The equipment of the United States Air Force can be subdivided into: aircraft, ammunition, weapons, and ground vehicles.
Munitions
| Name | Type | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| Missiles | ||
| AGM-114 | Air-to-surface | |
| AGM-65 | Air-to-surface | |
| AGM-86 | Air-to-surface, cruise | |
| AGM-88 | Air-to-surface, anti-radiation | |
| AGM-154 | Glide bomb | |
| AGM-158 | Air-to-surface, cruise | |
| AIM-7 | Air-to-air, medium-range | |
| AIM-9 | Air-to-air, short-range | |
| AIM-120 | Air-to-air, medium-range | |
| LGM-30 | Intercontinental ballistic | |
| Bombs | ||
| B61 | Thermonuclear | |
| B83 | Thermonuclear | |
| BLU-109 | Bunker buster | |
| BLU-116 | Bunker buster | |
| CBU-87 | Cluster | |
| CBU-89 | Cluster | |
| CBU-97 | Cluster | |
| GBU-10 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-12 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-15 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-16 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-24 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-27 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-28 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-31 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-32 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-38 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-39 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-53 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-54 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-55 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-56 | Precision-guided | |
| GBU-57 | Precision-guided / bunker buster | |
| GBU-69 | Precision-guided / Glide-Bomb | |
| GBU-72 | Precision-guided / bunker buster | |
| Mk-82 | General-purpose | |
| Mk-84 | General-purpose | |
Weapons
| Name | Type | Picture | Ammunition | Used by |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mounted Weapons | ||||
| GAU-8 Avenger | Seven-barrelled Rotary cannon | 30×173 mm | A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II | |
| GAU-22/A | Four-barrelled Rotary cannon | 25×137 mm | F-35 Lightning II | |
| M61 | Six-barrelled Rotary cannon | 20×102mm Vulcan | F-15 Eagle F-16 Fighting Falcon F-22 Raptor | |
| GAU-23/A | Chain gun autocannon | 30×173mm | AC-130 | |
| M102 | Howitzer | 105×372mmR | AC-130 | |
| GAU-16 | .50 BMG | UH-1 Iroquois | ||
| GAU-17 | Six-barrelled Minigun/Rotary machine gun | 7.62×51mm NATO | HH-60 Pave Hawk UH-1 Iroquois | |
| M240 Mounted | 7.62×51mm NATO | UH-1 Iroquois | ||
| Small arms | ||||
| Beretta M9 | Pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | ||
| M11 pistol | Pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | ||
| M18 pistol | Pistol | 9×19mm Parabellum | ||
| M4/M4A1 | Assault rifle, Carbine | 5.56×45mm NATO | ||
| HK416 | Assault rifle, Carbine | 5.56×45mm NATO | Used exclusively by AFSOC | |
| M16A2 rifle | Assault Rifle | 5.56×45mm NATO | ||
| MP5 submachine gun | Submachine gun | Multiple (9×19mm Parabellum, 10mm Auto MP5/10, or .40 S&W M5/40) | ||
| M249 machine gun | Light machine gun, Squad automatic weapon | 5.56×45mm NATO | ||
| M240 machine gun | General purpose medium machine gun | 7.62×51mm NATO | ||
| M2 machine gun | Heavy machine gun | .50 BMG | ||
| M82 | Anti-materiel sniper rifle | .50 BMG | ||
Vehicles
Aircraft
Aircraft are listed in the table below alphabetically by the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system "Basic Mission" or "Vehicle Type" code (ignoring preceding "Modified Mission" or "Status Prefix" codes), then serially by "Design number", then alphabetically by "Series letter" and lastly alphabetically by "Modified Mission" or "Status Prefix" code when applicable. Aircraft without a 1962 Tri-Service designation system designation are listed alphabetically at the end of the table.
| Aircraft | Manufacturer | Origin | Propulsion | Role | Control | Introduced/IOC | Inventory | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OA-1K Skyraider II | L3Harris | USA | Propeller | CAS / Attack | Manned | 2025 | 8 | SOF support |
| A-10C Thunderbolt II | Fairchild Republic | USA | Jet | CAS / Attack | Manned | 2007 (A-10C) | 162 | The Air Force is seeking to retire all A-10s in FY2026. |
| A-29C Super Tucano | Sierra Nevada Corporation | Brazil | Propeller | Research and development | Manned | 2003 | 3 | Delivered to Air Force Special Operations Command in 2021. Transferred to the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School in 2024. |
| EA-37B Compass Call | Gulfstream | USA | Jet | Radar jamming / PSYOP | Manned | 2026 | 1 | 2 ordered Replacement for EC-130H Compass Call. 10 planned. |
| B-1 Lancer | Rockwell International | USA | Jet | Bomber | Manned | 1986 | 45 | Long-range conventional bomber. Employs variable-sweep wing design. To be replaced by the B-21 Raider around 2032. The Air Force is seeking to divest one B-1 in FY2026. |
| B-2 Spirit | Northrop Grumman | USA | Jet | Bomber | Manned | 1997 | 19 | Stealth long-range nuclear-capable heavy bomber. To be replaced by the B-21 Raider around 2032. One aircraft to be divested in FY2025. |
| B-21 Raider | Northrop Grumman | USA | Jet | Bomber | Optionally piloted | 3 | Stealth long-range nuclear-capable heavy bomber. The first B-21 test aircraft made its maiden flight in November 2023. To replace the B-2 Spirit and B-1 Lancer around 2032. | |
| B-52H Stratofortress | Boeing | USA | Jet | Bomber | Manned | 1961 (B-52H) | 76 | Currently undergoing re-engining. Expected to serve into the 2050s. |
| C-5M Super Galaxy | Lockheed | USA | Jet | Strategic airlifter | Manned | 2014 (C-5M) | 52 | |
| C-12C/D/F/J Huron | Beechcraft | USA | Propeller | Transport | Manned | c. 1974 | 29 | |
| C-17A Globemaster III | McDonnell Douglas/Boeing | USA | Jet | Strategic airlifter | Manned | 1995 | 222 | These were produced by McDonnell-Douglas prior to the merger with Boeing.[citation needed] |
| C-21A Learjet 35 | Learjet | USA | Jet | VIP transport | Manned | 1984 | 19 | |
| VC-25A | Boeing | USA | Jet | Presidential transport | Manned | 1990 | 2 | |
| C-32A/B Air Force Two | Boeing | USA | Jet | VIP transport | Manned | 1998 | 4/2 | |
| C-37A/B Gulfstream V | Gulfstream | USA | Jet | VIP transport | Manned | 1998 | 9/7 | VIP transport. 16 planned. |
| C-40B/C | Boeing | USA | Jet | VIP transport | Manned | 2003 | 4/7 | |
| KC-46A Pegasus | Boeing | USA | Jet | Aerial refueling | Manned | FY24 (planned) | 77 | 179 planned. |
| C-130H Hercules | Lockheed Martin | USA | Propeller | Tactical airlifter | Manned | c. 1974 | 126 | The C-130J is replacing the C-130H on a one-for-one basis. The Air Force has Congressionally mandated floor of 271 C-130 aircraft. The Air Force is seeking to divest 14 C-130Hs in FY2026. |
| EC-130H Compass Call | Lockheed Martin | USA | Propeller | Radar jamming / PSYOP | Manned | 1983; Block 35, 2011 | 5 | The Air Force is seeking to divest 3 EC-130Hs in FY2026. |
| LC-130H Hercules | Lockheed Martin | USA | Propeller | Cargo aircraft | Manned | c. 1984 | 10 | Assigned to 109th Airlift Wing[citation needed] |
| C-130J Super Hercules/J-30 Super Hercules | Lockheed Martin | USA | Propeller | Tactical airlifter | Manned | 2006 | 151 | |
| AC-130J Ghostrider | Lockheed Martin | USA | Propeller | CAS / Attack | Manned | 2017 (AC-130J) | 31 | Final aircraft delivered in 2022. |
| HC-130J Combat King II | Lockheed Martin | USA | Propeller | Search and rescue | Manned | 2013 | 39 | |
| MC-130J Commando II | Lockheed Martin | USA | Propeller | Multi-mission/Special Operations | Manned | 2012 | 57 | 64 planned. |
| WC-130J Hercules | Lockheed Martin | USA | Propeller | Weather reconnaissance | Manned | 2006 | 10 | Assigned to 403d Wing |
| WC-135R Constant Phoenix | Boeing | USA | Jet | Atmospheric research | Manned | 2022 (WC-135R) | 3 | |
| KC-135R/T Stratotanker | Boeing | USA | Jet | Aerial refueling | Manned | 1957 | 376 | The Air Force is seeking to divest 14 KC-135 in FY2026. |
| TC-135S/W | Boeing | USA | Jet | Trainer | Manned | 1961 | 3 | |
| RC-135S/U/V/W Cobra Ball/Combat Sent/Rivet Joint | Boeing | USA | Jet | Reconnaissance / ELINT / surveillance | Manned | 1972 | 25 | |
| C-146A Wolfhound | Fairchild-Dornier | Germany | Propeller | Transport | Manned | c. 2011 | 20 | Delivered 2011–2017. Flown with the 524th Special Operations Squadron |
| C-147A | De Havilland Canada | Canada | Propeller | Transport | Manned | For the U.S. Army Parachute Team | ||
| E-3B/G Sentry (AWACS) | Boeing | USA | Jet | AWACS | Manned | 1977; 2014 (Block 40/45) | 15 | To be replaced by the E-2D Hawkeye. |
| E-4B (NAOC) | Boeing | USA | Jet | Command and control | Manned | 1978 (E-4B) | 4 | Assigned to the 595th Command and Control Group. To be replaced by the Survivable Airborne Operations Center. |
| E-9A Widget | De Havilland Canada | Canada | Propeller | Surveillance | Manned | 1988 | 2 | Military surveillance version of the DHC-8-100, used for missile range control.[citation needed] |
| E-11A (BACN) | Northrop Grumman | USA / Canada | Jet | Command and control / BACN | Manned | c. 2011 | 5 | 2 aircraft to be divested in FY2025. Nine planned. |
| F-15C/D Eagle | McDonnell Douglas | USA | Jet | Air superiority | Manned | 1979 (F-15C/D) | 108 | F-15C retired from active service in 2025. 12 D variants are used for training. The Air Force is seeking to divest 13 F-15C and Ds s in FY2026. |
| F-15E Strike Eagle | McDonnell Douglas/Boeing | USA | Jet | Multirole, primarily strike | Manned | 1989 | 218 | The Air Force is seeking to divest 21 F-15Es FY2026. |
| F-15EX Eagle II | Boeing | USA | Jet | Multirole, primarily strike | Manned | 2024 (planned) | 8 | F-15C/D Eagle replacement. 104 planned. |
| QF-16A/C | Boeing | USA | Jet | Target drone | Optionally piloted | 2016 | 73 | Conversion of an F-16 Fighting Falcon to full-scale aerial target. Final deliveries will take place 2024–2025. 126 planned. |
| F-16C/D Fighting Falcon | General Dynamics | USA | Jet | Multirole | Manned | 1981 (Block 25-32); 1989 (Block 40/42); 1994 (Block 50/52) | 762 | The Air Force is seeking to divest 62 F-16C/Ds in FY2026. |
| F-22A Raptor | Lockheed Martin | USA | Jet | Air superiority | Manned | 2005 | 183 | Stealth aircraft. To be succeeded by the F-47. |
| F-35A Lightning II | Lockheed Martin | USA | Jet | Multirole | Manned | 2016 | 302 | 7 on order 1,763 planned. |
| F-117 Nighthawk | Lockheed | USA | Jet | Aggressor aircraft/research and development | Manned | 1983 | 4 | Although officially retired in 2008, the aircraft has been involved in various exercises beginning around 2020. The Air Force possesses 45 F-117s, some in flyable condition, As of 2023[update]. The Air Force plans to operate the type through 2034. |
| TG-15A | Glider | Trainer | Manned | 2 | ||||
| TG-15B | Glider | Trainer | Manned | 3 | ||||
| TG-16A | Glider | Trainer | Manned | 19 | ||||
| TG-17A | Glider | Trainer | Manned | 1 | MDM MDM-1 Fox donated to the 94th Flying Training Squadron. | |||
| TH-1H Iroquois | Bell | USA | Helicopter | Trainer | Manned | c. 2009 | 28 | Light lift training helicopter To be replaced by the MH-139A. |
| UH-1N Twin Huey/UH-1N Operational Support Airlift | Bell | USA | Helicopter | Utility | Manned | 1970 | 63 | Light lift helicopter. To be replaced by the MH-139 Grey Wolf. The Air Force is seeking to divest 4 UH-1Ns in FY2026. |
| HH-60G/U Pave Hawk | Sikorsky | USA | Helicopter | CSAR | Manned | 1982 | 64 | To be replaced by the HH-60W Jolly Green II.The Air Force is seeking to divest 11 HH-60G in FY2026. |
| HH-60W Jolly Green II | Sikorsky | USA | Helicopter | CSAR | Manned | 2022 | 32 | To replace the HH-60G/U Pave Hawk. 85 planned. |
| MH-139A Grey Wolf | AgustaWestland | Helicopter | Utility | Manned | 2023 (planned) | 7[citation needed] | 6 test aircraft and 1 production aircraft have been delivered. 20 on order. 42 planned. | |
| P-9A Pale Ale | Bombardier | Canada | Propeller | Maritime patrol | Manned | 4 | Government-owned contractor-operated fleet tasked with monitoring drug trafficking. | |
| RQ-4B Global Hawk | Northrop Grumman | USA | Jet | ISTAR | Unmanned | 2011 (Block 30), 2016 (Block 40) | 9 | |
| MQ-9A Reaper | General Atomics | USA | Propeller | Multi-mission | Unmanned | 2007, 2015 (ER) | 102 | |
| RQ-20 Puma | AeroVironment | USA | Propeller | Patrol | Unmanned | 2008[citation needed] | ||
| RQ-170 Sentinel | Lockheed Martin | USA | Jet | Multi-Mission | Unmanned | 2007[citation needed] | ||
| T-1A Jayhawk | Raytheon | USA | Jet | Trainer | Manned | 1993 | 127 | Multi-engine trainer. The Air Force is seeking to divest 35 T-1s in FY2026. |
| T-6A Texan II | Raytheon/Beechcraft | USA | Propeller | Trainer | Manned | 2000 | 442 | |
| T-7 Red Hawk | Boeing / Saab | USA | Jet | Trainer | Manned | 2028 (planned) | 2 | Replacement for the T-38 Talon. The first five test aircraft will be production representative. 351 planned. |
| T-38A/C/AT-38B Talon | Northrop | USA | Jet | Trainer | Manned | 1961 | 495 | To be replaced by the T-7A. The Air Force is seeking to divest 17 T-38A/Cs in FY2026. |
| T-41D Mescalero | Cessna | USA | Propeller | Basic trainer | Manned | 1964 | 4 | |
| T-51A Cessna | Cessna | USA | Propeller | Basic trainer | Manned | 1957 | 3 | |
| T-53A Kadet II | Cirrus | USA | Propeller | Basic trainer | Manned | 1995 | 24 | USAFA flight training aircraft |
| U-2S Dragon Lady | Lockheed | USA | Jet | Reconnaissance | Manned | c. 1981 (U-2R) | 27 | The Air Force plans to divest all U-2s and TU-2s in FY2026. |
| TU-2S Dragon Lady | Lockheed | USA | Jet | Conversion trainer | Manned | 4 | The Air Force is seeking to divest all U-2s and TU-2s in FY2026. | |
| U-28A Draco/PC-12 | Pilatus | Switzerland | Propeller | Utility | Manned | 1991 | 30 U-28A/5 PC-12 | PC-12 used for training. Used by SOCOM for reconnaissance. To be replaced in SOCOM by the OA-1K Sky Warden. |
| UV-18B Twin Otter | De Havilland Canada | Canada | Propeller | Utility | Manned | 1988 | 3 | USAFA parachute training aircraft |
| CV-22B Osprey | Bell, Boeing | USA | Tiltrotor | CSAR / transport | Manned | 2006 | 52 | 2 on order. Two aging CV-22Bs will be divested in FY2025 and be replaced with new aircraft. |
| X-62 VISTA | General Dynamics | USA | Jet | In-flight simulator | Optionally piloted | 1992 | 1 | A highly modified version of the F-16D incorporating artificial intelligence used by the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School |
| BQM-167 Skeeter | Composite Engineering | Jet | Target drone | Unmanned | 2008 | 37 | Subscale aerial target. 800+ planned. | |
| CN-235 | CASA | Spain | Propeller | Reconnaissance | Manned | 1988 | 5 | Flown with the 427th Special Operations Squadron |
| Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft | DZYNE Technologies | USA | Propeller | Surveillance | Unmanned | c. 2024 |
Ground vehicles
| Name | Type | Versions | Quantity | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humvee | Armored car | ? | ||
| R-5 Refueler | Aircraft refueling vehicle | ? | ||
| R-9 Refueler | Aircraft refueling vehicle | ? | ||
| R-11 Refueler | Aircraft refueling vehicle | ? | ||
| C300 | Ground refuel vehicle | ? |
Attire
| Current attire | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Full pattern | Notes | |||
| Army Combat Uniform | Uses Operational Camouflage Pattern (OCP). Airman Battle Uniform phased out April 2021 | ||||
| Flight suit | 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 | Consists of shorts, T-shirt, jacket and pants. | ||||
| Service dress uniform | 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 | 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
- CMU – 33A/P22P-18 - Air Force issue personal flotation device
- Distributed Common Ground System- A weapons system which delivers information to Unmanned aerial vehicles
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Equipment of the United States Air Force.
- United States Air Force
- List of active United States military aircraft
- Equipment of the United States Armed Forces
- Equipment of the United States Navy
- Equipment of the United States Army
- Equipment of the United States Coast Guard
- Equipment of the United States Marine Corps
Sources
- 2024 World Air Forces (Report). Flight Global. 2023. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
- Church, Aaron M. U. (2023). USAF & USSF Almanac 2023 Weapons & Platforms (PDF). Air & Space Forces Magazine (Report). Air & Space Forces Association. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- Church, Aaron M. U. (2024). USAF & USSF Almanac 2024 Weapons & Platforms (PDF). Air & Space Forces Magazine (Report). Air & Space Forces Association. Retrieved 25 June 2024.
- "Department of Defense Report on Force Structure Changes for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Defense Budget" (PDF). Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller)/Chief Financial Officer. April 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
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