Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command coat of arms

The Air Combat Command ( ACC ; German  air combat command ) is the largest of ten main commandos of the United States Air Force (USAF), with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base , Virginia . The ACC is the most important main command and forms the core of the USAF, both because of its extensive operational profile and because of the large number of aircraft and soldiers. General James M. Holmes has been in command since March 2017 .

history

The Air Combat Command was formed on June 1, 1992 through the merger of Strategic Air Command and Tactical Air Command , since after the end of the Cold War and with the new type of warfare of the US armed forces since the Second Gulf War in 1991, the distinction between tactical and strategic Missions had become obsolete. Until 30 June 1993 the ACC were the ICBMs assigned that since the Air Force Space Command are subordinate. The missiles have been subordinate to the Global Strike Command since 2009 .

assignment

The tasks of the ACC include aerial combat and attack, close ground combat support , bombing , aerial reconnaissance and surveillance.

organization

Air Combat Command bases

The ACC is integrated into various higher-level functional commands: the units equipped with nuclear weapons are part of the Strategic Command , while the air defense forces belong to the North American Aerospace Defense Command . The ACC headquarters forms the component of the Joint Forces Command responsible for the airspace . In addition, the units of the Air Combat Command are also assigned to the regional commands, such as the United States Northern Command . General John DW Corley has been in command since October 2, 2007 .

The following units are subordinate to the Air Combat Command:

• 1st Air Force (jointly with the Air National Guard ) with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base
• 8th Air Force , Barksdale Air Force Base
• 9th Air Force , Shaw Air Force Base
• 12th Air Force , Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

There is also the Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency , the USAF Warfare Center at Nellis Air Force Base for advanced pilot training, testing new tactics and techniques, the Thunderbirds aerobatic team and the Air and Space Expeditionary Force Center . Parts of the 10th Air Force and units of the Air National Guard can be assigned to the ACC if necessary.

equipment

Around 1200 aircraft are assigned to the Air Combat Command itself, plus around 860 of the reserve forces if necessary. At the beginning of 2008, the equipment included the following types and types of aircraft:

• Bombers : 56 B-1B , 19 B-2 and 75 B-52 (as of October 2014)
• Combat / attack aircraft : (O) A-10 , F-15 , F-16 , F-22 , MQ-1 Predator , MQ-9 Reaper
• Reconnaissance / Surveillance Aircraft: E-3 , E-4 , E-8 , EC-130 , O / R / WC-135 , U-2 , RQ-1 , RQ-4 Global Hawk
• as well as some helicopters ( HH-60 ) and trainers ( T-38 )

At the end of September 2007, the ACC's staff consisted of around 83,600 active service soldiers and 10,400 civilian employees. The Air National Guard will add 46,900 men and women as needed, and an additional 10,500 from Air Force Reserve Command .

Web links

• Homepage of the ACC

Individual evidence

1. ↑ B-52 Boost, C-27A Break-up, C-17 Bed-down . In: AIR International November 2014, p. 18
2. ↑ See Air Force Magazine 05/2008, page 96ff.