Tactical Air Command

Tactical Air Command
Tactical Air Command emblem
Active	21 March 1946– 1 June 1992
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Army Air Forces (21 March 1946 – 18 September 1947) United States Air Force (18 September 1947–1 June 1992)
Type	Major Command
Garrison/HQ	Langley Air Force Base

Tactical Air Command (TAC) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a

(ACC).

Tactical Air Command was established to provide a balance between strategic, air defense, and tactical forces of the post–World War II

assumed control over air defense, tactical air, and air reserve forces. After two years in a subordinate role, Tactical Air Command (TAC) was established as a major command.

In 1992, after assessing the mission of TAC and to accommodate a decision made regarding Strategic Air Command (SAC), Headquarters United States Air Force inactivated TAC and incorporated its resources into the newly created Air Combat Command.

History

Operational history

Dow AFB

, Maine, 1948. Visible AF serial numbers are 46–0548, 46–0535 and 46-0581.

World War II showed the effectiveness of tactical air power in supporting army ground forces. However, the rapid demobilization in late 1945 meant that the huge air armada that had brought Germany to her knees and victory in Europe had been downsized to a shadow of its former self.

Following the end of World War II, Headquarters United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) had little funding and most wartime personnel had been released from active duty and returned to civilian life. Many USAAF aircraft were being sent to storage or scrapyards, although the increasing tension with the Soviet Union meant that combat military air forces were still needed. The big questions were how large and what kind of forces.^[1]

A major realignment of the USAAF was undertaken in early 1946. As part of the realignment, three major command divisions within the Continental United States (CONUS) were formed:

. Each was given a specific responsibility, using assets prescribed to accomplish the assigned mission. Tactical Air Command was formed to command, organize, equip, train and administer assigned or attached forces. It was to plan for and participate in tactics for fighter, light bombardment and other aircraft. These included tactical fighters, tactical bombers, tactical missiles, troop carrier aircraft, assault, reconnaissance, and support units. TAC also planned for and developed the capability to deploy tactical striking forces anywhere in the world.

During its existence, Tactical Air Command deployed personnel, material and/or aircraft to Asia (both Pacific Rim/Southeast Asia and Southwest Asia/Middle East), Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Australia in support of its prescribed mission.

TAC's original authorization was 25,500 officers and enlisted men. Aircraft assets available consisted of propeller-driven

Berlin Airlift

Further information:

United States Air Forces in Europe

On 18 September 1947, the United States Air Force was established as a separate military force, with TAC as one of its major commands. Six months later, in March 1948, the first test of the United States' resolve began with the blockade of Berlin by the Soviet Union and the need for tactical air power in Europe to underscore the airlift mission was necessary.

At the time, there was only one

transports to Europe, where they were assigned to the troop carrier groups that had been sent to Germany for the airlift.

Consequently, the Soviet Union entered into negotiations with the United States, the United Kingdom and France which culminated in an agreement, signed on 5 May 1949, that resulted in the lifting of the blockade, but it did not settle the basic issue of freedom of access. Despite the resumption of surface traffic into the city, the airlift continued until 30 September to mass a reserve of food, fuel, and other supplies in the event the Soviets reimposed the blockade.

Continental Air Command

In December 1948, Air Defense Command (ADC) and TAC were brought together to form Continental Air Command (ConAC). HQ TAC was reduced to the status of an operational headquarters under CONAC. This move reflected an effort to concentrate all fighter forces deployed within the continental United States (CONUS) to strengthen the air defense of the North American continent.^[1] The creation of ConAC was largely an administrative convenience: the units assigned to ConAC were dual-trained and expected to revert to their primary strategic or tactical roles after the air defense battle was won. Two years later, on 1 December 1950, the Air Force reestablished Tactical Air Command as a major command and removed it from assignment to ConAC in large part due to the need to deploy personnel and aircraft to Japan and South Korea due to the Korean War.^[1]

Korean War

On the morning of 25 June 1950, the peace in South Korea was shattered by the sound of invading tanks. The North Korean army had crossed the 38th parallel and were driving south towards the South Korean capital of Seoul in an effort to unite the country under Communist rule. The United States Air Force, weakened by post-World War II demobilization, associated budget reductions, and preoccupied with the threat of the Soviet Union, was thrust into its first war as a separate service when North Korea invaded South Korea.

Air bases in the United States went on mobility alert to prepare for overseas movement in response to what was then described as the "Korean Emergency." Units from SAC and CONAC were deployed to Japan and South Korea, while Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard units were recalled to active duty and, in the case of the Air National Guard, placed under Federal Service in case they were needed. What started out as an emergency turned into a bona-fide war. The Korean War marked the creation of a professional Air Force that would grow in size and strength for decades to come.

From the start, the deployed tactical fighters and bombers to Japan and South Korea were effective. On 10 July a North Korean armored column was trapped at a bombed-out bridge near Pyongtaek.

and driven UN Command (UNC) forces into the sea.

By the end of August 1950, the initial North Korean onslaught was reversed and Seoul was retaken. As the United Nations forces advanced into North Korea, forces from the

Known TAC units and aircraft deployed to Far East Air Forces (1950–1953)

Units and aircraft were stationed both in South Korea and Japan and attached to

F-86 Sabre ) Deployed from: New Castle Airport, Delaware F-84 Thunderjet ) Deployed from: Clovis AFB, New Mexico B-26 Invader ) Deployed from: George AFB , California

67th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing (RF-80, RF-86, RB-26) Deployed from: March AFB , California C-119 Flying Boxcar ) Deployed from: Smyrna AFB, Tennessee 403rd Troop Carrier Wing (Medium) (C-119, C-47, C-54) Portland Airport, Oregon

United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)

Further information:

United States Air Forces in Europe

Even with the active war in Korea raging, in the early 1950s Europe received a higher priority of air power than Korea by the Truman Administration and the Department of Defense. Deterring the threat of a Communist takeover of Western Europe was considered more important to the long-term survival of the United States than a Communist victory in Korea.

In September 1950,

The USAF reassigned combat wings from TAC to USAFE during the period from April 1951 through December 1954. These were:[2]

• 81st Fighter-Interceptor Wing

Reassigned to: RAF Bentwaters, United Kingdom

• 47th Bombardment Wing, Light

Deployed to:

RAF Sculthorpe

, United Kingdom

(Remained assigned to TAC's 49th Air Division)

• 20th Fighter-Bomber Wing

Reassigned to:

RAF Wethersfield

, United Kingdom

• 406th Fighter-Bomber Wing

Reassigned to: RAF Manston, United Kingdom

• 66th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing

Reassigned to:

Sembach Air Base

, West Germany

• 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing

Reassigned to: Spangdahlem Air Base, West Germany

• 50th Fighter-Bomber Wing

Reassigned to: Hahn Air Base, West Germany

• 21st Fighter Bomber Wing

Reassigned to:

Chambley-Bussieres Air Base

, France

• 48th Fighter Bomber Wing

Activated at:

Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base

, France

(Replaced ANG 137th Fighter-Bomber Wing)

• 388th Fighter Bomber Wing

Reassigned to: Etain-Rouvres Air Base, France

• 60th Troop Carrier Wing

Reassigned to: Dreux-Louvillier Air Base, France

• 465th Troop Carrier Wing

Reassigned to: Toul-Rosières Air Base, France

• 38th Tactical Bombardment Wing (Light)

Reassigned to:

Laon-Couvron Air Base

, France

These wings gave USAFE and NATO approximately 500 fighters, 100 light bombers, 100 tactical reconnaissance aircraft, 100 tactical airlift transports, and 18,000 USAF personnel.

Rotational Deployments to Mediterranean Bases

With the phase-out of the

(16AF) was turned over to the USAFE on 15 April 1966.

Prior to 1966, TAC routinely deployed CONUS-based North American

were utilized to fill the need in Spain. These squadrons remained in Europe until 1970, when the drawdown in Vietnam allowed the squadrons from the 401st, which were deployed to Southeast Asia, to rejoin their home unit.

Composite Air Strike Force

see: Nineteenth Air Force

F-105 Thunderchief

. All except the F-102 served in TAC.

In the

(AAC).

In addition, the new Century Series of TAC fighters were making their first flights, designed from the lessons learned in the air over Korea. As these new fighters and new transport aircraft came on line, there were problems with each one. TAC pilots risked life and limb to iron out the problems and make these aircraft fully operational. Also, with the development of air refueling, TAC could now flex its muscles and demonstrate true global mobility. Deployments to Europe and the Far East became a way of life for TAC units. When Strategic Air Command abandoned its fighter escort force in 1957, those aircraft were transferred to TAC, further augmenting its strength.

The first deployment of the Composite Air Strike Force took place in July 1958 in response to an imminent coup d'état in Lebanon. TAC scrambled forces across the Atlantic to Turkey, where their presence was intended to force an end to the crisis. A similar CASF was deployed in response to conflicts between China and Taiwan in 1958.

CASF received another test in 1961, when the

.

In 1961, Secretary of Defense

Tactical missiles

Bitburg Air Base

, West Germany, 1958.

In 1949, TAC began testing the Martin B-61, later redesignated as

.

In 1954, an improved missile, the

Lowry AFB

, Colorado.

The

Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cold War took on a frightening phase in October 1962. Following the Bay of Pigs fiasco, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev increased Soviet aid to Cuba, including military supplies. In August 1962, the Soviet Union, with Cuban cooperation, began to build intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) and medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) sites on the island. The American intelligence community, suspicious of the construction on the island, needed tangible proof that Soviet ballistic missiles were being deployed to Cuba and called for photographic aerial reconnaissance.^[4]

Routine photo reconnaissance flights over Cuba revealed that the Soviet Union was, in fact, in the process of placing nuclear-armed missiles on that island. In response, the United States let it be known that any use of those missiles against any country in the Western Hemisphere would be considered as an attack on the United States and a full nuclear response on the Soviet Union would be the result. The United States and the Soviet Union stood eyeball to eyeball at the brink of a nuclear exchange.

Photographic Reconnaissance

Keesler AFB

, Mississippi Air Park.

On 11 October 1962, Headquarters

While the SAC U-2s flew high-altitude reconnaissance missions, the staff of the

SAC and TAC reconnaissance aircraft were further augmented by reconnaissance aircraft of the

P-3 Orion

maritime patrol aircraft operating from various bases tracked Soviet ships and submarines transiting to and from Cuba.

Wright-Patterson AFB

, Ohio

While aircrews went on alert, support personnel expanded the base photo laboratory facilities and installed additional photo vans and darkrooms. Because of a shortage of adequate facilities, aircrews and other airmen occupied temporary, inadequate, wooden barracks that hampered crew rest. After trying off-base housing, the aircrews moved to permanent airmen's quarters on the base for the remainder of the deployment.[4] On 26 October, the 363rd launched the first flight of two low-level reconnaissance RF-101 aircraft. For the next three weeks, wing aircraft, by photographic and visual reconnaissance, gathered vital data, including prestrike intelligence, air-surveillance verification of Cuban buildup, and subsequent dismantling of the IRBM and MRBM sites and Soviet Ilyushin Il-28 jet tactical bombers. Because of the possibility of alternate sites and concealed storage facilities, the wing initiated intensive low-level aerial search efforts. Other flights returned with highly significant photographs of missiles and related equipment on docks at Cuban ports, the loading of Soviet freighters, and the deck cargo of Soviet ships entering and leaving Cuban ports. Consequently, the President of the United States was constantly aware of Soviet actions regarding the withdrawal of the missiles from Cuba.^[4]

Analysis of the 363d photographs provided a wide range of essential intelligence concerning Cuba. Frequent sorties over major Cuban airfields provided daily information on the number, type, and specific location of Cuban aircraft. Photos also revealed the number and location of assembled, partially assembled, or unassembled IL-28 Soviet twin-engine tactical bombers with a range of 1,500 miles. This information was vital to establish immediate air superiority if strike forces went into action. On one of these missions, the 363d discovered the first evidence of the existence of infrared homing air-to-air missiles (Soviet

Tactical Air Command combat aircraft deployment to Florida bases

SAC ordered continual U-2 reconnaissance flights over Cuba and, at the same time, ordered the redeployment of its medium and heavy bombers and tanker aircraft from its three Florida bases,

19AF's commander headed the main air operations center, the Air Force Atlantic Advanced Operational Nucleus (ADVON). Augmented by airmen and officers from other TAC air forces, Air Force Atlantic ADVON soon controlled nearly 1,000 aircraft and 7,000 men and women. During the Cuban Missile Crisis four primary Air Elements were organized and postured in Florida. Air Force record cards and historical records contain the following information:

McCoy AFB

, FL by the 4 TFW during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

McCoy AFB

, FL. The aircraft is marked as the Wing Commander's aircraft.

• HQ, Air Force Provisional 33 (Fighter Recon). Organized at
  Homestead AFB
  and assigned to TAC, with attachment to Air Force Atlantic (Main). The Air Division Provisional 1, 2, and 3 were assigned as elements at the same time.
• HQ, Air Division Provisional 1 was organized at
  Homestead AFB and assigned to the Air Force Provisional 33 (Fighter Reconnaissance). On 29 Oct 1962, the division was relieved from assignment to Air Force Provisional 33 and assigned directly to TAC. At the same time, it was attached to the Air Force Atlantic (ADVON). Serving in the division were deployed elements of the following wings:^[8]

Homestead AFB

Florida, 24 Oct-9 Nov 1962

England AFB

, Louisiana, 24 Oct-9 Nov 1962

Cannon AFB

, New Mexico, 24 Oct-9 Nov 1962

Altogether, the 1st Provisional Air Division included a force of 181 F-100 fighter aircraft and over 1,600 personnel.

• HQ, Air Division Provisional 2 was also organized at
  McCoy AFB
  , Florida, and assigned to AF Prov 33 (Ftr Recon). On 29 Oct 1962, the division was relieved from assignment to 33 AF Prov 33 (Ftr Recon) and assigned directly to TAC, with attachment to AF Atlantic (ADVON).

Seymour Johnson AFB

, North Carolina, 21 Oct-c. 29 Nov 1962

Myrtle Beach AFB

, South Carolina, 21 Oct–1 Dec 1962

Langley AFB

, Virginia

• HQ, Air Division Provisional 3 was organized at
  MacDill AFB
  , Florida, and assigned to AF Prov 33 (Ftr Recon). On 29 Oct 1962, the division was relieved from assignment to 33 AF Prov 33 (Ftr Recon) and assigned directly to TAC, with attachment to AF Atlantic (ADVON).

MacDill AFB

, Florida

MacDill AFB

, Florida

Cannon AFB

, New Mexico, 21 Oct-1 Dec 1962

Shaw AFB

, South Carolina, 21 Oct-30 Nov 1962

Civilian airports in

Miami, Florida

also received TAC Units.

Like the Navy's RF-8A Crusaders, TAC

General

Crisis resolution

AFOUA to the 363 TRW in 1962 in recognition of the unit's actions associated with the Cuban Missile Crisis

.

While the invasion forces gathered in Florida, Kennedy ordered the

The quarantine began on 24 October and tensions mounted as the Soviets continued to work on the missile sites and their ships continued moving toward Cuba. Then on 26 October, Khrushchev sent another message in which he offered to withdraw or destroy the weapons in Cuba, provided the United States would lift the blockade and promise not to invade the island. The increasing tempo in the military, however, continued unabated. SAC ordered over sixty B-52 bombers to continue on airborne alert, while TAC forces in Florida assumed a one-hour alert and prepared to go to a fifteen-minute alert, which involved pilots waiting in aircraft for launch orders.[4]

After a heated debate Robert Kennedy met with the Soviet Ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Dobrynin, and in effect, promised to remove obsolete American PGM-19 Jupiter MRBMs from Turkey. This promise was sufficient and the next day the Soviet Union informed the United States that the missiles in Cuba would be withdrawn. The Soviets began turning their ships around, packing up the missiles in Cuba, and dismantling the launch pads. As the work progressed, the Air Force started to redeploy aircraft back to home bases and lower the alert status.^[4] The United States and Soviet Union stepped back from the brink, and the crisis was resolved without armed conflict. Never in the history of the Cold War had the United States and the Soviet Union come so very close to mutual nuclear destruction.^[1]

New Aircraft

In 1962, the Air Force commenced evaluation of the US Navy/US Marine Corps

In 1960, DoD also combined a USAF requirement for a new fighter-bomber to ostensibly replace TAC's

USAF also acquired a number of other USN aircraft originally designed for aircraft carrier use and pressed them into USAF service. This included the transfer of the piston-engine Douglas A-1 Skyraider in its A-1E and A-1H variants being retired from the Navy inventory in the mid-1960s for close air support, rescue aircraft escort, and special operations duties in Vietnam, as well as the Navy's LTV A-7 Corsair II light attack bomber in new production numbers, the USAF versions of which were designated A-7D and A-7K.

In the case of the A-7, the USAF was initially reluctant to take on yet another Navy-designed aircraft, but on 5 November 1965,

Pacific Air Forces and the Vietnam War

Cannon AFB, New Mexico

.

George AFB

, California in 1965.

Hill AFB, Utah

.

During the tenure of the Kennedy Administration, as an additional background to the Cold War there was the onset of low intensity guerrilla wars and wars of insurgency with proxies of the Soviet Union. During 1963, the situation in South Vietnam was heating up on a daily basis and more and more "military advisors" were being sent to that small country in Southeast Asia.^[14]

Special Operations Units

Air Force

teams operating deep inside enemy territory. As the war in Vietnam intensified, additional air commando units were organized in Southeast Asia. In 1968, these units were redesignated as "Special Operations" squadrons.

Tactical Fighters

In response to what has become known as the

PACAF

. As the American effort in Southeast Asia increased, TAC used a process of deploying squadrons to PACAF-operated bases in South Vietnam and Thailand, with the squadrons being attached temporarily on rotational deployments or being permanently reassigned to the PACAF wing.

For the next decade, TAC would be consumed by operations in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. On a daily basis, flight crews trained by TAC would hurl themselves and their planes at targets across the area of operations, to include over the skies of North Vietnam. As the command responsible for training aircrews for overseas duty, TAC maintained Readiness Training Units in the United States to train pilots and other aircrew members for fighters, reconnaissance and troop carrier (redesignated tactical airlift after 1 July 1966) squadrons in the Pacific.

Troop Carrier

In December 1964, TAC deployed a squadron of

To support the increased military strength in Southeast Asia, TAC also began deploying its

for operations in Southeast Asia.

1972 Spring Invasion

In 1970, the war was beginning to wind down as the conflict was being Vietnamized. Units from the

Bombing of North Vietnam (Operation Rolling Thunder) had ended in 1968, and as a result, North Vietnamese forces had built up their air defenses and continued to pour men and equipment into the South via the Ho Chi Minh trail. By the beginning of 1972 there were only about 235 USAF tactical combat aircraft in Southeast Asia.^[14] Vietnamization was severely tested by the Easter Offensive of 1972, a massive conventional invasion of South Vietnam by North Vietnamese Army forces in spring 1972. On 30 March 1972, the People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) launched an all out invasion of South Vietnam with over 13 divisions, pushing South Vietnamese units aside with little difficulty. President Nixon stepped up air strikes to turn back the invasion, or at least to slow it down.^[14]

In response to the invasion, TAC deployed both squadrons and wings to air bases in Thailand. Known units deployed were:^[2]

• Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base

8th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Eglin AFB, Florida (F-4E)

414th Fighter Weapons Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nevada (F-4E)

• Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base

4th Tactical Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina (F-4D)

• Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base

49th Tactical Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, New Mexico (F-4D)

By October 1972, the effect of the air campaign was being felt in North Vietnam. North Vietnamese delegates returned to the bargaining table in Paris to engage in peace talks in a serious manner. Besides the pressure from USAF, USN and USMC tactical fighters, fighter-bombers and fighter aircraft, as well as USAF

Uneasy Peace 1973

On 27 January 1973, the

The accords effectively ended United States military operations in North and South Vietnam. Laos and Cambodia, however, were not signatories to the Paris agreement and remained in states of war with their internal rebel forces.^[16]

The United States was helping the Royal Laotian government achieve whatever advantage possible before working out a settlement with the Laotian communists and their allies. The USAF flew combat sorties over Laos during January and February 1973. On 17 April, the USAF flew its last mission over Laos, working a handful of targets requested by the Laotian government.^[16]

In Cambodia, there was no peace in 1973. Local communist insurgents of the

Congressional pressure in Washington grew against these bombings, and on 30 June 1973, the United States Congress passed public law PL 93-50 and 93-52, which cut off all funds for combat in Cambodia and all of Indochina effective 15 August 1973. Air strikes by the USAF peaked just before the deadline, as the Cambodian Army engaged a force of about 10,000 Khmer Rouge rebels that encircled Phnom Penh.^[16]

The last shot fired in anger in Southeast Asia was by a TAC

, based at Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base over the suburbs of Phnom Penh. By the end of 1975, all TAC units and aircraft were withdrawn from Southeast Asia.

Known TAC units and aircraft deployed to Southeast Asia (1964–1975)

source[2]

Post-Vietnam era

Hard lessons had been learned during the Vietnam War. New methods of projecting global air power had been perfected and several new types of aircraft were developed as a result of some of the lessons and shortcomings that had been learned in the skies over Hanoi.

The first of these was the

, Virginia in November 1974. Training on the new type, which also included twin seat F-15B versions, began at once.

The

.

Finally, the

Hill AFB

, Utah in January 1979. With the cost of acquiring the F-15 continuing to escalate in the early and mid-1970s, the F-16 was the successful design of the USAF Lightweight Fighter (LWF) competition, increasing overall USAF tactical fighter numbers with a multi-mission fighter that could replace those F-4 Phantom IIs not replaced by the F-15 in the air-to-air role and being able to concurrently assumed the F-4's role in air-to-ground / interdiction roles.

Divestment of Tactical Airlift

It was found during the Vietnam War that there was a large duplication of aerial port facilities and mission objectives between

Inactivation of Aerospace Defense Command and assumption of the Continental Air Defense mission

In early 1977, strong congressional pressure to reduce USAF management "overhead", and the personal conviction of the Air Force Chief of Staff that substantial savings could be realized without a reduction in operational capability, resulted in the disestablishment of Aerospace Defense Command (ADC) as a USAF major command.^[22]

ADC was inactivated on 1 October 1979, with its "atmospheric" resources e.g., its Regular Air Force and Air National Guard

during the Vietnam War.

The new command was, essentially, a transition organization between ADC, and the transfer of the continental air defense mission from a combination of the Regular Air Force and the Air National Guard to one totally residing in TAC-gained assets of the Air National Guard by 1990.^[23]

Red Flag Aggressor training

The

and Allied nations.

The origin of Red Flag was the unacceptable performance of U.S. Air Force pilots and weapon systems officers in air combat maneuvering (ACM) (air-to-air combat) during the Vietnam War in comparison to previous wars. Air combat over North Vietnam between 1965 and 1973 led to an overall exchange ratio (ratio of enemy aircraft shot down to the number of own aircraft lost to enemy fighters) of 2.2:1. In fact, for a period of time in June and July 1972 during Operation Linebacker, the ratio was less than 1:1.

The aggressor units at Red Flag were originally equipped with readily available

Tiger II fighters, painted in color schemes commonly found on Soviet and Warsaw Pact aircraft, were added shortly thereafter and became the mainstay until the F-16 was introduced in the mid/late 1980s.

The Red Flag exercises, conducted in four to six cycles per year by the 414th Combat Training Squadron evolved into very realistic large scale aerial war games, the purpose being to train pilots and navigators/weapon systems officers/electronic warfare officers and air battle managers from the U.S., NATO and other allied countries for real combat situations. This includes the use of "enemy" hardware and live ammunition for bombing exercises within the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR).^[1]

Operation Eagle Claw and divestment of USAF Special Operations forces

MC-130E "Combat Talon" Special Operations aircraft from Hurlburt Field

, Florida.

MC-130

E, AF Ser. No. 64-0564, and "Dragon 2" crew just before departing for Desert One.

In 1978, the unrest in Iran against the pro-U.S. monarch, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and his autocratic rule boiled over into a revolution. In January 1979, the Shah fled Iran to exile in Egypt and Iran was turned into an "Islamic Republic." On 22 October 1979, the Shah was allowed to travel to the United States for further medical treatment, causing widespread anger in Iran. Furious at what was called "evidence of American plotting" by the Iranian revolutionaries, the American Embassy in Tehran was taken over by a group of armed revolutionaries in violation of accepted diplomatic practices and international law, with the entire staff becoming hostages. While the situation was trying to be resolved through diplomatic means, no real progress was gained for the release of the hostages. In a bold plan, U.S. military forces were instructed to come up with a course of action to go into Iran and free the hostages by force of arms.^[15]

In April 1980, TAC air assets were deployed to areas close to Iran to be ready if and when Washington gave the "GO" signal.

From the start, it appeared that the operation was running into problems. After launching from the aircraft carrier

The failure of the various services to work together with cohesion forced the establishment of new organizational structures within the services and eventually a new multi-service organization. In 1984, TAC transferred all of it special operations units, aircraft and personnel to

USAF Thunderbirds

For most of its history, the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron (USAF ADS), better known as the

T-38 Talon

advanced jet trainer. The rationale for the change to a trainer was purely economical in an era of post-Vietnam fiscal austerity, since five T-38s used the same amount of fuel needed for one F-4 Phantom II. The switch to the T-38 also saw an alteration of the team's flight routine to exhibit the aircraft's maneuverability in tight turns.

In January 1982, a devastating accident during a training flight claimed the lives of four USAF ADS pilots at their primary practice facility,

Block 52 F-16C/D.^[1]

Fourth generation jet fighter aircraft

Carswell AFB

), TX.

Shaw AFB

, SC, 29 September 1993.

Seymour Johnson AFB

, NC.

Cannon AFB

, NM.

Holloman AFB

, NM.

The late 1970s through 1992 were a transition era for most TAC fighter wings, replacing their third generation Vietnam-Era fighter and attack aircraft such as the

North American F-86 Sabre

entered the USAF inventory in the 1950s. Conversely, the F-16 was designed for a multi-mission fighter-bomber role, replacing the F-4D/Es, while the A-10 was designed to fill the close air support mission of the A-7D.

Although developed and initially deployed in the late 1970s, budgetary constraints limited their deployment into the active duty forces. The Reagan Administration embarked on a massive overhaul of the United States armed forces and large numbers of these aircraft were ordered and deployed to front line active duty Air Force wings beginning in 1983.

The upgrade was not limited to first line USAF units, as beginning in 1985,

OV-10s in the Regular Air Force, the A-7 and A-37 close air support aircraft, along with newly produced twin-seat A-7Ks, were flown by many ANG squadrons, often training with both Regular Army and Army National Guard

combat units in ground support operations. The last A-7D/Ks were retired in 1993, being replaced in the ANG by A-10s and F-16C/Ds.

In 1984, a new version of the 1960s

Douglas RB/EB-66

of the 1950s and 1960s that served in the Vietnam War.

A new version of the F-15, the

Seymour Johnson AFB

, North Carolina on 29 December 1988.

Across the Nevada desert skies in the 1980s, there were reports of strange lights in the night skies, with some of these reports explained as possible UFOs. Most of these reports seem to come from the area around

Have Blue

reduced radar cross-section (RCS) research aircraft. Although ostensibly designated as a "fighter," the F-117 was actually a precision light bomber with no air-to-air combat capability.

The F-117 was a well-kept secret throughout the 1980s. The first prototype aircraft had first flown in 1981 and one had crashed in June 1984 in the Nevada desert. It took another crash of the aircraft in California in 1988 to finally lift the veil of secrecy. On 9 May 1992, four Lockheed F-117A Nighthawks from the

49th Tactical Fighter Wing.^[1]

Collapse of the Warsaw Pact

One of the effects of this massive buildup of American military might during the 1980s was pressure inside of the Soviet Union to match the United States. However, internal pressures inside the Soviet Union for increased freedoms, along with economic pressures led to the loosening of their control in Eastern Europe. In 1989, one by one of these nations in Eastern Europe began to rebel against their Communist governments, leading to the opening of the Berlin Wall in November. The mighty Warsaw Pact as well as the Soviet Union was crumbling from within.

It was clear that the threat the western democracies faced in Europe was coming to an end as the Soviet Union imploded from within. As a result of the end of Cold War tensions, the United States began a period of downsizing the military. The Base Realignment and Closure (or BRAC) process was developed in an attempt to achieve the government's goal of closing and realigning military installations.

Through the BRAC process, numerous active duty, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve bases and stations were marked for closing and units were inactivated. Beginning in 1988, some units became what were called "Super Wings," comprising more than one unit and aircraft type, along with several different missions. With all of the cutbacks it seemed that any type of major armed conflict was a thing of the past.^[1]

Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm

In 1980, Tactical Air Command units of TAC's

United States Central Command Air Forces

(CENTAF), the USAF component command of USCENTCOM, which was also headquartered at Shaw AFB as a combined organization with 9th Air Force. Starting in 1981, Ninth Air Force aircraft and personnel were deployed to Egypt for Exercise BRIGHT STAR, an evolution that would continue biennially for the rest of the decade.

On 2 August 1990, ground forces of Iraq invaded Kuwait without warning. President George H. W. Bush proclaimed that the situation was not tolerable and with that he drew a what was referred to as "a line in the sand." The United States took their case to the United Nations, and the UN in turn condemned the actions of Iraq and proclaimed that they must withdraw. Iraq refused to withdraw from the small country, claiming it as being part of their sovereign territory. The United States, now backed by United Nations mandates, again told the Iraqi leadership to withdraw or suffer the results of continued aggression.

In response to the invasion, the largest military buildup since the Vietnam War commenced. By 15 August, the 1 TFW had deployed F-15Cs and F-15Ds in a fifteen-hour non-stop flight from their home station at

Langley AFB, Virginia to Dhahran

, Saudi Arabia. They were standing alert within hours of their arrival and Operation Desert Shield was underway.

By January 1991, numerous of TAC combat squadrons had been deployed as part of Desert Shield. Diplomacy had failed to resolve the situation and Iraq had been given the ultimatum, "...get out of Kuwait or suffer the wrath of the United Nations Coalition." Leaders from Iraq proclaimed that if the UN forces crossed into Iraqi territory they would suffer the "Mother of all battles," and as the deadline came and passed, there was no movement of Iraqi forces that indicated a pullback.

In the early morning hours of 17 January 1991, anti-aircraft batteries in Baghdad erupted as the first strikes by F-117A Nighthawks hit critical command and control targets in the Iraqi capital. Operation Desert Storm had begun.

During the next few hours, USAF tactical air assets, along with

French Air Force, Royal Saudi Air Force and Free Kuwait Air Force

tactical aircraft, pounded command and control facilities, bridges, and other lines of communication. USAF Wild Weasel F-4Gs went after Iraqi SAM sites like they had in Vietnam, while USAF A-10s hunted Iraqi tanks and troops. In the first three days of the air war, eleven Iraqi aircraft were shot down by USAF F-15Cs.

During the six-week air war, any and all Iraqi military assets were targeted by Coalition attack aircraft. The Iraqis responded by launching Soviet-built

SCUD ballistic missiles against targets in Israel and the Arabian peninsula. With no accurate guidance system, the SCUD missies were very similar to the German V-2 rocket

when it came to hitting a specific target. SCUDs that launched returned to earth with a chance of hitting something in the general area that it was pointed at. Classified as a terror weapon, the SCUDs became a top priority for TAC, USN/USMC and Coalition aircraft to find the mobile launching sites and destroy them.

The ground war began in late February 1991 and lasted approximately 100 hours. TAC close air support A-10 aircraft supported ground forces as they had trained for in the United States and Europe for well over a decade. Military planners and Washington officials were correct when they proclaimed that the war in the desert would "...not be another Viet Nam," and Desert Storm would go into the history books as one of TAC's most shining moments.[1]^[24]

Known TAC units and aircraft deployed in Operation Desert Shield/Storm (1990–1991)

Operation Desert Storm

.

• 4th Tactical Fighter Squadron/388 TFW (F-16C/D)
  Hill AFB
  , UT
• 41st Electronic Combat Squadron /28th Air Division (EC-130H Compass Call)
  Davis-Monthan AFB
  , AZ
• 17th Tactical Fighter Squadron/363 TFW (F-16C/D)
  Shaw AFB
  , SC
• 23d Tactical Air Support Squadron/602 TACW (A-10A)
  Davis-Monthan AFB
  , AZ
• 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron/1 TFW (F-15C/D)
  Langley AFB
  , VA
• 33d Tactical Fighter Squadron/363 TFW (F-16C/D)
  Shaw AFB
  , SC
• 58th Tactical Fighter Squadron/33 TFW (F-15C/D)
  Eglin AFB
  , FL
• 69th Tactical Fighter Squadron/347 TFW (F-16C/D) Moody AFB, GA
• 71st Tactical Fighter Squadron/1 TFW (F-15C/D)
  Langley AFB
  , VA
• 74th Tactical Fighter Squadron/23 TFW (A-10A)
  England AFB
  , LA
• 76th Tactical Fighter Squadron/23 TFW (A-10A)
  England AFB
  , LA
• 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron/4 TFW (F-15E)
  Seymour Johnson AFB
  , NC
• 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron/4 TFW (F-15E)
  Seymour Johnson AFB
  , NC
• 353d Tactical Fighter Squadron/354 TFW (A-10A)
  Myrtle Beach AFB
  , SC
• 355th Tactical Fighter Squadron/354 TFW (A-10A)
  Myrtle Beach AFB
  , SC
• 390th Electronic Combat Squadron/366 TFW (EF-111A)
  Mountain Home AFB
  , ID
• 415th Tactical Fighter Squadron/37 TFW (F-117A) Tonopah Test Range Airport, NV
• 416th Tactical Fighter Squadron/37 TFW (F-117A) Tonopah Test Range Airport, NV
• 421st Tactical Fighter Squadron/388 TFW (F-16C/D)
  Hill AFB
  , UT
• 561st Tactical Fighter Squadron/35 TFW (F-4G)
  George AFB
  , CA
• Tinker AFB
  , OK
• 964th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron/552 ACW (E-3B/C)
  Tinker AFB
  , OK
• 965th Airborne Warning and Control Squadron/552 ACW (E-3B/C)
  Tinker AFB
  , OK
• 12th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron/67 TRW (RF-4C)
  Bergstrom AFB
  , TX

(Does not include

United States Air Forces in Europe)^[2]

Inactivation of Tactical Air Command and establishment of Air Combat Command

Operation Desert Storm was also the swan song for Tactical Air Command. The planning and execution of the mission was the result of 45 years of TAC being honed into one of the most effective military organizations in history. Following the 1991 Gulf War and the end of the Cold War

, U.S. military planners perceived a serious blurring between the responsibilities of TAC and SAC. The collapse of the former Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War led senior defense planners to conclude that the structure of the military establishment which had evolved during the Cold War years was not suited to the new world situation. As shown by Desert Shield / Desert Storm, U.S. military forces would increasingly be called upon to participate in smaller-scale regional contingencies and humanitarian operations.

In a post-Cold War / post-Desert Storm environment, General

Langley AFB, Virginia marked the inactivation of TAC and the activation of ACC. General Loh, who had commanded TAC until its inactivation, became the first commander of ACC.^[24]

Lineage

• Established as Tactical Air Command and activated on 21 March 1946

Reduced from major command status, and assigned to Continental Air Command as a subordinate operational command, 1 December 1948

Returned to major command status. 1 December 1950

Inactivated on 1 June 1992

• Consolidated with Air Combat Command as Air Combat Command on 26 September 2016[25]

Assignments

• HQ, United States Army Air Forces, 21 March 1946
• HQ, United States Air Force, 27 September 1947
• Continental Air Command, 1 December 1948
• HQ, United States Air Force, 1 December 1950 – 1 June 1992

Stations

Further information:

Major bases and units of Tactical Air Command

Headquarters

• MacDill Field, Florida, 21 March 1946
• Langley AAF (later Langley AFB), Virginia
  , 26 May 1946 – 1 June 1992

Major components

Air Forces

• First Air Force, 6 December 1985 – 1 June 1992
• Ninth Air Force, 28 March 1946 – 1 December 1948; 1 December 1950 – 1 June 1992
• Twelfth Air Force, 17 May 1946 – 1 December 1948; 1 January 1958 – 1 June 1992
• Eighteenth Air Force, 28 March 1951 – 1 January 1958
• Nineteenth Air Force, 8 July 1955 – 2 July 1973
• Air Defense, Tactical Air Command, 1 October 1979 – 6 December 1985

Named Units/Air Divisions

• Air Forces Panama (830th Air Division), 1 January 1976 – 11 February 1992

831st Air Division (1957–1971; 1980–1991) George AFB (Western United States) 832d Air Division (1957–1975; 1990–1991) Cannon AFB (Southwestern United States) 833d Air Division (1964–1969; 1990–1991) Seymour Johnson AFB (Mid-Atlantic United States) 834th Air Division (1957–1959) England AFB (South Central United States) 835th Air Division (1964–1971) McConnell AFB (Midwest United States)

836th Air Division (1957–1971; 1981–1992) MacDill AFB (Southeast United States) 837th Air Division (1958–1963) Shaw AFB , (Tactical Reconnaissance Wings) 838th Air Division (1957–1969) Forbes AFB (Troop Carrier Wings) 839th Air Division (1957–1974) Sewart AFB (Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Wings) 840th Air Division (1964–1969) Lockbourne AFB (Troop Carrier/Tactical Airlift Wings)

Major Aircraft

Fighters / Attack / Reconnaissance Douglas A-1 Skyraider Ling-Temco-Vought A-7 Corsair II Fairchild-Republic A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II Cessna A-37 Dragonfly McDonnell Douglas F-4/RF-4 Phantom II Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighter McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon North American P-51/F-51 Mustang Lockheed P-80/F-80/RF-80 Shooting Star Republic P-47/F-47 Thunderbolt Republic Aviation F-84/RF-84 Thunderjet North American F-82 Twin Mustang North American F-86 Sabre North American F-100 Super Sabre McDonnell F-101/RF-101 Voodoo Lockheed F-104 Starfighter Republic F-105 Thunderchief Convair F-106 Delta Dart General Dynamics F-111

Trainers North American T-6 Texan North American T-28 Trojan Convair T-29 Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star Northrop T-38 Talon Observation Cessna O-1 Bird Dog Cessna O-2 Skymaster North American OV-10 Bronco Cargo/Transports/Attack/Electronic Warfare/Special Mission de Havilland Canada C-7 Caribou Douglas C-47/AC-47/EC-47 Skytrain Fairchild C-82 Packet Fairchild C-119/AC-119 Flying Boxcar General Dynamics EF-111 Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star Fairchild C-123 Provider Lockheed C-130/AC-130/EC-130/ MC-130 Hercules Boeing E-3 AWACS Boeing EC-135 AW&CP Boeing E-8 Joint STARS

Bombers Douglas B-29/RB-26/A-26 Invader Martin B-57/RB-57 Canberra Douglas B-66/RB-66/EB-66 Destroyer Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk Tankers Boeing KB-29 Superfortress Boeing KB-50 Superfortress Boeing KC-97 Stratofreighter Helicopters Bell UH-1 Huey Hiller OH-23 Raven Hughes H-6 Sikorsky MH-53H/MH-53J/MH-53M Pave Low Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk Sikorsky H-19 Chickasaw Sikorsky H-5 Sikorsky R-4 Sikorsky S-62 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk

P-series (Pursuit) designation changed to F-series (Fighter) designation in 1947.
Source for lineage, assignments, stations, components, aircraft^[2][26][27]

See also

• List of commanders of Tactical Air Command

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency Photo Credits:

• Baugher, Joe. USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to present. USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers—1908 to present
• Donald, David, "Century Jets – USAF Frontline Fighters of the Cold War".
• Martin, Patrick, Tail Code: The Complete History of USAF Tactical Aircraft Tail Code Markings, 1994
• Menard, David, Before Centuries USAFE Fighters 1948–1959, 1998

References:

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k l m n} Hill, Mike and Campbell, John, Tactical Air Command – An Illustrated History 1946–1992, 2001
2. ^
   ISBN 0-912799-12-9
3. ^ USAF Organizations in Korea 1950–1953 Archived 13 January 2009 at the Wayback Machine United States Air Force Office of Historical Research, Maxwell AFB, Alabama
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j k} "Air Force Historical Support Division > Home" (PDF). afhso.af.mil. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
5. ^ "Cuban Missile Crisis". vfp62.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
6. ^ Ravenstein, Charles A. Air Force Combat Wings Lineage and Honors Histories 1947–1977. Office of Air Force History, 1984.
7. ^ "Air Force Historical Support Division > Home" (PDF). afhso.af.mil. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
8. ^ "News". www.aviano.af.mil. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
9. ^ "CIA Documents on the Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962". allworldwars.com. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
10. ^ "Factsheets : McDonnell F-110A". Archived from the original on 20 December 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
11. ^ "Fact Sheets : McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II : McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II". www.nationalmuseum.af.mil. Archived from the original on 10 September 2007.
12. ^ "Fact Sheets : General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark : General Dynamics F-111A Aardvark". Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 28 December 2007.
13. ^ ^{a b} "Factsheets : General Dynamics F-111D to F". Archived from the original on 31 May 2010. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
14. ^ ^{a b c d e f} Schlight, John (1996), A War Too Long: The History of the USAF in Southeast Asia, 1961–1975, Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force
15. ^ ^{a b c d e} Thigpen, Jerry L. (2001). The Praetorian STARShip: The untold story of the Combat Talon. Air University Press, Maxwell AFB, Alabama. ASIN: B000116LSI
16. ^
    ISBN 0-7864-0084-6
    .
17. ^ "Da Nang Vietnam | A great WordPress.com site | Page 5". Archived from the original on 19 August 2014.
18. ^ "National Museum of the USAF - Fact Sheet (Printable) : F-100 SUPER SABRE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA". www.nationalmuseum.af.mil. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014.
19. ^ "North American F-100D Super Sabre".
20. ^ "23d Air Base Group".
21. ^ Anything, anywhere, anytime: an illustrated history of the Military Airlift Command, 1941–1991, Headquarters Military Airlift Command (1991)
22. ^ Aerospace Defense Command
23. ^ Air Defense, Tactical Air Command
24. ^ ^{a b} Rogers, Brian, United States Air Force Unit Designations Since 1978, 2005
25. ^ DAF/A1M Letter 694t:, Consolidation of Tactical Air Command and Air Combat Command, 7 September 2016
26. ^ "Air Force Historical Research Agency". www.afhra.af.mil. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
27. ^ Mueller, Robert, Air Force Bases Volume I, Active Air Force Bases Within the United States of America on 17 September 1982, Office of Air Force History, 1989

External links

• The Berlin Airlift
• North American Aerospace Defense Command
• U.S. Air Force in the Korean War
• United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE)
• United States Pacific Air Forces (PACAF)
• Airpower and the Cuban Missile Crisis
• Articles on Tactical Airpower During the Vietnam War
• The 82nd Fighter Group