Updated November 7, 2018
Defense Primer: The United States Air Force
When it was established as a separate service in 1947, the
tankers, etc.) also gather, disseminate, or perform other ISR
U.S. Air Force (USAF) was to be “organized, trained, and
functions.
equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and
defensive air operations... necessary for the effective
Rapid Global Mobility
prosecution of war except as otherwise assigned.” That
USAF mobility forces carry cargo and personnel around the
statutory language remains almost identical today.
world, enabling operations by all U.S. and many allied
Similarly, although the words used to describe its core
military services. Tanker aircraft make global deployments
missions have changed, space and cyberspace joined air as
possible, and aeromedical transport makes timely
operational domains, and the means used to carry them out
evacuation and treatment of injured troops possible. USAF
have evolved with technology, the USAF’s missions
mobility forces are also used extensively for humanitarian
themselves have remained remarkably constant.
relief operations.
Table 1. Air Force Core Missions
Global Strike
100% of the Earth is covered by air, and the USAF takes
Air and Space Superiority
advantage of that to provide strike capability worldwide
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
using bombers, special operations platforms, fighters, other
aircraft, and missiles.
Rapid Global Mobility
Global Strike
Global strike includes the nuclear deterrent force. Two legs
Command and Control
of the nuclear triad—bombers and land-based
intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)—are Air Force
Source: U.S. Air Force, Global Vigilance, Global Reach, Global Power for
missions. The Air Force is modernizing the bomber fleet,
America at http://www.af.mil/Airpower4America.aspx.
and a large-scale modernization of the ICBM force is
expected to begin before 2020.
Air and Space Superiority
The most familiar Air Force mission, air superiority,
Command and Control
includes establishing and maintaining control of the skies
Controlling a global force—whether USAF, other services,
over conflict areas, allowing U.S. forces to operate at the
or allied—requires access to reliable communications and
times and places of their choosing. The USAF points out
information networks. The Air Force, through space
that such control is almost taken as a given, as no enemy
platforms, space control operations, cyberspace operations,
aircraft has killed U.S. ground troops since 1953. At the
and other means, provides and defends those global
same time, potential adversary nations are creating and
communications networks.
exporting advanced aircraft and anti-aircraft systems that
could threaten U.S. air superiority, leading the USAF to
Each of these missions interacts with the others. Taken
invest in next-generation capabilities.
together, the Air Force sums up its core missions as
providing “Global Vigilance, Global Reach, and Global
USAF systems also provide direct support to ground forces,
Power.”
particularly in helping to identify and destroy time-critical
targets.
Personnel
To provide these capabilities, the Air Force requested end
Space superiority involves securing U.S. space assets and
strength for FY2019 is 506,200 people:
the ability to maintain the navigational, communications,
reconnaissance, and other capabilities U.S. space platforms
329,100 in the active Air Force,
provide. These systems enable all U.S. military services’
current operating plans.
70,000 in the Air Force Reserve, and
Intelligence, Surveillance, and
107,100 in the Air National Guard.
Reconnaissance (ISR)
Gathering information, monitoring current or potential
Equipment
adversaries, and providing real-time data to forces in
The U.S. Air Force operates more than 3,600 aircraft:
combat is a continuous and growing mission. The USAF
provides ISR using manned and unmanned aircraft, space
Table 2. Air Force Aircraft
assets, and other technologies to provide policymakers and
Type
Number
warfighters that data where and when it is needed. Many
Air Force assets designed for other purposes (fighters,
Fighters
1168
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: The United States Air Force
Type
Number
Title 50, U.S. Code, Chapter 44 – National Security
Bombers
139
Attack
141
ISR
63
CRS Products
Electronic warfare
14
CRS In Focus IF10519, Defense Primer: Strategic Nuclear Forces,
Command & control
31
by Amy F. Woolf
Tanker
218
CRS Report R44305, The Air Force Aviation Investment
Challenge, by Jeremiah Gertler
Transport
394
CRS Report RL33640, U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background,
Training
1129
Developments, and Issues, by Amy F. Woolf
Combat search & rescue
90
CRS Report RL30563, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, by
Jeremiah Gertler
UAV
242
CRS Report R44463, Air Force B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber,
Source: The Military Balance 2018 (International Institute for
by Jeremiah Gertler
Strategic Studies).
CRS Report R43049, U.S. Air Force Bomber Sustainment and
Major Procurement Programs
Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress, by Jeremiah
Gertler
The Air Force currently prioritizes three hardware programs
ahead of its other modernization efforts:
CRS In Focus IF10546, Defense Primer: United States Airpower,
by Jeremiah Gertler
The F-35A Lightning II strike fighter, the Air Force
portion of a multi-service, multi-national program slated
to acquire 1,763 jets to replace several types currently in
USAF service.
Other Resources
USAF. Global Vigilance, Global Reach, Global Power, September,
The KC-46 tanker, 179 of which are scheduled to
2013.
replace 50-year-old KC-135s.
DOD. Joint Publication 3-30, Command and Control of Joint
The B-21 Raider bomber, about 100 of which are
Air Operations, February 10, 2014
expected to enter service in the mid-2020s, replacing
1980s-era B-1s and B-2s.
Jeremiah Gertler, Acting Senior Advisor to Dir/Sr
Relevant Statutes
Specialist
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 803 – Department of the Air
Force
IF10547
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Defense Primer: The United States Air Force
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