Military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare
This article is about the military branch for aerial warfare. For other uses, see Air force (disambiguation).
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Four fighters and a KC-135 of the USAFUSAF B-2 Spirit stealth strategic bomberRefuelling a Jaguar GR1 of the Royal Air Force (1991)
An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare.[1] More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviation or naval aviation units. Typically, air forces are responsible for gaining control of the air, carrying out strategic and tactical bombing missions, and providing support to land and naval forces often in the form of aerial reconnaissance and close air support.[2]
The term air force may also refer to a tactical air force or numbered air force, which is an operational formation either within a national air force or comprising several air components from allied nations. Air forces typically consist of a combination of fighters, bombers, helicopters, transport planes and other aircraft.
Many air forces may command and control other air defence forces assets such as anti-aircraft artillery, surface-to-air missiles, or anti-ballistic missile warning networks and defensive systems. Some air forces are also responsible for operations of the military space and intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM). Some nations, principally countries who modelled their militaries along Soviet lines, have or had an air defence force which is organizationally separate from their air force.
Peacetime/non-wartime activities of air forces may include air policing and air-sea rescue.
Air forces are not just composed of pilots, but also rely on a significant amount of support from other personnel to operate. Logistics, security, intelligence, special operations, cyber space support, maintenance, weapons loaders, and many other specialties are required by all air forces.
^Monica, 1776 Main Street Santa; California 90401-3208. "Air Warfare". rand.org. Retrieved 31 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^"Air Force Reserve". afreserve.com. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
An airforce in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's...
The United States AirForce (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United...
The Israeli AirForce (IAF; Hebrew: זְרוֹעַ הָאֲוִיר וְהֶחָלָל, romanized: Zroa HaAvir VeHahalal, lit. 'tl', "Air and Space Arm", commonly known as חֵיל...
The Royal AirForce (RAF) is the air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards...
The Islamic Republic of Iran AirForce (IRIAF; Persian: نیروی هوایی ارتش جمهوری اسلامی ایران, romanized: Nirvi-ye Hevayi-ye Artesh-e Jimhuri-ye Eslâmi-ye...
The Indian AirForce (IAF) is the air arm of the Indian Armed Forces. Its primary mission is to secure Indian airspace and to conduct aerial warfare during...
The Russian AirForce (Russian: Военно-воздушные силы России, tr. Voenno-vozdushnye sily Rossii, VVS) is a branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces, the...
The German AirForce (German: Luftwaffe, lit. 'air weapon or air arm', German pronunciation: [ˈlʊftvafə] ) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bundeswehr...
AirForce One is the official air traffic control designated call sign for a United States AirForce aircraft carrying the president of the United States...
The Egyptian AirForce (EAF) (Egyptian Arabic: القوات الجوية المصرية, romanized: El Qūwāt El Gawīyä El Maṣrīya, Coptic: Ⲛⲉⲛⲡⲉⲧϩⲁⲗⲁⲓⲛⲙⲓϣⲓ ⲛ̀ⲕⲏⲙⲓ), is the...
The Pakistan AirForce (PAF) (Urdu: پاک فِضائیہ, romanized: Pāk Fìzāʾiyah; pronounced [pɑːk fɪzɑːɪjəɦ]) is the aerial warfare branch of the Pakistan Armed...
Ukrainian AirForce (Ukrainian: Повітряні сили Збройних сил України, romanized: Povitriyani syly Zbroiynyh syl Ukraiyini, PS ZSU) is the airforce of Ukraine...
The Iraqi AirForce (IQAF or IrAF) (Arabic: القوات الجوية العراقية, romanized: Al Quwwat al Jawwiyah al Iraqiyyah) is the aerial warfare service branch...
The Philippine AirForce (PAF) (Filipino: Hukbong Himpapawid ng Pilipinas) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Hellenic AirForce (HAF; Greek: Πολεμική Αεροπορία, romanized: Polemikí Aeroporía, lit. 'Military Aviation', sometimes abbreviated as ΠΑ) is the airforce of...
The Indonesian AirForce (Indonesian: Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara, (TNI-AU), lit. 'Indonesian National Military-AirForce') sometimes shortened...
The Kenya AirForce (KAF) or Swahili: Jeshi la Wanahewa[citation needed] is the national aerial warfare service branch of the Republic of Kenya. The main...
The Czech AirForce (Czech: Vzdušné síly) is the airforce branch of the Army of the Czech Republic. Along with the Land Forces, the AirForce is the major...
The Bangladesh AirForce (BAF) (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী, romanized: Bangladesh Biman Bahini) is the aerial warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed...
consist of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, AirForce, Space Force, and Coast Guard. All six armed services are among the eight uniformed...
The Turkish AirForce (Turkish: Türk Hava Kuvvetleri) is the aerial warfare service branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. It traces its origins to June...
Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, officially known as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Air and Space Force (IRGCASF; Persian: نیروی هوافضای...
The Royal Canadian AirForce (RCAF; French: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian...
The Myanmar AirForce (Burmese: တပ်မတော် (လေ), pronounced [taʔmədɔ̀ (le)]), known until 1989 as the Burmese AirForce, is the aerial branch of Myanmar's...
The Nigerian AirForce (NAF) is the air branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is the youngest branch of the Nigerian Armed Forces. It is one of the largest...
The Argentine AirForce (Spanish: Fuerza Aérea Argentina, or simply FAA) is the airforce of Argentina and branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine...
The Hungarian AirForce (Hungarian: Magyar Légierő, Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈmɒɟɒr ˈleːgijɛrøː]), is the airforce branch of the Hungarian Defence Forces...
The Brazilian AirForce (Portuguese: Força Aérea Brasileira, FAB) is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed...
The Polish AirForce (Polish: Siły Powietrzne, lit. 'Air Forces') is the aerial warfare branch of the Polish Armed Forces. Until July 2004 it was officially...
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