Updated October 26, 2021
Defense Primer: United States Airpower
Almost since the invention of heavier-than-air flight,
reconnaissance assets give joint commanders real-time
control of the air has been seen as a military advantage.
strategic and tactical intelligence. USAF tankers make
Over time, the United States has come to treat air
worldwide deployments by joint and allied forces possible.
superiority as a necessity, and built such capable air forces
And Air Force assets work directly with ground units to
that no enemy aircraft has killed U.S. ground troops since
provide weapons on target when and where needed, and to
1953.
secure them against attack from the air.
Modern airpower is able to provide a full range of effects,
Taken together, the Air Force sums up its core missions as
from strategic operations at intercontinental ranges to direct
providing “Global Vigilance, Global Reach, and Global
support of troops in combat. Today, every branch of the
Power.”
U.S. military employs air forces for various purposes,
employing nearly 14,000 aircraft.
Army Aviation
Helicopters capable of accompanying troops to provide
Figure 1. U.S. Air Forces, 2019-2028
tactical airlift, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
(ISR), and supporting fires form the backbone of Army
aviation, about 3,600 of its more than 4,600 aircraft. The
service also operates light transport, special operations, and
intratheater airlift aircraft. The USAF provides heavy
transport and longer-range missions.
Naval Aviation
The U.S. Navy operates more than 2,500 aircraft (including
about 900 fighters) in 10 air wings. Their unique asset is the
Source: Department of Defense, Annual Aviation Inventory and Funding
ability to take their operating bases with them, as the
Plan, Fiscal Years (FY) 2019-2048, March 2018. DOD has not been
Navy’s 11 aircraft carriers (each with about 40 fighters plus
required to submit subsequent plans.
other air assets) provide U.S. presence and operational
capability far from home. Naval air assets are optimized for
strike; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and
The United States Air Force
fleet defense.
The bulk of U.S. airpower resides in the U.S. Air Force
(USAF). With 511,500 active and reserve personnel and
Marine Corps Aviation
more than 5,000 aircraft, the USAF provides the capability
The nearly 1,200 Marine Corps aircraft (including just over
to reach, observe, strike and/or carry people and materiel to
400 fighters) operate from Navy ships, Marine amphibious
any point on the globe. Four of the Air Force’s five core
ships, and land bases, including expeditionary land bases
missions directly involve applying airpower.
with short runways. Some Marine Corps tactical aircraft are
capable of vertical/short takeoff and landing, a useful
Table 1. Air Force Core Missions
capability because Marine aircraft are deployed and
operated as part of Marine air/ground task forces, in which
Air and Space Superiority
aviation is integrated into and moves with the unit, often at
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
a remove from prepared airfields.
Rapid Global Mobility
Fighting as One
Global Strike
While the military services offer different capabilities and
Command and Control
provide the equipment, personnel, and training, under
current joint operations doctrine, they fight as one force. A
Source: U.S. Air Force, Global Vigilance, Global Reach, Global Power for
joint air component commander oversees all airpower in a
America at http://www.af.mil/Airpower4America.aspx.
given campaign, assigning targets and allocating forces as
needs warrant, without regard for the service that owns a
The Air Force fleet covers the full range of aerial
particular capability.
capabilities, from fighters to intelligence aircraft, bombers,
transports, and helicopters. Moreover, USAF airpower
Major Procurement Programs
enables other military services to apply their forces directly.
The largest current DOD programs include the following:
USAF cargo planes get Army and Marine troops and
equipment to the battlefield, and aeromedical transport
The F-35 Lightning II strike fighter, a multi-service,
rapidly evacuates and treats injured troops. Air Force aerial
multi-national program slated to acquire 2,456 jets for
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: United States Airpower
the USAF, Navy, and Marine Corps. This is the largest
acquisition program in Department of Defense history.
CRS Products
The KC-46 tanker, 179 of which are scheduled to
CRS Report RL30563, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program, by
replace 50-year-old Air Force KC-135s, with possibly
Jeremiah Gertler
more to follow.
CRS In Focus IF11367, Army Future Vertical Lift (FVL) Program,
by Jeremiah Gertler
The B-21 Raider bomber, at least 100 of which are
expected to enter USAF service in the mid- to late-
CRS In Focus IF11659, Air Force Next-Generation Air Dominance
2020s, replacing 1980s-era B-1s and B-2s.
Program: An Introduction, by Jeremiah Gertler
CRS Report R43049, U.S. Air Force Bomber Sustainment and
The Navy continues to procure the F/A-18E/F Super
Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress, by Jeremiah
Hornet multirole fighter and its electronic warfare
Gertler
variant, the EA-18G Growler.
CRS In Focus IF10486, Defense Primer: Naval Forces, by Ronald
O'Rourke
The main Army aviation procurement, as has been the
CRS In Focus IF10547, Defense Primer: The United States Air
case for many years, is for more UH-60 Black Hawk
Force, by Jeremiah Gertler
helicopters to move cargo and troops.
Several major development programs are underway to offer
future airpower capabilities:
Other Resources
Next-Generation Air Dominance, an Air Force
Department of Defense. Annual Aviation Inventory and Funding Plan,
program to develop the major technologies likely to
Fiscal Years (FY) 2019-2048, March 2018.
appear on next-generation combat aircraft.
USAF. Global Vigilance, Global Reach, Global Power, September,
2013.
F/A-XX, the Navy’s research effort for next-generation
U.S. Navy. Naval Aviation’s Role: Supporting the Six Core
aircraft.
Capabilities, January 2010.
DOD. Joint Publication 3-30, Command and Control of Joint
The Army’s Future Vertical Lift program, which seeks
Air Operations, February 10, 2014
to demonstrate and develop new technologies to enable
a family of advanced rotorcraft.
Relevant Statutes
Jeremiah Gertler, former Specialist in Military Aviation,
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 803 – Department of the Air
originally authored this report.
Force
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 303 – Department of the Army
John R. Hoehn, Coordinator, Analyst in Military
Capabilities and Programs
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 503 – Department of the Navy
Title 50, U.S. Code, Chapter 44 – National Security
IF10546
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: United States Airpower
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10546 · VERSION 10 · UPDATED