Defense Primer: The United States Air Force
April 1, 2024
Defense Primer: The United States Air Force
An executive order signed by then-President Harry S.
and disaster-response efforts. And the Air Force’s aerial
Truman in 1947 established the U.S. Air Force as a separate
refueling tanker fleet delivers fuel to other aircraft in flight
service to be “organized, trained, and equipped primarily
to enable long-range and long-endurance operations nearly
for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air
anywhere on the globe.
operations ... necessary for the effective prosecution of war
except as otherwise assigned.” The National Security Act of
Global Strike
1947 provides statutory authority for the U.S. Air Force.
The Air Force global strike missions are executed by part of
the U.S. nuclear deterrent force. The Air Force develops
The Department of the Air Force (DAF) is a single military
and maintains two legs of the nuclear triad: bombers and
department that has two military services, the U.S. Air
land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles. Other global
Force and the U.S. Space Force. The DAF is led by a single
strike missions include providing close-air support for
civilian leader, the Secretary of the Air Force. The four-star
ground forces, interdicting enemy forces, and inserting
military Air Force chief of staff reports to the Air Force
special operations forces.
Secretary, as does the Space Force’s four-star Chief of
Space Operations. The DAF is requesting a $217.5 billion
Command and Control (C2)
budget for FY2025.
According to the Air Force, command and control systems
coordinate joint operations using “centralized command,
Air Force Core Missions
distributed control and decentralized execution.” To stay
The Air Force lists its core missions as air superiority,
ahead of emerging adversary threats, the Air Force
intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, rapid global
maintains it is integrating its command, control,
mobility, global strike, and command and control.
communications and battle management programs,
replacing outdated systems, and incorporating artificial
Air Superiority
intelligence technologies.
Military experts define air superiority as establishing and
maintaining control of the skies over conflict areas. The Air
Organization
Force achieves air superiority by destroying enemy aircraft
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall is the service’s civilian
and infrastructure to restrict an opponent’s ability to
leader; Chief of Staff of the Air Force General David Allvin
conduct air operations. Air superiority allows air forces to
reports to him. Allvin is the Air Force’s senior uniformed
provide direct support for ground forces, helping to identify
leader. In 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act of
and destroy targets and to prevent enemy air and missile
Fiscal Year 2020 (P.L. 116-92) directed the creation of the
threats from interfering with operations.
U.S. Space Force as a sixth branch of the military, also
reporting to the civilian leader of the DAF.
Air Force officials acknowledge that the proliferation of
advanced air defense systems and long-range missiles have
The Air Force has eight function-based major commands
made consistent air superiority more difficult to achieve.
and two major commands organized by geographic region.
They add that commanders will need to define the scope
Function-based commands include Air Combat Command,
and duration of required air superiority in the future.
Air Education and Training Command, Air Force Materiel
Command, Air Force Reserve Command, Air Force Space
Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance
Command, Air Force Special Operations Command, and
(ISR)
Air Mobility Command. The remaining two geographically
Through a mix of technologies and platforms, the Air Force
oriented commands are Pacific Air Forces and United
collects, exploits, and disseminates information about
States Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa.
adversaries and their capabilities. Air Force leaders contend
that emerging technologies, such as cyber and electronic
Numbered air forces are subordinate to major commands.
attacks, will threaten future ISR collection. The service is
The numbered air forces are supported by wings, which are
updating its current mix of platforms and systems.
supported by groups. Groups are supported by squadrons.
Rapid Global Mobility
Personnel
The Air Force’s mobility forces move cargo and personnel
The DAF’s FY2025 requested end strength, the number of
for a range of operations and missions around the world.
authorized personnel for the service on September 30, 2024,
Air Force aeromedical transport enables the timely
is 504,500 military personnel and 183,100 civilians:
evacuation and treatment those who are injured. Mobility
•
forces support military operations, humanitarian missions,
320,000 in the active Air Force,
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Defense Primer: The United States Air Force
• 9,800 in the active Space Force,
network systems, conducting more large-scale military
exercises, and continuing modernization investment plans.
• 67,000 in the Air Force Reserve,
•
Major Investment Programs
107,700 in the Air National Guard,
The Air Force is undertaking several research and
• 177,800 Air Force civilians, and
development efforts to aid integrated deterrence and future
security challenges, including the following:
• 5,300 Space Force civilians.
• The LGM-35 Sentinel program to design, develop,
Basing
produce, and deploy a new intercontinental ballistic
The DAF has indicated that it uses a standard process for
missile to replace the Minuteman III. The service’s
basing decisions that result from numeric changes in
budget documents state it will eventually request the
personnel or weapons systems, as well as movement of
purchase of 634 of these weapons.
units, missions, or weapons systems to DAF property. The
• The Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter
service considers mission and strategic factors, installation
program to replace the F-22 Raptor. The Air Force is
capacity, and environmental impacts. The Secretary of the
proposing to award an engineering and manufacturing
Air Force makes decisions about weapons systems changes
development contract as soon as summer 2024.
and any action involving more than 200 personnel. The
service briefs Congress after the secretary has approved
• The Collaborative Combat Aircraft program to
basing criteria, validated candidates, approved a preferred
develop uncrewed aircraft to fly alongside NGAD or F-
location, and issued a final decision.
35 fighters or other traditionally piloted aircraft. The
Air Force Aircraft Inventory
service has started an active competition.
As of September 30, 2022, the Air Force reported an
• The Advanced Battle Management System, a network
inventory of 5,519 aircraft:
intended to link data across domains and allow disparate
platforms to work together.
Table 1. Air Force Aircraft
The Air Force is also continuing several major procurement
Type
Number
programs, including the following:
Bomber
141
• The B-21 Raider stealth bomber made its first flight on
Fighter/Attack
2,214
November 10, 2023. Air Force budget documents state
Rotorcraft
192
that the bomber will be delivered to operational bases in
the mid-2020s. Air Force officials add that the service
Special Mission Aircraft
504
intends to purchase at least 100 B-21 bombers.
Special Operations
143
• The F-35A Lightning II fighter is the Air Force’s
Tanker
498
leading strike fighter. The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps
Training
1,180
operate variants of this fighter, and the aircraft has been
sold to 17 nations. The Air Force’s F-35 program of
Transport
647
record calls for an eventual fleet of 1,763 F-35As.
Source: Air Force & Space Force Almanac 2023 | Air & Space
Forces Magazine (airandspaceforces.com).
• The KC-46A tanker would replace aging KC-135
Notes: Special Mission Aircraft includes platforms conducting
aircraft. The Air Force signed a contract in 2011 with
intelligence, surveil ance and reconnaissance, battle management, and
Boeing for the development and purchase of 179 KC-
command, control and communications missions. Some are
46A tankers. It is increasing the program of record to
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
183 aircraft.
Great Power Competition
Issues for Congress
Secretary Kendall has described the strategic environment
The Air Force has again proposed divesting fighter aircraft
facing the United States as an “era of Great Power
Competition” with China and Russia. Kendall asserts that
to invest in future fighter research. Congress may consider
the People’s Republic of China is “the Air Force’s most
the appropriate level of investment, if any, for each
platform; what the future fighter force mix could potentially
formidable competitor since the Soviet Union and perhaps
in its history.”
include; and how retirements could affect individual bases.
Over the past 20 years, China has developed
In addition, Secretary Kendall has proposed reorganizing
long-range missiles that may threaten U.S. military
the service. Congress has requested more detail before
installations across the Pacific and more sophisticated air
approving funding transfers for initial changes and may
defenses and cyber, nuclear, and space capabilities. The Air
conduct oversight of the plan in more detail for FY2025.
Force has seemingly oriented its future plans for
modernization and organization to meet those threats. For
example, the Air Force has indicated that it is integrating
Jennifer DiMascio, Analyst in U.S. Defense Policy
IF12622
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Defense Primer: The United States Air Force
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