Air force
An Air force is a military or armed service that primarily conducts aerial warfare. They typically use a combination of fighters, bombers, helicopters, transport planes and other aircraft. Many air forces are also responsible for operations of military space, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), and communications equipment. Some air forces may control other air defense assets such as surface-to-air missiles or anti-ballistic missile warning networks and defensive systems.
Organization
Most, but not all, armed forces have air forces that are independent - that is, it is neither part of the army nor the navy. This does not stop armies and especially navies from possessing air arms to support their land or sea operations, although some, such as the Canadian Air Force operate all military aircraft, even when they are attached to Canadian Army units.
Air Forces typically operate numerous types of aircraft. These may include
- Fighters, used to destroy other aircraft;
- Bombers and Attack Aircraft, used to attack ground targets;
- Reconnaissance Aircraft;
- Electronic Warfare Aircraft;
- Airborne Early Warning Aircraft;
- Maritime Patrol Aircraft;
- Transport Aircraft;
- Tankers which provide aerial in-flight refuelling for other aircraft;
- Helicopters, used for attack, rescue or transport;
- and Training Aircraft.
Air forces also operate numerous types of satellites. These satellites provide services such as:
- Secure and unsecure communications
- Position, navigation and timing
- Missile warning
- Weather data
- Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR)
Some air forces such as the British Royal Air Force (RAF) have a unique rank structure; other air forces such as the United States Air Force (USAF) have a rank structure on the Enlisted side that is unique, but the Officer corps uses Army-style rank. And finally there are air forces such as Soviet Air Force that use Army-style ranks for both Enlisted and Officer corps. Most (but not all) wear blue-grey uniforms pioneered by the Royal Air Force. The organization structures of the air forces also vary: some air forces (such as the United States Air Force and the Royal Air Force) are divided into commands, groups and squadrons; others (such as the Soviet Air Force) have an Army-syle organizational structure.
Pilots make up only a small portion of an air force's personnel. For every pilot, there is a flight crew who supports the aircraft, a maintenance group, communications crew, satellite operators, administrative personnel, medical personnel; in many air forces, there are officers responsible for strategic nuclear weapons such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Although the majority of the senior leadership of most air forces are pilots, the majority of the personnel are not. Some air forces operate anti-aircraft artillery (now with radars and missiles), and a few air forces have their own paratroopers. Given the pilots' special status, they often wear special insignia in the form of a vol or "wings". Other air crews might wear variations of such insignia.