An air force operates several types of aircraft including fighter aircraft. Shown here are Indian Air Force SEPECAT Jaguars in V-formation.

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Air Force (66528)

An air force, in some countries called an air army, is a military or armed service that primarily conducts aerial warfare. It typically consists of a combination of fighters, bombers, helicopters, transport planes and other aircraft. more...

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Many air forces are also responsible for operations of military space, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM), and communications equipment. Some air forces may command and control other air-defense assets such as antiaircraft artillery, surface-to-air missiles, or anti-ballistic missile warning networks and defensive systems.

Organization

Many nations' militaries have air forces that are independent - that is, it is neither part of the army nor the navy. This however does not stop armies and especially navies from possessing air arms to support their land or sea operations. In some forces, such as those of Canada and formerly in some other countries, all military aircraft are operated by the air force, even when they are attached to - and even under the operational command of - other services.

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; 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 loosely based on naval ranks; 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. 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 ('air force', as opposed to 'navy', blue), a practice pioneered by the Royal Air Force. The organization structures of the air forces also vary: some air forces (such as the USAF and RAF) 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, and medical personnel; in some 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, or ground defence personnel charged with defending Air Bases, their supply lines and surrounding areas from hostile ground forces, such as the British RAF Regiment or the French Fusiliers Commandos de l'Air. Some Air Forces also include their own Special Forces, which may include aircrews and aircraft tasked with special missions such as surveillance or insertion operations, or ground-based personnel such as the American Air Force Special Tactics or the Malaysian PASKAU units, who provide support to Air Force or Special Forces operations by performing functions such as pilot rescue and forward air control. 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.