United States
Armed Forces
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The Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, was built during the early years of World War II. This is the southwest side. (Sept. 2011)
Introduction
The United States armed forces consist of six branches of military service that cover four potential areas of conflict: land, sea, air, and space. Note that the U.S. Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security, not the Department of Defense, so it has a somewhat ambiguous position vis a vis the Pentagon. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) consist of a chairman, a vice-chairman, and the commanding officers of the five other military branches, as well as (since 2012) the bureau chief of the National Guard. Since 1986, the JCS has served as a purely advisory function and has not been part of the military chain of command. Under Article II of the U.S. Constitution, the president is the commander in chief of the armed forces.
- U.S. Army (1775)
- U.S. Navy (1775)
- U.S. Marine Corps (part of the Navy)
- U.S. Air Force (1947)
- U.S. Coast Guard (1790)
- U.S. Space Force (2020)
Top ~ Ground forces ~ Naval forces ~ Air forces
U.S. ground forces composition
This M60 (or possibly M47 or M48) "Patton" main battle tank is located in Dayton, Virginia. It serves as a monument in honor of residents of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County who have served in the U.S. armed forces. (Jan. 2013)
The U.S. Army currently consists of ten active-duty divisions (about 17,000 troops each at full strength), one division headquarters, and assorted smaller units. Most divisions consist of three maneuver brigades ("brigade combat teams" of about 5,000 troops each) which may be either armored, mechanized, "Stryker" (wheeled armored vehicles), or light infantry, as well as a field artillery brigade, a combat aviation brigade (helicopters), and a "sustainment" (logistics) brigade. Only the maneuver brigades are indicated in the interactive map below.
The U.S. Marines consist of three divisions (about 20,000 troops each), each of which heads a "Marine Expeditionary Force" (MEF), including dedicated air and naval units, as well as a few smaller-level units. During the latter part of the Cold War, each MEF included a substantial number of tanks and other armored vehicles, enabling them to fight in a mechanized environment. Since 2019, the Marines have begun a transition toward the traditional emphasis on lighter infantry units designed to deploy rapidly and fight in a variety of contingencies around the globe. Accordingly, all Marine armored battalions are being deactivated. A standard Marine division consists of three regiments.
U.S. Army & Marines weapons
This list only includes the principal types of armored fighting vehicles, artillery, but not light weapons such as machine guns. There are approximately 2,384 M1 tanks in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps inventory, not including those in storage. M60s remained in use by the Marines during the first decade of this century, but are considered obsolescent and have all been withdrawn from service. (NOTE: Data on numbers incomplete.)
- 2,384 M1 Abrams main battle tanks (+3,000 in storage)
- 10,000 M60 tanks (all in storage)
- ??? M113 armored personnel carriers
- ??? M2 (M3) Bradley infantry (or cavalry) fighting vehicle
- ??? M1126 (etc.) Stryker infantry carrier vehicle
- ??? LAV-25 Light Armored Vehicle
- ??? M109 self-propelled howitzer (155mm)
U.S. ground forces deployment
The following map summarizes where major U.S. ground forces are currently deployed. Rolling the mouse over the divisional symbol triggers a popup box that identifies the military bases where each one is stationed as of mid-2020, and provides details on the brigades contained within the division, as well as note about relocations and wartime deployments since the 1940s. Note that several U.S. Army divisions are understrength (fewer than three brigades); they include National Guard brigades that would need to be activated in case of wartime mobilization. As noted in the chronology below, the last major U.S. Army unit in Germany (1st Armored Division) relocated to Texas in May 2011. The last remaining U.S. Army combat unit in Germany is the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment. The 173rd Airborne Brigade "Sky Soldiers" is based in northern Italy.
Fort Riley, KS:
1st Infantry Division (Mechanized)
Brigades: 2 arm.
(Based in Wurzburg, Germany in 1990s after Iraq; one brigade based in Germany 1970s-1980s.)
Camp Humphreys*, South Korea:
2nd Infantry Division (Mechanized)
Brigades: 0 (Three other brigades, incl. one Nat. Guard, are based in Washington state, admin. by 7th Inf. Div.; Republic of Korea 16th Mechanized Brigade is assigned to it.)
* Division HQ was relocated from Camp Red Cloud (northeast of Seoul) to Camp Humphreys (south of Seoul) in October 2018.
Fort Stewart, GA:
3rd Infantry Division (Mechanized)
Brigades: 2 arm., 1 NG inf.
(Based in Wurzburg, Germany 1958-1992; one brigade fought in Iraq; inherited personnel and equipment of "reflagged" 24th Inf. Div. in 1996; now incl. one Nat. Guard brigade.)
Fort Carson, CO:
4th Infantry Division
Brigades: 1 arm., 1 inf., 1 Str.
(Based in Frankfurt, Germany 1951-1956; Fort Lewis, Washington 1956-1966; Vietnam 1966-1970; Fort Carson, Colorado 1970 - 1995; Fort Hood, Texas 1996-2003; Iraq 2003 & 2005; returned to Fort Carson 2009; parts to Afghanistan 2015-2017; one brigade to Estonia & Latvia 2016.)
Joint Base Lewis-McCord, WA:
7th Infantry Division
Brigades: 2 mech. inf.
(Based in Korea 1953-1971; Fort Ord, CA 1974-1994; Fort Carson, CO 1999-2006; HQ reactivated 2012 at Joint Base Lewis-McCord, WA: administers 2 brigades of 2nd Inf. Div. & other units.)
Fort Drum, NY:
10th Mountain Division
Brigades: 2 inf., 1 NG inf.
(Active mid-1950s as reg. infantry; reactivated 1985, resuming WWII mountain role.)
Schofield Barracks, HI:
25th Infantry Division
Brigades: 1 Str.*, 2 inf., 1 abn.*
*Stryker brigade is based in Fort Wainwright, Alaska; airborne brigade is based in Fort Richardson, Alaska.
Fort Bragg, NC:
82nd Airborne Division
Brigades: 3 inf.
(Continues to rely on parachutes with light equipment; ready to fly anywhere in 18 hours.)
Fort Campbell, KY:
101st Airborne Division
Brigades: 3 inf.
(Became "airmobile" in 1968, relying on helicopters; called "air assault" since 1974.)
Fort Hood, TX:
1st Cavalry Division (Mechanized)
Brigades: 3 arm.
(Occ. duties in Japan; Korea 1950-1952, 1957-1965; became 2nd Inf. Div. as 11th Air Assault Div. 'Test' was reflagged as 1st Cav. Div. (Airmobile) and sent to Vietnam in 1965; moved to Fort Hood and became armored in 1971; Iraq in 1991 and 2004.)
Fort Bliss, TX:
1st Armored Division
Brigades: 3 arm. (?)
(Based at Wiesbaden, Germany from early 1950s until 2011, except for deployments to Iraq in 1990 and 2003)
Camp Pendleton, CA:
1st Marine Division
Regiments: 4
~23,000 personnel
Camp Lejeune, NC:
2nd Marine Division
Regiments: 3
~20,000 personnel
Camp Butler, Okinawa, Japan:
3rd Marine Division
Regiments: 3 (?)
(One regiment is based in Hawaii.)
Camp Swampy, USA:
.
.
.
Post-World War II chronology
(work in progress)
The following table summarizes where U.S. ground forces have been deployed since World War II. This decade-by-decade chronology omits many brief redeployments, and only includes active duty division-level formations. National Guard and training divisions are shown in gray. This table does not include separate brigades, regiments, or smaller units.
Division |
(late) 1940s |
1950s |
1960s |
1970s |
1980s |
1990s |
2000s |
2010s |
2020 |
1st Armored Division |
Texas |
Texas |
Germany |
Germany |
Germany |
Iraq |
Germany |
Texas (2011) |
Texas |
2nd Armored Division |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas (Ger.) |
Texas (Ger.) |
Texas (Ger.) |
Texas (Ger.) --1996 |
- |
- |
- |
3rd Armored Division |
Texas |
Germany |
Germany |
Germany |
Germany |
Iraq -- 1992 |
- |
- |
- |
4th Armored Division |
Ger. |
Texas (1954--) |
Germany |
(--1971) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
49th Armored Division (NG) |
- |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
- |
- |
- |
- |
1st Cavalry Division |
Japan |
Korea, Jap.,Kor. |
Kor., Vietnam |
- |
- |
Iraq |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
1st Infantry Division* |
Ger. |
Ger., Kansas |
Vietnam |
Kansas (Ger.) |
Kansas (Ger.) |
Iraq / Ger. |
(Iraq), Kansas |
Kansas |
Kansas |
2nd Infantry Division* |
Korea |
Korea |
Korea |
Korea |
Korea |
Korea |
Korea |
Korea |
(Korea) |
3rd Infantry Division* |
Ger. |
Korea |
Germany |
Germany |
Germany |
Ger., GA (24th ID) |
Georgia |
Georgia |
Georgia |
4th Infantry Division |
- |
Ger., Wash. |
Vietnam |
Colorado (Ger.) |
Colorado (Ger.) |
Col., Texas |
Texas, Iraq |
Colorado |
Colorado |
7th Infantry Division** |
Japan |
Korea |
Korea |
California |
California |
Calif. (-1994) |
Colorado |
Washington |
Washington |
8th Infantry Division ** |
- |
S. Car., Ger. |
Germany |
Germany |
Germany |
Ger. (--1992) |
- |
- |
- |
9th Infantry Division ** |
- |
- |
Vietnam |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
10th Mountain Division |
- |
Ger. 1954-58 |
- |
- |
New York |
New York |
Afghanistan |
New York |
New York |
23rd Inf. ("Americal") Div. |
- |
Panama |
Vietnam |
(--1971) |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
24th Infantry Division |
- |
Korea / Kansas |
Germany |
Germany |
Kansas |
Iraq, ==> 3rd ID |
(3rd ID) |
(3rd ID) |
(3rd ID) |
25th Infantry Division |
Hawaii |
Korea |
Vietnam |
Hawaii |
Hawaii |
Hawaii |
Hawaii |
Hawaii |
Hawaii |
28th Infantry Division (NG) |
Penn. |
Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania |
Pennsylvania |
29th Infantry Division (NG) |
Virginia |
Virginia, etc. |
Virginia, etc. |
Virginia, etc. |
Virginia, etc. |
Virginia, etc. |
Virginia, etc. |
Virginia, etc. |
Virginia, etc. |
34th Infantry Division (NG) |
Minn. |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
35th Infantry Division (NG) |
Kansas |
Kansas |
Kansas |
Kansas |
Kansas |
Kansas |
Kansas |
Kansas |
Kansas |
36th Infantry Division (NG) |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
Texas |
38th Infantry Division (NG) |
Indiana |
Indiana |
Indiana |
Indiana |
Indiana |
Indiana |
Indiana |
Indiana |
Indiana |
40th Infantry Division (NG) |
Calif. |
Korea |
California |
California |
California |
California |
California |
California |
California |
42nd Infantry Division (NG) |
N.Y. |
New York |
New York |
New York |
New York |
New York |
New York |
New York |
New York |
45th Infantry Division (NG) |
Okla. |
Korea |
Oklahoma |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
47th Infantry Division (NG) |
Minn. |
Minn. (3rd ID) |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
Minnesota |
Minn. (--1991) |
- |
- |
- |
82nd Airborne Division |
N. Car. |
North Carolina |
Vietnam |
North Carolina |
Gren., Pan. |
Iraq, Afg. |
North Carolina |
North Carolina |
North Carolina |
101st Airborne Division |
Kent. |
Kentucky |
Vietnam |
Kentucky |
Kentucky |
Iraq, Kentucky |
Iraq,Kent.,Afg. |
Afg., Kentucky |
Kentucky |
1st Marine Division |
Calif. |
Korea |
Vietnam |
California |
California |
Iraq |
California |
California |
California |
2nd Marine Division |
N. Car. |
North Carolina |
North Carolina |
North Carolina |
North Carolina |
Iraq |
North Carolina |
North Carolina |
North Carolina |
3rd Marine Division |
- |
Calif., Japan |
Vietnam |
Japan |
Japan |
Japan |
Japan |
Japan |
Japan |
NOTE: The above information is subject to revision. Elements of some divisions currently based at home are deployed in Afghanistan. All major U.S. combat units withdrew from Iraq in 2011.
(Parenthesized locations indicate that one brigade was based separately, e.g. Germany.)
* Several divisions have one brigade based separately.
** The 7th Infantry Division is a mere umbrella organizations, with very few of its own combat forces. It administers units of the 2nd Infantry Division. Prior to becoming deactivated in 1996, the 24th Infantry Division was similar.
SOURCES: army.mil: websites of active divisions; as well as wikipedia.org, strategypage.com, globalsecurity.org, and Washington Post; also Armies, Corps, Divisions, and Separate Brigades, by John B. Wilson (PDF, part of the Army Lineage Series, 1999). NOTE: Military units often change their website addresses; links were valid when this page was last updated.
U.S. Army & Marine Corps bases
Fort Lee, Virginia, in July 2020. Roll mouse over and then click to see other photos of the base.
A number of U.S. military bases, especially Army bases, are named after Confederate generals, and may be renamed in the near future. One example is Fort Lee, located east of Petersburg, Virginia. The U.S. Army Ordnance Corps is headquartered there. A more complete listing of major ground force bases will appear in the future.
Top ~ Ground forces ~ Naval forces ~ Air forces
U.S. naval forces
Aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt (CVN71), at dock in Norfolk, Virginia, August 2008.
As of June 2020, the United States Navy includes about 234 "battle force" ships, compared to 286 such ships in 2009. The following detailed list is only partially updated; further revision is pending. Between 2010 and 2015, all 25 remaining Navy frigates were decommissioned. (Of the four World War II-era battleships which were reactivated in 1986 -- Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri, and Wisconsin -- the latter two were the last ones to be decommissioned in 2006. )
- 11 Aircraft carriers: CVN 68 thru CVN 78; 60+ aircraft each
- 9 Amphibious assault ships: each with 6 Harrier aircraft + 1,687 Marines
- 25 Amphibious ships, other
- 22 Cruisers: CG-52 thru CG-73
- 69 Destroyers: DDG-51 thru DDG-117; DDG-1000 & DDG-1001
- 19 Littoral combat ships: (Replaces patrol boats & frigates?)
- 14 Submarines (ballistic missile): SSBN-730 thru SSBN-743
- 4 Submarines (cruise missile): SSGN-726 thru SSBN-729
- 61 Submarines (attack): SSN-719 thru SSN-803
SOURCES: "Navy Fact Sheets" at www.navy.mil for aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, cruisers, destroyers, littoral combat ships, guided-missile submarines, attack submarines NOTE: The above figures exclude inactive ("mothballed") ships: three aircraft carriers (Ranger, Independence, Constellation), plus two battleships, and miscellaneous craft. Mine warfare ships (27 in 2009) are not counted either.
U.S. Navy active fleets
- 2nd Fleet: Western North Atlantic Ocean
- 3rd Fleet: Eastern Pacific Ocean
- 4th Fleet: Southern Atlantic Ocean
- 5th Fleet: Persian Gulf (& Mediterranean Sea?)
- 6th Fleet: Mediterranean Sea (?) & Eastern North Atlantic Ocean
- 7th Fleet: Western Pacific Ocean & Indian Ocean
- 10th Fleet: naval cyber warfare
U.S. aircraft carriers
(incl. decommissioned & future)
Carrier name, hull number |
New home port (active / u.c. ships) |
Old home port (pre-2012) |
Deployment notes |
Commissioned |
Ranger (CV 61) |
|
|
Decommissioned 1993; inactive reserve in Bremerton, WA |
1957 |
Indepedence (CV 62) |
|
|
Decommissioned 1998; inactive reserve in Bremerton, WA |
1959 |
Kitty Hawk (CV 63) |
|
|
Decommissioned 2009 |
1961 |
Constellation (CV 64) |
|
|
Decommissioned 2003; inactive reserve in Bremerton, WA |
1961 |
Enterprise (CV 65) |
|
Norfolk, VA |
Decommissioned 2017 air support to Afghanistan, Sept. 2006- |
1961 |
America (CV 66) |
|
|
Decommissioned 1996; sunk off Virginia coast 2005 after simulated attacks. |
1965 |
John F. Kennedy (CV 67) |
|
|
Decommissioned 2007 |
1968 |
Nimitz (CVN 68) |
Bremerton, WA |
San Diego, CA |
Sea of Japan Nov. 2017. Docked Feb. 2018-June 2019. Arr. San Diego July 2019. |
1975 |
Eisenhower (CVN 69) |
Norfolk, VA |
Norfolk, VA |
Departed Mar. 2019 after 19 months of repairs; 12-mo. delay; returned June 2019. arrived in Arabian Sea Nov. 2006 |
1977 |
Vinson (CVN 70) |
Bremerton, WA |
Newport News, VA |
In dry dock Mar. 2019; scheduled to leave July 2020. |
1982 |
Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) |
San Diego, CA |
Norfolk, VA |
Covid-19 outbreak March 2020: captain relieved, ship docked in Guam. |
1986 |
Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) |
San Diego, CA (NN?) |
Everett, WA |
Departed April 2019: Suez Canal and Arabian Sea en route to new home port. |
1989 |
George Washington (CVN 73) |
Newport News, VA (Norfolk?) |
Norfolk, VA |
Began 48-month refuelling & complex overhaul (RCOH) Newport News, VA Aug. 2017. |
1992 |
John C. Stennis (CVN 74) |
Norfolk, VA |
Bremerton, WA |
S. China Sea Nov. 2018 & Feb. 2019; Persian Gulf Dec. 2018 & Mar. 2019; arr. Norfolk May 2019. RCOH Aug. 2021-2025? Finished exercise in Pacific, Oct. 2006. |
1995 |
Harry S Truman (CVN 75) |
Norfolk, VA |
Norfolk, VA |
Exercises in Atlantic Mar.-July 2019 to test readiness. Exercises in Med. Apr.-Dec. 2018. |
1998 |
Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) |
Yokosuka, Japan |
San Diego, CA |
S. China Sea June 2019; Sea of Japan Nov. 2017. Returned home Oct. 20, 2006 |
2003 |
George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) |
Norfolk, VA |
Norfolk, VA |
Dry-dock Portsmouth, VA Feb. 2019 - Feb. 2020? Christened Oct. 7, 2006. |
2009 |
Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) |
Norfolk, VA |
Newport News, VA |
First deployment scheduled for 2020 or 2021. |
2017 |
John F. Kennedy (PCU 79) |
Newport News, VA |
|
(construction completed) |
2020? |
Enterprise (PCU 80) |
Newport News, VA |
|
(under construction) The previous (2nd) carrier named "Enterprise" served 1961 - 2012. |
2027? |
Doris Miller (PCU 81) |
Newport News, VA |
|
(authorized) Named for seaman hero during 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. |
2030? |
TBA (PCU 82) |
Newport News, VA |
|
(authorized) |
2034? |
SOURCES: www.navy.mil: list of U.S. aircraft carriers; globalsecurity.org & gonavy.jp: current deployment of carriers; navytimes.com: U.S. Navy news
NOTE: The U.S. Navy announced in August 2018 that three aircraft carriers would change home ports: USS Stennis to Norfolk (pending refueling), USS Lincoln to San Diego, and USS Vinson to Bremerton, WA. (Information is incomplete, and dates of decommissioning are in some cases uncertain.)
U.S. major air & naval bases
As with the above U.S. map of Army and Marine Corps bases, this world map summarizes where major U.S. air and naval forces are currently based. Many of these forces are routinely sent to various places around the world for patrols and exercises. Rolling the mouse over the base symbols and place names (or abbreviations) triggers a popup box that identifies the air and naval bases (and some army bases), and provides additional details. (NOTE: Work in progress!) Also shown are several locations where the U.S. formerly operated large overseas military bases, such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Iraq.
Hawaii:
Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham
Schofield Barracks
Marine Base Hawaii
Alaska:
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (Anchorage)
Eielson AFB (Fairbanks)
Fort Wainwright (Fairbanks)
Washington:
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Bangor Naval Submarine Base
Bremerton Naval Station
Montana:
Malmstrom AFB
Idaho:
Mountain Home AFB
Wyoming:
Francis E. Warren AFB (Cheyenne)
Nevada:
Creech AFB
Nellis AFB
Fallon NAS
Utah:
Hill AFB (Ogden)
California:
San Diego Naval Reservation
Coronado Naval Amphibious Base
Miramar Marine Corps Air Station
Camp Pendleton (USMC)
Vandenberg AFB
Beale AFB
Edwards AFB
Fort Irwin
Arizona:
Davis-Monthan AFB (Tucson); SEE PHOTO.
New Mexico:
Holloman AFB (Alamogordo)
Texas:
AFB
Dyess AFB (Abilene)
North Dakota:
Minot AFB
Louisiana:
Barksdale AFB (Shreveport)
N. Carolina:
Fort Bragg
Camp Lejeune
Seymour Johnson AFB (Goldsboro)
S. Carolina:
Shaw AFB
Parris Island USMC
Florida:
Eglin AFB
Tyndall AFB
Mayport Naval Station
Georgia:
King's Bay Naval Submarine Support Base
Virginia:
Norfolk Naval Station
Newport News
Fort Eustis
Camp Peary NAS
Quantico Marine Corps Base
Fort Belvoir
Fort A.P. Hill (?)
Ocean NAS
Langley AFB
Maine:
Langley AFB
Connecticut:
New London Submarine Base
Cuba:
Guantanamo Bay
Norway:
Sola/Stavanger Air Station
United Kingdom:
RAF Lakenheath
Germany:
Ramstein AB, Germany
Spangdahlem AB, Germany
Italy:
Aviano Air Base, Italy
Naples Naval Station
Augusta Naval Station
(Portugal):
Azore Islands
Spain:
Rota Naval Station
Greece:
Crete
Cyprus
Turkey:
Incirlik AFB
Kuwait:
Kuwait
Bahrain:
Stavenger
United Arab Emirates:
Stavenger
Djibouti:
Camp Lemmonier
Syria:
Syria
Iraq:
Iraq
Afghanistan:
Afghanistan
Diego Garcia:
Diego Garcia
Vietnam:
Vietnam
Singapore:
Singapore
Philippines:
Subic Bay Naval Station (closed 1991)
Clark AFB (closed 1991)
(South) Korea:
Kunsan AB
Onsan AB
Camp Red Cloud
Japan:
Atsugi AB
Misawa AB
Sasebo AB
Yokosuka AB
(Japan) Okinawa:
Camp Butler (USMC)
Guam:
Guam
New Zealand:
Christchurch Intl. Airport
- Bahrain (HQ Fifth Fleet)
- Djibouti
- Diego Garcia
- Cuba: Guantanamo Bay
- Greece: Crete
- Italy: Naples (HQ Sixth Fleet), Augusta
- Kuwait
- Japan: Atsugi, Misawa, Okinawa, Sasebo, Yokosuka (HQ Seventh Fleet)
- Portugal: Azore Islands
- South Korea: Chinhae
- Singapore
- Spain: Rota
- United Arab Emirates
The east gate of Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, in Tucson, Arizona, June 2014. Hundreds of "retired" military aircraft are stored here.
(NOTE: Digitally altered to remove obstructions; click to see the original image.)
Destroyer USS Barry (DD-933), at the Washington Navy Yards. Commissioned in 1956, decommissioned in 1982.
Top ~ Ground forces ~ Naval forces ~ Air forces
Retired Titan intercontinental ballistic missile in a silo, at the Titan Missile Museum south of Tucson, Arizona, June 2014.
U.S. air forces
This section pertains to the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Marine Corps. Only combat aircraft (including ones that are partly combat and partly multi-mission) are listed below; multi-mission aircraft such as the MH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft are excluded. See the list of sources and explanatory notes after the list of Navy aircraft below.
U.S. strategic missiles
Under the terms of the 2nd Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START II, 1996), the U.S. and Russia have been steadily reducing their inventories of strategic nuclear missiles, both submarine-launched (SLBM) and intercontinental (ICBM). Accordingly, four U.S. Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines were converted to cruise missile submarines. In 2004 the Trident C4 SLBMs were retired, and in 2005 the final 50 Peacekeeper (MX) ICBMs were retired, out of the 100 that were first deployed in 1986. These numbers are tentative:
- (~200) Trident D5 SLBM: NAVY
- (~160) Trident C4 SLBM: NAVY
- 400 Minuteman III ICBM: AIR FORCE (+ 50 in storage)
U.S. Air Force aircraft
F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet belonging to the D.C. Air National Guard, Sept. 2017. (Digitally altered monument; click to see the original image.)
The U.S. Air Force possesses approximately 136 bombers, 1,377 fighters, and about 2,200 aircraft used for training, transportation, refueling, reconnaissance, etc. There were 2,737 combat aircraft as of 2006. NOTE: As of 2006, 218 F-4 Phantoms and 294 FB-111 Ravens were in store. In 2007-2008 the Air Force withdrew the 52 F-117 Nighthawk "Stealth" fighters from service as a cost-saving measure.
- 74 B-52 Stratofortress (94)
- 59 B-1 Lancer (93)
- 20 B-2 Spirit (21)
- 452 F-15 Eagle (717)
- 911 F-16 Fighting Falcon (??)
- 195 F-22 Raptor (6)
- 199 F-35 Lightning II
- 279 A-10 Warthog (225)
- 22 AC-130 (21)
U.S. Army aircraft
This list only includes attack helicopters, not multi-mission helicopters that serve primarily for transportation but are armed with machine guns, etc. NOTE: During the first decade of this century, 511 AH-1 Huey helicopters were withdrawn from service.
- 47 MH/AH-6 Little Bird helicopter
- 792 AH-64 Apache helicopter (743)
U.S. Navy & Marine aircraft
As of 2006 there were 1,456 combat aircraft, plus 543 armed helicopters. NOTE: During the first decade of this century, the Navy withdrew the remaining 193 F-14 Tomcat fighters from service, replacing them with F/A-18s.
- 97 AV-8B Harrier (119)
- 785 F/A-18 Hornet; 512 Navy + 273 USMC (771)
- 78 F-35 Lightning II; 57 F-35B + 21 F-35C
- 37 P-3C Orion; anti-submarine
- 78 P-8A Poseidon; anti-submarine
- 27 MH-53 Sea Dragon helicopter; mine warfare, etc.
- 508 MH-60 Seahawk helicopter; anti-submarine & multi-mission
SOURCES: wikipedia.org; The Military Balance, 2000-2001 (IISS), statista.com. NOTE: The information above refers to the year 2020; updates are pending.
U.S. Air Force unit deployment
The following table summarizes the major combat units of the U.S. Air Force, including certain drone and reconnaissance units, but excluding logistical, training, and transportation units. Units based in North America fall under the Air Combat Command or Global Strike Command. Those based oversees fall under U.S. Air Forces in Europe / Air Forces Africa or U.S. Pacific Air Forces. In 1922 the Tactical Air Command was replaced by the Air Combat Command, and in 2009, the Strategic Air Command was replaced by the Air Force Global Strike Command. Each numbered air force includes three or more wings, each of which includes three or more squadrons, each of which may include a dozen or more aircraft, along with their crews, staff, as well as munitions, support, and maintenance personnel.
Air Force |
Wing |
Base |
Aircraft |
USAF Warfare Center |
53d Wing (training) |
Eglin AFB, FL |
- |
USAF Warfare Center |
57th Wing (training) |
Nellis AFB, NV |
- |
First Air Force (AFNORTH) |
(air defense, with Canada) |
Tyndall AFB, FL |
- |
Ninth Air Force |
1st Fighter Wing |
Langley AFB, VA |
F-22A, T-38A |
Ninth Air Force |
4th Fighter Wing |
Seymour Johnson AFB, NC |
F-15E |
Ninth Air Force |
20th Fighter Wing |
Shaw AFB, SC |
F-16C/D |
Ninth Air Force |
325th Fighter Wing |
Tyndall AFB, FL |
F-22A, T-38A |
Twelfth Air Force |
49th Wing |
Holloman AFB, NM |
MQ-1, MQ-9 |
Twelfth Air Force |
355th Fighter Wing |
Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ |
A-10C |
Twelfth Air Force |
366th Fighter Wing |
Mountain Home, ID |
F-15E |
Twelfth Air Force |
388th Fighter Wing |
Hill AFB, UT |
F-16C/D, F-35A |
Twelfth Air Force |
432nd Wing |
Creech AFB, NV |
MQ-1, MQ-9 |
Twenty-Fourth Air Force |
67th Cyberspace Wing |
Lackland AFB, TX |
- |
Twenty-Fifth Air Force |
9th Reconnaissance Wing |
Beale AFB, CA |
U-2S, RQ-4, MC-12 |
Twenty-Fifth Air Force |
55th Reconnaissance Wing |
Offutt AFB, NE |
EC/OC/WC/RC-135 |
Third Air Force* |
48th Fighter Wing |
RAF Lakenheath, UK |
F-15C/D/E |
Third Air Force* |
31st Fighter Wing |
Aviano Air Base, Italy |
F-16CG/DG |
Third Air Force* |
52rd Fighter Wing |
Spangdahlem AB, Germany |
F-16CJ/DJ |
Third Air Force* |
misc. |
Sola/Stavanger Air Station, Norway
Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal
Incirlik AB, Turkey
RAF Akrotiri, Cyprus
Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti |
misc. |
Fifth Air Force** |
35th Fighter Wing |
Misawa AB, Japan |
F-16CJ/DJ |
Seventh Air Force** |
8th Fighter Wing |
Kunsan AB, South Korea |
F-16C/D |
Seventh Air Force** |
51st Fighter Wing |
Onsan AB, South Korea |
A-10C & F-16C/D |
Eleventh Air Force** |
3rd Wing |
JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska |
F-22A, etc. |
Eleventh Air Force** |
15th Wing |
JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii |
F-22A, etc. |
Eleventh Air Force** |
354th Fighter Wing |
Eielson AFB, Alaska |
F-16C/D & F-35A |
Eleventh Air Force** |
misc. |
Andersen AFB, Guam
Christchruch, New Zealand
McMurdo Station, Antarctica |
misc. |
Eighth Air Force*** |
2nd Bomb Wing |
Barksdale AFB, LA |
B-52H |
Eighth Air Force*** |
5th Bomb Wing |
Minot AFB, ND |
B-52H |
Eighth Air Force*** |
7th Bomb Wing |
Dyess Air Force Base, TX |
B-1B |
Twentieth Air Force*** |
90th Missile Wing |
Francis E. Warren AFB, WY |
Minuteman III |
Twentieth Air Force*** |
91st Missile Wing |
Minot AFB, ND |
Minuteman III |
Twentieth Air Force*** |
341st Missile Wing |
Malmstrom AFB, MT |
Minuteman III |
SOURCES: af.mil has the websites for the eleven numbered air forces (such as Ninth Air Force), showing subordinate wings, air bases, etc.; wikipedia.org has a more consistent (and perhaps more current) listing;
* U.S. Air Forces in Europe / Air Forces Africa; ** U.S. Pacific Air Forces; *** Air Force Global Strike Command