of aircraft of one type or model. Most fighter and attack squadrons have 18 to 24 assigned aircraft, which are usually grouped into smaller units of 2 to 4 planes called flights. Bomber squadrons typically have from 10 to 19 assigned aircraft. Two or more squadrons form units called groups or wings. In large air force, these units may combine to form larger divisions or commands.
Aircraft and missiles.
Aircraft are usually classified by their function. The main types of aircraft are (1) attack and fighter aircraft, (2) bombers, (3) transport aircraft and (4) reconnaissance aircraft.
Attack and fighter aircraft are designed for speed and manoeuvrability in combat. They usually have a crew of one or two and carry missiles or bombs, depending on their mission. These aircraft attack enemy planes and ground targets or defend against air attacks. Bombers are usually large, medium-range or long-range planes that carry a combination of bombs and guided missiles for striking strategic targets. Only a few nations with powerful air forces have bombers. Bomber crews range in size from about four to six people.
Bombers are usually large, medium-range or long-range planes that carry a combination of bombs and guided missiles for striking strategic targets. Only a few nations with powerful air forces have bombers. Bomber crews range in size from about to six people.
Transport aircraft carry troops or cargo. The crew of a typical transport plane includes a pilot, copilot, navigator, flight engineer and one or more loadmasters responsible for the cargo or passengers.
Reconnaissance aircraft carry cameras or electronic sensors to gather information about enemy forces. Reconnaissance aircraft include both aeroplanes specifically designed for reconnaissance and modified versions of other aircraft.
Other aircraft include trainers, tankers, and helicopters. Trainers are used to train pilots. Tankers refuel other aircraft in flight. Helicopters serve a variety of functions. Some, called gunships, carry guns and missiles and are used in combat. Others transport troops and equipment over short distances.
Missiles used by air forces may be launched from the ground or from aircraft. Ground-launched strategic missiles include intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM’s) and intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBM’s). ICBM’s can deliver a nuclear warhead to a target up to 15,000 kilometres away. IRBM’s can reach from about 2,700 to 5,500 kilometres. In some nations, such as in the United States, the air force is responsible for ICBM’s. But in others, including China and Russia, these missiles fall under a separate command. Air forces defend against ballistic missile attacks with ground-launch antiballistic missiles (ABM’s).
Air-launched missiles include both strategic and tactical missiles. Bombers carry air-launched strategic missiles such as the cruise missile, that can hit targets hundreds of kilometers away. Fighter and attack aircraft and helicopters fire tactical air-to-air missiles (AAM’s) at enemy aircraft and air-to-surface missiles (ASM’s) at ground targets.
Major air forces of the world.
The power of an air force depends on the quality of its TECHNOLOGY, TRAINING, AND EQUIPMENT. The world’s most powerful air forces have advanced aircraft, well-trained crews, and efficient maintenance and supply systems. They include the air forces of the United States, Russia, China, France, India, The United Kingdom, Germany, and Israel. After the Soviet Union broke apart in 1991, Russia claimed most of the aircraft that had belonged to the massive Soviet Air Force. Other small but important air forces include those of Italy, North Korea, Turkey, and Ukraine.
The United States Air Force has about 1,700 fighter and attack aircraft and about 230 bombers. The air force also operates several satellite and radar systems. It has about 420,000 members, along with 78,000 in the Air Force Reserve. An additional 118,000 people serve in Air National Guard units, which are administered by the states. The US Air Force commands about 550 ICBM’s but no IRBM’s. Under a 1987 treaty, the United State and the Soviet Union agreed to eliminate their IRBM’s.
The US Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard all have their own air force units. The US Navy has the world’s largest air arm with about 1,700 combat aircraft. The US Army air unit includes about 1,700 combat aircraft.
The Russian Air Force has about 3,700 combat aircraft, including about 3,200 fighters. The air force has about 300,000 members. A separate strategic force has responsibility for about 1,200 ICBM’s. Another force for space operations launches and operates military satellites. The Russian Navy aviation branch has about 900 combat aircraft.
Several other farmer Soviet republics control ICBM’s and planes that had belonged to the Soviet Air Force. Ukraine, controls about 165 ICBM’s and over 900 combat aircraft, including more than 100 bombers. Kazakhstan has about 100 ICBM’s. Belarus has about 80 ICBM’s.
The Chinese Air Force has about 4,500 fighter and attack planes and about 470 bombers. Many of its planes are based on Russian designs. About 470,000 people serve in the air force. China’s Navy operates an additional 880 combat aircraft. China also has 14 ICBM’s and over 90 IRBM’s under a separate strategic force.
The French Air Force has about 800 combat aircraft, mostly fighter and attack planes. The force has about 92,000 members. A separate strategic air force operates about 60 bombers equipped with IRBM’s. The French navy has about 100 combat aircraft.
The Indian Air Force has about 800 combat planes, including about 400 fights and more than 30 attack helicopters and it has a large arsenal of surface-to-air missiles. About 110,000 people serve in the Indian Air Force. India’s naval air force has about 60 additional combat aircraft and 75 armed helicopters.
The Unite Kingdom’s Air Force, called the Royal Air Force (RAF), has about 690 combat aircraft, mostly fighter and attack aeroplanes. It has about 80,000 members. The Royal Navy’s air arm about 50 combat aircraft and approximately 150 armed helicopters.
The German Air Force, called the Luftwaffe, includes about 650 attack and fighter aircraft, with about 120 additional combat aircraft in the navy’s air unit. About 96,000 people serve in the Luftaffe.
The Israeli Air Force has about 660 fighter and attack aircraft and about 32,000 members. It is one of the largest and most capable air force in the Middle East, with highly experienced pilots.
History
Early air force. The first air force was established by France in 1794, during a war against several other European nations. The air force flew large ballons filled with hot air or gas. The French used the ballons to observe movements of enemy troops.
The first air attack took place in 1849. Austria controlled much of Italy at that time and the people of Venice revolted. The Australians sent unmanned balloons carrying time bombs over the city. Some of the bombs exploded as planned. But the wind changed direction and blew several balloons back over the Austrian troops, where the rest of the bombs exploded.
During the American Civil War (1861 – 1865), both the Union and Confederate armies used balloons. The Union Army organized a balloon corps to direct artillery fire and observe Confederate troop movements. Almost every major army in the world soon established a balloon corps.
Balloons became much less important in warfare after Orville and Wilbur Wright made the world’s first aeroplane fight in 1903. By 1909, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States had purchased planes for their armed forced. In 1912, the UK established the Royal Flying Corps as the air arm of Royal Flying Corps as the air arm of the Royal Army and Navy. In 1918, the corps became the Royal Air Force, the first independent air force.
World War I began in 1914. In the war, the Allies, who included France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United State, fought the Central Powers, who included Germany and Ausria – Hungary. At that time, most aeroplanes flew at a maximum speed of about 120 kilometres per hour. They could reach an altitude of about 3,000 metres. By 1918, when the war ended, the maximum speed of aircraft had reached about 190 kilometres per hour, and maximum altitude had more than doubled. Planes also had become much more manoeuvrable.
At the beginning of the war, the fighting nations used planes only for observing enemy ground used planes only for observing enemy ground movements. Aircraft soon began to exchange gunfire, but many could not shoot forward because the plane’s propeller was in front. Bullets might shatter the blades of the propeller. In 1915, a Dutch designer, Anthony Fokker, developed a machine gun for the Germany that fired only when the propeller blades were not blocking the muzzle. The Allies began to use a similar gun in 1917.
During the war, pilots fought air battles called dogfights and fliers who shot down five or more enemy planes became known as aces. Toward the end of the war, battles between squadrons of planes replaced most combat between single pilots. Early in the war, pilots had dropped bombs by hand. Later, they used mechanical devices to release the bombs.
In September 1918, American officer Billy Mitchell directed the largest air assault of the war. He commander about 1,500 Allied aircraft in a mission over St. Mihiel in France, where the Germans had advanced. The Allied planes gained control of the air, dropped bombs behind the German lines, and attacked enemy ground forces. Two months later, the Allies won the war.
The growth of national air forces. World War I had resulted in the creation of a number of air services. In 1915, the government of British India asked the Australian government to send an air force to Mesopotamia (now chiefly part of Iraqi). The government sent a group of Australian airmen, known as the first Hall Flight, to take part in operations against Turkish forces in Mesopotamia. In 1916, the government set up No. 1 Squadron of the Australian Flying Corps (AFC). After World War I, the Australian government disbanded the AFC, but replaced it with a temporary force, the Australia Aviation Corps, which the army controlled. In 1921, the government established the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) as a separate arm of the services.
Despite the success of military aviation during the war, however, most military did not realize its importance. In the United States, Mitchell became so bitter in his criticism of the US defence progranmme that he was court-martialled.
In the 1920’s, most nations reduced the strength of their air forces. A few air force officers such as the RAF’s Lord Trenched worked to improve organization and training. Trenched was the UK’s chief of the air staff from 1919 to 1929. As a result of his work, the RAF developed into an efficient force. During the 1920’s and early 1930’s, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden formed independent air forces.
World War II. Air power played a vital role in deciding the outcome of World War II. In the war, Germany, Italy, Japan and other Axis powers fought the Allies, who included Canada, China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States.
The war began in 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. The Germans used a new
Maethod of warfare called blitzkrieg (lighting war). Germany’s air force, the Luftwaffe, bombed Polish troops, destroyed airfields, and struck at key cities, highways, and railways. On the ground, tanks and infantry overwhelmed the Polish forces. Between April and June 1940, Germany attacked and defeated Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
The Germans planned to invade the UK neir xt, but first they had no defeat the Royal Air Force. In July 1940, the Luftwaffe started to bomb British ships and ports. German air raids on London began in September. The RAF was outnumbered, but it had better planes and pilots than the Luftwaffe. The British also had developed radar and a decoding device that enabled them to read coded German messages. Both developments were carefully guarded secrets that helped the RAF intercept Luftwaffe raids. By October, the RAF had shot down more than 1,700 attacking planes and had lost about 900 of its own s Germany postponed its plans to invade the UK, but air raids on British cities continued.
The United States entered the war on Dec 8, 1941, the clay after about 360 Japanese aircraft attacked the US fleet at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The attack destroyed or damaged 21 ships and more than 300 planes, temporarily crippling the Pacific Fleet and Hawaii’s air defence.
In mid-1942, American airpower halted Japanese advances in the Pacific in two important battles at sea. In the Battle of the Coral Sea, in May, planes based on air-craft carriers did all the fighting. The opposing warships did not fire a shot at one another, Japan lost more planes, but fewer ships, than the United States lost in the battle. Neither side won, but the battle prevented a Japanese assault on New Guinea. A month later, in the Battle of Midway, Japan lost 4 aircraft carrier and more than 200 planes. The Unite States lost 1 carrier and about 150 planes. The battle blunted Japan’s naval strength for the rest of the war and ended the threat of a Japanese attack on Hawaii and the United States.
By mid-1942, Japan had captured large parts of China and had cut off the country’s main supply routes. To help China continue fighting Japan, Allied forces flew supplies from India to China over the Himalaya, the world’s tallest mountain range. This dangerous route was called the “Hump”. During this airlift, which lasted almost three years, the Allies carried about 600,000 metric tons of supplies to China.
The Allies attacked Germany in 1943, when the UK and the United States started a bombing offensive that lasted almost until the end of the war. The RAF bombed German cities at night and American planes attacked enemy industries during the day. In 1944, the Luftwaffe began to use Jet fighter planes. These planes could fly about 885 kilometres per hour, compared with about 640 kilometres per hour for propeller-driven fighters. Germany also developed the first guided missiles, the V-1 and V-2. In 1944 and 1945, the Germans fired more than 12,000 missiles at enemy cities. But these technological advances came too late to affect the outcome of the war. Germany surrendered in May 1945.
In August 1945, American B-29 bombers dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The bombers had flown from Tinian Island, more than 2,000 kilometres away. Japan surrendered in September, and the war ended.
The development of jet aircraft in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s greatly increased the range and speed of attacking planes. In 1939, a German Heinkel He 178 made the first successful jet-powered flight. By 1944, Germany had developed the Messerschmitt Me 262, the first jet to fly combat missions. The first American jet plane, the Bell XP-59, flew in 1942 but was little used in World War II. After the war, several nations, including the UK, the Soviet Union, and the United States, rapidly developed jet-powered air forces. Soon each of these nations operated a fleet of jet fighters and long-range bombers. By the late 1950’s, France and China also began developing jet-powered air forces.
Air forces in the nuclear age. The United States emerge as the most powerful nation at the end of World War II. It was the only nation with atomic weapons and the aircraft to use them. But the Soviet Union soon began to challenge the United States, competing for power and international influence in a struggle known as the Cold War. In 1949, the Soviet Union tested its first atomic bomb. Several other nations have developed nuclear weapons since then.
The Soviet Union successfully tested its first ICBM in 1957, several months before the first successfully United States test. The Soviet Union also launched the first space satellite in 1957. The United States and the Soviet Union competed for supremacy in missiles and space. They also developed antiballistic missiles (ABM’s) designed to destroy enemy missiles in flight. To provide warning of a missile attack, the two nations set up missile detection systems on the ground and in space.
By the late 1960’s, the number of missiles and nuclear warheads had grown alarmingly large. In 1969, the United States and the Soviet Union began a series of conferences in an effort to limit country’s missile strength. After several more conferences in the 1970’s and 1980’s, they agreed to eliminate their IRBM’s.
Many smaller nations established strong air forces during the 1980’s by obtaining aircraft from the United States or the Soviet Union. These nations included Finland, Hungary, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
The Soviet Union began withdrawing its force from Eastern Europe in 1990. In 1991, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed to reduce their long-range missiles and bombers, including their ICBM forces, by about third. They also ended a continuous alert for long-range bombers carrying nuclear weapons and took other steps to reduce the threat of a nuclear air attack. This alert had been in effect in the United States since 1957. In late 1991, the Soviet Union broke up. These developments reduced the threat of nuclear war and the need for huge armed forces. As a result, major air forces planned large cuts in personnel and equipment in the mid-1990’s.
Air forces in limited wars. Fear of a massive nuclear was helped prevent nations with nuclear weapons from using them. In all wars fought since World War II, nations restricted the weapons from using them. In all wars fought since World War II, nations restricted the weapons they used, the targets they attacked, and the areas of battle in order to avoid a nuclear conflict, in such wars, calls limited wars, air forces played an important role.
The Korean War (1950 – 1953) brought the first combat between jet aircraft. The United States and other members of the United Nations aided South Korea. United States military leaders limited attacks on military targets, but aeroplanes often fought each other. As many as 150 jet fighters took part in some air battles. Each Side adopted the principle of asylum, which allowed aircraft to withdraw from the battle zone without being pursued. Neither side won complete victory in this war.
During the Vietnam War (1957 -1975), the United States supported South Vietnam, and the Soviet Union and China backed North Vietnam and the Viet Gong rebels of South Vietnam. From 1965 to 1968, the US Air Force and the air arm of the US Navy conducted frequent bombing raids against North Vietnam and later attacked targets in South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The US Air Force used helicopter gunships to locate and attack enemy forces in the jungles and mountains. United States helicopters also rescued downed aviators, transported the wounded, and carried supplies and troops. In 1969, the United States began withdrawing its troops from Vietnam. The United States removed the last of its troops and stopped its air attacks in 1973. Two years later, the war ended with a North Vietnamese and Viet Cong victory.
Wars in the Middle East. In 1967, the Israeli Air Force destroyed most of the air forces of Egypt. Jordan and Syria in the Six-Day War. Egypt rebuilt its air force and in 1973, staged a surprise attack with Syria against Israel. For a brief period, Egypt established control of the skies. Israel’s airpower, however, regained control and helped drive back the attackers. An airflift of supplies from the United States also helped Israel win the war.
In the Persian Gulf War in 1991, airpower played a decisive role. In that war, a coalition of nations led by the United States drove Iraq out of Kuwait. Before the war began, the coalition moved huge amounts of equipment to the Persian Gulf region in one of the largest airlifts in history.
Coalition air forces began the war in mid-January 1991 with massive bombing of targets in Iraq and Kuwait. The United States Air Forces used precision-guided “smart” bombs and the F-117 “stealth” fighter-bomber. The special design and surface materials of “stealth” bombers make them difficult to detect with radar. The coalition quickly gained control of the air, destroying many Iraqi aircraft on the ground and forcing many others to flee to Iran. When the coalition launched a ground attack in late February, the air had so devastated the Iraqis that they surrendered within days.
Famous Air Battles:
1918 – St. Mihiel (Sept 12-16). An Allied air armada of about 1,500 aircraft hurled German planes back over eastern France, achieving effective air control.
1940 – Battle of Britain (July 10 – Oct. 31). The German Luftwaffe (air force), numbering more than 2,000 aircraft, tried to bomb the British into submission, but the much smaller Royal Air Force (RAF) repelled almost daily assaults. The battle saved the United Kingdom from invasion during World War II. It also proved that air forces could fight decisive actions by themselves, not just in support of infantry and artillery.
1941 – Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7). A 360-plane surprise attack by Japan on the based aircraft defeated Japanese naval air units in the central Pacific Fleet plunged the United States into World War II.
1942 – Coral Sea (May 4 -8) and Midway (June 4-6). United States carrier-based aircraft defteated Japanese naval air units in the central Pacific Ocean. Both sides launched more than 100 aerocentral in each battle. These battles demonstrated the absolute dependence of a surface battle fleet on its air arm. In the Battle of the Coral Sea, ships rarely fired at other ships. The Battle of Midway ended with the defeat of the Japanese fleet. (Midway Island).
1944-1945 – V-Weapon campaign. The German fired more than 12,000 V-1 and V-2 guided missiles on England, Belgium, and the Netherlands. These attacks marked the first systematic use of guided and ballistic missiles in warfare.
1945 – Hiroshima (Aug 6) and Nagasaki (Aug 9). The US Army Air Forces dropped the first atomic bombs used in combat. Both were dropped on the Japanese cities by B-29 bombers based on Tinian Island 2,189 kilometres away.
1950 – 1953 – Korean Air Campaign. In the first –scale clashes between jet aircraft, hundreds of US and Soviet-built jets battled over North Korea.
1967 – Arab-Israeli War (June 5 -10). The Israeli Air Force destroyed about 400 Arab combat planes and lost 19 on the first day of the war. The Arabs could not recover. When the war ended, the Israelis controlled Arab territory totaling more than three times the area of Israel.
1986 – Air raid on Libya (April 14 -15). US President Ronald Reagan ordered air strikes against military installations near the Libyan cities of Tripoli and Benghazi. In the bombing raid, 18 US Air Force fighter-bombers stationed in the United Kingdom joined 15 US Navy attack planes from aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean Sea. The raid was in response to evidence linking Libya to the bombing of a nightclub in Berlin.
1991 – Persian Gulf War (Jan 17 –Feb 28). In operation “Desert Storm”, a coalition led by the United States attacked Iraqi targets. Other air forces involved included those of France, Italy, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. The coalition flew more than 110,000 sorties (missions) and lost 36 aeroplanes (Persian Gulf War).
Wars: Korean War, Persian Gulf War, Vietnam War, World War I, and World War II.
Weapons and equipment: Aeroplane, Airship, Bomb, Bomber, Glider, Guided missile, Helicopter, Machine gun, Nuclear weapon, Radar, Rocket, Torpedo and V/STOL.
Other related articles: Aerospace medicine, Airborne troops, Aircraft carrier, Amphibious warfare, Antiaircraft defence, Armed services of Australia, Aviation, Decorations (medals and orders), Armed services of India, Insignia. Armed services of Ireland, Logistics, Luftwaffe, Armed services of Philippines, Space exploration, Armed services of United Kingdom, Armed services of United States, and war aces.
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