List of equipment of the United States Air Force

Last updated

The equipment of the United States Air Force can be subdivided into: aircraft, ammunition, weapons, and ground vehicles. [1]

Contents

Munitions

NameTypeVersionsPicture
Missiles
AGM-114 Air-to-surface
Lockheed Martin Longbow Hellfire.jpg
AGM-65 Air-to-surface
AGM-65 Maverick MG 1382.jpg
AGM-86 Air-to-surface cruise missile
ALCMCruiseMissile.JPG
AGM-88 Air-to-surface anti-radiation missile
AGM-88E HARM p1230047.jpg
AGM-154 Glide bomb
AGM-154 JSOW 01.jpg
AGM-158 Air-to-surface cruise missile
JASSM mockup 0048.jpg
AIM-7 Medium-range air-to-air missile
AIM-7 Sparrow.jpg
AIM-9 Short-range air-to-air missile
Sidewider missile 20040710 145400 1.4.jpg
AIM-120 Medium-range air-to-air missile
Aim 120 amraam missile 20040710 145603 1.4.jpg
LGM-30 Intercontinental ballistic missile
Minuteman3display.png
Bombs
B61 Thermonuclear bomb
B-61 bomb.jpg
B83 Thermonuclear bomb
B83 nuclear bomb trainer.jpg
BLU-109 Bunker buster
BLU-116 Bunker buster
CBU-87 Cluster bomb
Cbu-87 cluster bomb.jpg
CBU-89 Cluster bomb
Cbu89bomb.png
CBU-97 Cluster bomb
GBU-10 Laser-guided bomb
GBU-10 xxl.jpg
GBU-12 Laser-guided bomb
GBU-12 xxl.jpg
GBU-15 Television guidance - Infrared homing
GBU-15 xxl.jpg
GBU-24 Laser-guided bomb
GBU-24 xxl.jpg
GBU-27 Laser-guided bomb
GBU-27 xxl.jpg
GBU-28 Laser-guided bomb
GBU-28 xxl.jpg
Mk-82 General-purpose bomb
Mk-82 xxl.jpg
Mk-84 General-purpose bomb
Mk-84 xxl.jpg

Weapons

NameTypeVersionsPictureAmmunitionUsed by
Mounted Weapons
GAU-8 Avenger Seven-barrelled Rotary cannon GAU-8 Avenger contrast.jpg 30 mm A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II
GAU-22/A Four-barrelled Rotary cannon 25 mm F-35 Lightning II
M61 Six-barrelled Rotary cannon
Vulcan1.jpg
20 mm F-15 Eagle
F-16 Fighting Falcon
F-22 Raptor
GAU-23/A Chain gun autocannon The amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) fires a MK-46 30mm gun during a live-fire exercise (28540439144).jpg 30 mm AC-130
M102 Howitzer M102 Howitzer A1206 Tai Iraq 2004.JPG 105 mm AC-130
GAU-16 12.7 mm UH-1 Iroquois
GAU-17 Six-barrelled Minigun/Rotary machine gun
GAU-17 machine gun fired from UH-1N Huey in 2006.jpg
7.62 mm HH-60 Pave Hawk
UH-1 Iroquois
M240 Mounted
US Navy 040229-N-4374S-008 Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 2nd Class Jon Garth, assigned to the Red Lions of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron One Five (HS-15), mans a 7,62mm M240D machine gun aboard an HH-60H Seahawk.jpg
7.62 mm UH-1 Iroquois
Guns
Beretta M9 Pistol
M9-pistolet.jpg
9×19mm Parabellum
M11 pistol Pistol
SIG-P228-p1030033.jpg
9×19mm Parabellum
M18 pistol Pistol
M18 pistol.png
9×19mm Parabellum
M4/M4A1 Assault rifle, Carbine
M4-Transparent.png
Coltm4a1.jpeg
5.56×45mm NATO
M16A2 rifle Assault Rifle
M16a2-final.png
5.56×45mm NATO
MP5 submachine gun Submachine gun
MP3K ImgID1.jpg
Multiple (9×19mm Parabellum, 10mm Auto MP5/10, or .40 S&W M5/40)
M249 machine gun Light machine gun, Squad automatic weapon
PEO M249 Para ACOG.jpg
5.56×45mm NATO
M240 machine gun General purpose medium machine gun
M240B Medium Machine Gun (7414626696).jpg
7.62×51mm NATO
M2 machine gun Heavy machine gun
Machine gun M2 1.jpg
.50 BMG
M82 Anti materiel sniper rifle M107 html 5f1f60d5.gif .50 BMG

Vehicles

Aircraft

Ground vehicles

NameTypeVersionsQuantityPicture
Humvee Armored car ?
USAFHMMWV.jpg
R-5 Refueler Aircraft refueling vehicle ?
R-9 Refueler Aircraft refueling vehicle ?
R-11 Refueler Aircraft refueling vehicle ?
R-11 Refueler - U.S. Air Force.jpg
C300 Ground refuel vehicle ?

Attire

Current attire [88]
NameFull patternNotes
Army Combat Uniform PNYXR25XMFHYPMVJLNT3VCOAPM USAF OCPU.jpg Uses Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP). Airman Battle Uniform phased out April 2021 [89]
Flight suit 69th Bomb Squadron Pilot.jpg Pilots, air crews and missile crews wear olive green or desert tan one-piece flight suits made of Nomex for fire protection.
Physical Training Uniform USAF PT Uniform.jpg Consists of shorts, T-shirt, jacket and pants.
Service dress uniform US Air Force Mens Service Dress.jpg Consists of a three-button coat, similar to that of a men's "sport jacket" (with silver "U.S." pins on the lapels), matching trousers, and either a service cap or flight cap, all in Shade 1620, "Air Force Blue" (a darker purplish-blue). This is worn with a light blue shirt (Shade 1550) and Shade 1620 herringbone patterned necktie. Enlisted members wear sleeve insignia on both the jacket and shirt, while officers wear metal rank insignia pinned onto the coat, and Air Force Blue slide-on epaulet loops on the shirt.
Mess dress US Air Force Mens Mess Dress.jpg Consists of a dark blue mess jacket and matching trousers with antiqued silver buttons, miniature medals, blue bow-tie and cummerbund, and shoulder boards and silver wrist braids for officers. When wearing the blue tie and cummerbund, the uniform is considered equivalent to black-tie formal wear. For white-tie occasions, a white bow-tie and waistcoat are worn.

Other equipment

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Air Force</span> Air service branch of the U.S. military

The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Signal Corps, the USAF was established as a separate branch of the United States Armed Forces in 1947 with the enactment of the National Security Act of 1947. It is the second youngest branch of the United States Armed Forces and the fourth in order of precedence. The United States Air Force articulates its core missions as air supremacy, global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, rapid global mobility, global strike, and command and control.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor</span> American stealth air superiority fighter

The Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptor is an American twin-engine, all-weather, supersonic stealth fighter aircraft developed and produced for the United States Air Force (USAF). As a product of the USAF's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program, the aircraft was designed as an air superiority fighter, but also incorporates ground attack, electronic warfare, and signals intelligence capabilities. The prime contractor, Lockheed Martin, built most of the F-22 airframe and weapons systems and conducted final assembly, while program partner Boeing provided the wings, aft fuselage, avionics integration, and training systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed EC-130</span> 1975 electronic warfare aircraft series by Lockheed

The Lockheed Martin EC-130 series comprises several slightly different versions of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules that have been and continue to be operated by the U.S. Air Force and, until the 1990s, the U.S. Navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle</span> American all-weather multirole fighter aircraft

The McDonnell DouglasF-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high-speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic-warfare aircraft. United States Air Force (USAF) F-15E Strike Eagles can be generally distinguished from other US Eagle variants by darker aircraft camouflage, conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) mounted along the engine intake ramps and a tandem-seat cockpit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lockheed HC-130</span> Search and rescue aircraft version of the C-130 Hercules

The Lockheed HC-130 is an extended-range, search and rescue (SAR)/combat search and rescue (CSAR) version of the C-130 Hercules military transport aircraft, with two different versions operated by two separate services in the U.S. armed forces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system</span> US military standardized aircraft nomenclature

The Tri-Service aircraft designation system is a unified system introduced in 1962 by the United States Department of Defense for designating all U.S. military aircraft. Previously, the U.S. armed services used separate nomenclature systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">142nd Wing</span> Military unit

The 142nd Wing is a unit of the Oregon Air National Guard and the United States Air Force, stationed at Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AGM-158 JASSM</span> American low observable air-launched cruise missile

The AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile is a low detection standoff air-launched cruise missile developed by Lockheed Martin for the United States Armed Forces. It is a large, stealthy long-range weapon with a 1,000-pound (450 kg) armor piercing warhead. It completed testing and entered service with the U.S. Air Force in 2009, and has entered foreign service in Australia, Finland, and Poland as of 2014. An extended range version of the missile, the AGM-158B JASSM-ER, entered service in 2014 as well as an anti-ship derivative, the AGM-158C LRASM in 2018. By September 2016, Lockheed Martin had delivered 2,000 total JASSMs comprising both variants to the USAF. In August 2024 the US was reportedly considering supplying JASSM missiles to Ukraine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">123d Fighter Squadron</span> Military unit

The 123d Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Oregon Air National Guard 142d Fighter Wing located at Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon. The 123d is equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle and Boeing F-15EX Eagle II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk</span> US advanced pilot training aircraft

The Boeing–Saab T-7 Red Hawk, initially known as the Boeing T-X, is an American–Swedish subsonic advanced jet trainer produced by Boeing with Saab. In September 2018, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected it for the T-X program to replace the Northrop T-38 Talon as the service's advanced jet trainer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie</span> Planned stealth unmanned combat air vehicle for the US Air Force

The Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie is an experimental stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) designed and built by Kratos Defense & Security Solutions for the United States Air Force's Low Cost Attritable Strike Demonstrator (LCASD) program, under the USAF Research Laboratory's Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology (LCAAT) project portfolio. It was initially designated the XQ-222. The Valkyrie completed its first flight on 5 March 2019 at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona.

The AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) is an American beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) under development by Lockheed Martin. Designed to address advanced threats, the missile is expected to replace or supplement the AIM-120 AMRAAM currently in US service. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) considers the AIM-260A JATM program to be the number one air-delivered weapon priority for both the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the Navy (USN); and its acquisition out-prioritizes other weapon system improvements and modernization efforts on any fielded aircraft. As of May 2024, the House Armed Services Committee was investigating whether more late-variant AMRAAMs would be required in light of the AIM-260 JATM not having entered full-scale production, though the USAF insisted in May 2023 that AIM-260 development and production was on-schedule.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AGM-183 ARRW</span> U.S. Air Force prototype missile

The AGM-183 ARRW is a hypersonic air-to-ground ballistic missile planned for use by the United States Air Force. Developed by Lockheed Martin, the boost-glide vehicle is propelled to a maximum speed of more than Mach 5 by a rocket motor before gliding toward its target. The program was cancelled in March 2023 after multiple failed tests. The program, however, continued despite the cancellation and was announced to still be in development following additional, undisclosed testing. However in 2024 it was announced that in the fiscal year 2025 budget, no funding would be provided for procurement or further research and development.

The Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) is a United States Air Force (USAF) sixth-generation air superiority initiative with a goal of fielding a "family of systems" that is to succeed the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. A crewed fighter aircraft is the centerpiece program of NGAD and has been referred to as the Penetrating Counter-Air (PCA) platform and is to be supported by uncrewed collaborative combat aircraft (CCA), or loyal wingman platforms, through manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing F-15EX Eagle II</span> American all-weather multirole fighter aircraft

The Boeing F-15EX Eagle II is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. The aircraft resulted from the U.S. Department of Defense's Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation study in 2018 to recapitalize the aging F-15C/D fleet due to inadequate numbers of F-22s, delays in the F-35 program, and maintaining diversity in the U.S. fighter industrial base through Boeing's St. Louis division. The F-15EX is expected to replace the F-15C/D in performing homeland and air defense missions and also serve as an affordable platform for employing large stand-off weapons to augment the frontline F-22 and F-35. The aircraft was first delivered in 2021 and entered operational service in July 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Collaborative combat aircraft</span> Unmanned wingman combat aircraft

Collaborative combat aircraft (CCA) is a US program for unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) that is considered broadly equivalent to a loyal wingman. CCAs are intended to operate in collaborative teams with the next generation of manned combat aircraft, including sixth-generation fighters and bombers such as the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider. Unlike the conventional UCAVs, the CCA incorporates artificial intelligence (AI), denoted an "autonomy package", increasing its survivability on the battlefield. It is still expected to cost much less than a manned aircraft with similar capabilities. The US Air Force plans to spend more than $8.9 billion on its CCA programs from fiscal years 2025 to 2029, with an additional $661 million planned for fiscal year 2024. The success of the CCA program may lessen the need for additional manned squadrons.

The Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) is a tactical air-to-surface missile under development for the United States Air Force (USAF) by Northrop Grumman.

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Sources