Current as of January 1, 2022
BACKGROUND
Air Combat Command (ACC), headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is one of ten major commands in the United States Air Force. As a result of its lineal consolidation with Tactical Air Command in September 1992, ACC has performed a myriad of missions during its 30-year history ranging from counter-air, air interdiction and close air support to manned and unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, air battle management, and offensive/defensive cyberspace operations. For more than seven decades, ACC has served
as the primary provider of air combat forces to America's warfighting commanders.
MISSION
ACC organizes, trains, and equips Airmen who fight in and from multiple domains to control the air, space, and cyberspace. As the lead command for fighter, command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, personnel recovery, persistent attack and reconnaissance, electromagnetic warfare, cyber warfare operations, and information warfare operations, ACC is responsible for providing combat air, space, and cyberspace power and the combat support that assures mission success to America's warfighting commands.
FORCES AND ORGANIZATION
ACC has 1,097 assigned aircraft with 28 wings, 1,187 units at 215 locations non-expeditionary and an additional seven wings, 184 units at 47 locations supporting expeditionary operations for a total of 35 wings, 1,371 units at 262 locations. The active duty, civilian and air reserve component totals 20,181 officers, 115,557 enlisted and 20,882 civilians for a combined total of 156,620 organized under five active duty numbered air forces and the Air Force Warfare Center.
ACC also has responsibility for inland search and rescue operations in the 48 contiguous states.
FIRST AIR FORCE (AIR FORCES NORTHERN) (AFNORTH)
Air Forces Northern, headquartered at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, has responsibility for ensuring the air sovereignty and air defense of the continental United States, U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. As the Continental United States Region (CONR) for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the command provides air defense through airspace surveillance and airspace control.
First Air Force (AFNORTH) is also the designated air component for U.S. Northern Command that rapidly responds to non-military threats under the Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) mission. The organization assists civilian agencies before and during emergencies, natural or man-made disasters, and other DoD-approved activities. This role saves lives, relieves suffering, prevents property damage and provides humanitarian assistance where and when it is needed most in the United States. Operating with the 601st Air and Space Operations Center, the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center serves as the U.S. inland search and rescue coordinator. It is the single agency responsible for coordinating inland federal searches. These search and rescue operations can be conducted anywhere in the 48 contiguous states, Mexico and Canada. The Civil Air Patrol is a significant partner in search and rescue and other DSCA missions.
First Air Force is also the designated air component for United States Space Command (USSC). USSC, the 11th unified combatant command was established 29 August 2019. Subsequently, the 2019 Unified Command Plan (UCP19) tasked CDRUSSPACECOM to serve as the DoD Human Space Flight Support (HSFS) Manager. HSFS includes Personnel Recovery (PR) alert aircraft for all astronaut transits to and from space, including to and from Russia.
NINTH AIR FORCE (AIR FORCES CENTRAL COMMAND) (AFCENT)
Located at Shaw Air Force Base, 9 AF (AFCENT) is also headquarters to the air component of U.S. Central Command, a regional unified command. 9 AF (AFCENT) is responsible for air operations (either unilaterally or in concert with coalition partners) and developing contingency plans in support of national objectives for USCENTCOM's 20-nation area of responsibility in Southwest Asia. Additionally, 9 AF (AFCENT) manages an extensive supply and equipment prepositioning program at several sites within its area of responsibility. 9 AF (AFCENT) also has two direct reporting units, AFCENT Air Warfare Center, Al Dhafra, United Arab Emirates and 609th Air Operations Center, Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar.
TWELFTH AIR FORCE (AIR FORCES SOUTHERN) (AFSOUTH)
Twelfth Air Force (AFSOUTH), headquartered at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, provides a component role for the warfighting responsibility for U.S. Southern Command as well as the U.S. Southern Air Forces. As the air and space component to U.S. Southern Command, Air Forces Southern conducts security cooperation and provides air, space, and cyberspace capabilities throughout Latin America and the Caribbean.
FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE
Fifteenth Air Force, headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, is responsible for generating and presenting Air Combat Command’s conventional forces to include fighter, remotely piloted aircraft, command and control, and rescue flying units plus Air-Ground Operations Airmen who integrate Air Force capabilities in combined arms operations, the Air Force’s dedicated base defense group, RED HORSE engineers, and the agile combat support units that open and operate our bases. In addition to organizing, training, and equipping ACC’s conventional forces, the 15th AF has a deployable Joint Task Force-capable headquarters that can provide command and control of integrated ACC forces.
SIXTEENTH AIR FORCE (AIR FORCES CYBER) (AFCYBER)
Sixteenth Air Force (AFCYBER), headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, integrates multi-source intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, cyber warfare, electromagnetic warfare, and information operations capabilities across the conflict continuum to ensure that our Air Force is fast, lethal and fully integrated in both competition and in war. Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) provides mission integration of information warfare at operational and tactical levels, recognizing the role of information in creating dilemmas for adversaries in competition and, if necessary, future conflicts.
Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber) is the Service Cryptologic Component responsible to the National Security Agency/Central Security Service for Air Force matters involving the conduct of cryptologic activities, including the full spectrum of missions directly related to both tactical warfighting and national-level operations. In addition to commanding Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), the commander is the Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber (Air Force) director. Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber personnel perform operational planning as part of coordinated efforts to support Air Force component and combatant commanders and, upon approval of the President and/or Secretary of Defense, the execution of offensive cyberspace operations.