World News & Asia News
Asia Pacific - Europe news - Newsroom - Southeast Asia - Top Stories - US News
World News - World News Map - World Economy

The major types of aircraft in the U.S. Air Force

The United States Air Force operates a wide variety of aircraft, serving different roles and missions. Here is a list of some of the major types of aircraft in the U.S. Air Force:

1. Fighters:

   • F-15 Eagle
   • F-16 Fighting Falcon
   • F-22 Raptor
   • F-35 Lightning II

2. Bombers:

   • B-1B Lancer
   • B-2 Spirit
   • B-52 Stratofortress

3. Attack and Close Air Support:

   • A-10 Thunderbolt II

4. Tankers:

   • KC-135 Stratotanker
   • KC-46 Pegasus

5. Reconnaissance and Surveillance:

   • U-2 Dragon Lady
   • RQ-4 Global Hawk
   • RC-135 Rivet Joint

6. Transport and Cargo:

   • C-5M Super Galaxy
   • C-17 Globemaster III
   • C-130 Hercules

7. Special Operations:

   • AC-130 Gunship
   • MC-130H Combat Talon II
   • CV-22 Osprey

8. Trainer Aircraft:

   • T-6 Texan II
   • T-38 Talon
   • T-1 Jayhawk

9. Helicopters:

   • UH-1N Huey
   • HH-60 Pave Hawk

10. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs):

    • MQ-1 Predator
    • MQ-9 Reaper

11. Presidential Aircraft:

    • VC-25A (Air Force One)
    • C-32A (Air Force Two)

A detailed list of aircraft types operated by the United States Air Force:

1. Fighters:

   • F-15 Eagle: A twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter designed for air superiority missions. It has a powerful radar and a large payload capacity.

   • F-16 Fighting Falcon: A highly maneuverable multirole fighter with advanced avionics and a reliable performance record. It can perform air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.

   • F-22 Raptor: A fifth-generation stealth fighter designed for air dominance. It has advanced stealth capabilities, supercruise capability, and integrated avionics.

   • F-35 Lightning II: A fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter, available in three variants (F-35A, F-35B, F-35C) for conventional takeoff, short takeoff and vertical landing, and carrier-based operations.

2. Bombers:

   • B-1B Lancer: A long-range, multirole, supersonic bomber capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons. It has variable-sweep wings for different flight conditions.

   • B-2 Spirit: A stealth bomber known for its distinctive "flying wing" design. It can deliver large payloads of conventional and nuclear ordnance with high precision.

   • B-52 Stratofortress: A long-range, subsonic bomber with strategic nuclear capability. It has a large payload capacity and can carry a variety of weapons.

3. Attack and Close Air Support:

   • A-10 Thunderbolt II: A close air support aircraft designed to provide firepower and protection for ground forces. It has a distinctive design with a Gatling gun and extensive armor.

4. Tankers:

   • KC-135 Stratotanker: An aerial refueling aircraft that enables the inflight refueling of other aircraft, extending their range and endurance.

   • KC-46 Pegasus: A next-generation aerial refueling and strategic transport aircraft. It features advanced refueling capabilities and improved cargo and personnel transport capabilities.

5. Reconnaissance and Surveillance:

   • U-2 Dragon Lady: A high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft capable of gathering intelligence through various sensors and cameras.

   • RQ-4 Global Hawk: A high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned surveillance aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.

   • RC-135 Rivet Joint: A reconnaissance aircraft equipped with specialized sensors and equipment for electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering.

6. Transport and Cargo:

   • C-5M Super Galaxy: A strategic airlifter with a massive payload capacity, capable of carrying oversized cargo and heavy equipment.

   • C-17 Globemaster III: A versatile transport aircraft designed for rapid strategic airlift of troops, cargo, and medical evacuation.

   • C-130 Hercules: A tactical transport aircraft used for a variety of missions, including airlift, cargo delivery, and aerial refueling.

7. Special Operations:

   • AC-130 Gunship: A heavily armed ground-attack aircraft primarily used for close air support, air interdiction, and armed reconnaissance.

   • MC-130H Combat Talon II: A special operations aircraft used for infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces.

   • CV-22 Osprey: A tiltrotor aircraft that combines the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of a helicopter with the speed and range of a fixed-wing aircraft.

8. Trainer Aircraft:

   • T-6 Texan II: A primary training aircraft used to train and prepare pilots for advanced fighter and bomber aircraft.

   • T-38 Talon: A supersonic jet trainer used to train pilots in advanced flight and weapons tactics.

   • T-1 Jayhawk: A twin-engine jet aircraft used for advanced training and transport of personnel.

9. Helicopters:

   • UH-1N Huey: A utility helicopter used for various missions, including airlift, search and rescue, and combat support.

   • HH-60 Pave Hawk: A special operations and combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter designed to operate in hostile environments.

10. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs):

    • MQ-1 Predator: An armed unmanned aircraft used for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and strike missions.

    • MQ-9 Reaper: A larger and more capable unmanned aircraft than the Predator, used for a variety of missions, including armed reconnaissance and close air support.

11. Presidential Aircraft:

    • VC-25A (Air Force One): The designation for the aircraft used to transport the President of the United States.

    • C-32A (Air Force Two): The designation for the aircraft used to transport the Vice President of the United States.