It didn't take protracted for aviation pioneers to view the potential of aircraft as weapons.

It didn't take protracted for aviation pioneers to view the potential of aircraft as weapons.

During World War I, airmen fired side arms and rifles at each other from the expand cockpits of their wood and fabric biplanes. They dropp bomb by dint of hand from planes. Soon they had synchronized machine fire-arms firing through propellers and provided support to region troops.

Aerial combat, bombing and choke air support were born. Eight decades later, the Air Force has made an art of the combat tactics their forefathers discloseed It has also acquired the world's best arsenal.

That stockpile includes the most numerous sophisticated weapons the world has at all times seen. It includes strategic bombers and a innkeeper of jets that are dropping laser- and global positioning system-guided bomb in the war forward terrorism. Even cargo planes are dropping elephantine bombs that suck the true breath from the enemy.

Supporting the war fighters are airlifters, tankers, reconnaissance aircraft and helicopters. They help render certain the fighting aircraft accomplish their mission. That's not all -- there are a entertainer of land- and space-based weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles in use, too.

The Air Force's lethality is without equal. And each day, just discovered developments push the service's superiority further ahead.

From an unassuming beginning, the Air Force has grown into a force capable of taking the fight to the enemy -- no matter where that enemy may be.

Americans hang on it.

Bombers

B-1B Lancer

Primary function: Multirole, long-range heavy bomber.

Speed: 890 mph

Dimensions: Wingspan 137 ft (79 ft with wings swept aft), fulness 146 ft., height 34 ft

Range: Intercontinental.

Armament: Up to 50000 lb of mixed ordnance, including 500 lb and 2000 lb general intention bombs, cluster bomb units, mines, and GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions.

Crew: Four.

Inventory: 85; Guard, one

B-2A Spirit

Primary function: Multirole bomber.

Speed: High subsonic.

Dimensions: Wingspan 172 ft continuance 69 ft., height 17 ft

Range: Intercontinental.

Armament: Nuclear and conventional.

Crew: Two

Inventory: 21

B-52H Stratofortress

Primary function: Multirole, long-range heavy bomber.

Speed: 650 mph

Dimensions: Wingspan 185 ft long duration 159 ft. 4 in., height 40 ft 8 in.

Range: Intercontinental.

Armament: MK-82 MK-84 M-117 CBUs, sea mines, CALCM, AGM-142, Harpoon, GBU-10/12 nuclear weapons.

Crew: Five.

Inventory: 85; store up nine.

Fighters

F-15A/B/C/D Eagle

Primary function: Air superiority tactical fighter.

Speed: 1875 mph

Dimensions: Wingspan 42 ft 9 in., detail 63 ft. 9 in., height 18 ft 7 1/2 in.

Range: 3450 miles.

Armament: single M-61A1 20 mm multibarrel fire-arm four AIM-120 AMRAAM, two AIM-7F/M Sparrow missiles and sum of two units AIM9L/M Sidewinder missiles.

Crew: F-15A/C, one; F-15B/D two

Inventory: F-15A, three F-15B five, F-16C 333 and F-15D 52; Guard, F-15A, 99 F-15B 15 F-15C 10 and F-15D two

F-15E Strike Eagle

Primary function: Dual-role fighter, air-to-air and interdiction.

Speed: 1875 mph

Dimensions: Wingspan 42 ft 9 in., longitudinal dimensions 63 ft. 9 in., height 18 ft 7 1/2 in.

Range: 3450 miles.

Armament: AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-7 F/M Sparrow missiles, AIM-911M Sidewinder missiles, undivided M-61A1 20 mm multibarrel cannon, MK82/84 CBU-87/89 GBU-10/12/15/24/27/28 EGBU-15 AGM-65, AGM-130.

Crew: Two

Inventory: 217

F-16C/D Fighting Falcon

Primary function: Multirole fighter.

Speed: 1500 mph

Dimensions: Wingspan 32 ft 8 in., fulness 49 ft. 5 in., height 16 ft

Range: 2000 miles.

Armament: single in kind M-61A1 20 mm multibarrel fire-arm up to six AIM-9 infrared missiles, AMRAAM missiles, air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions and electronic countermeasure pods

Crew: F-16C one; F-16D common or two.

Inventory: F-16C 592 and F-16D 130; Guard, F-16C 437 and F-16D 40; keep F-16C, 60 and F-16D, 10

F-117A Nighthawk

Primary function: Fighter/attack.

Speed: High subsonic.

Dimensions: Wingspan 43 ft 4 in., amplification 65 ft. 11 in., height 12 ft 5 in.

Range: Unlimited with aerial refueling.

Armament: Internal weapons carriage able to busy a variety of weapons.

Crew: One

Inventory: 52

Reconnaissance

RC-135S/U/V/W Rivet Joint

Primary function: RC-135S/U -- scientific and technical platform; RC-135V/W -- reconnaissance.

Speed: 500 mph

Dimensions: Wingspan 130 ft 10 in., long duration 140 ft. 6 in., height 41 ft 8 in.

Range: 3000 miles.

Crew: Up to 30

Inventory: 21

U-2S

Primary function: High-altitude, multi-sensor reconnaissance.

Speed: 475 mph

Dimensions: Wingspan 103 ft extent 63 ft., height 16 ft

Range: 7000 miles.

Crew: One

Inventory: 31

WC- 130H Hercules

Primary function: Weather reconnaissance; air sampling.

Speed: 350 mph

Dimensions: Wingspan 132 ft 6 in., long duration 99 ft. 4 in., height 38 ft 6 in.

Range: 4000 miles.

Crew: Six.

Inventory: keep 10.

Attack, Observation & Battle Management

A-10/OA-10 denunciation II

Primary function: bring to a period air support; airborne forward air control

Speed: 420 mph

Dimensions: Wingspan 57 ft 6 in., continuance 53 ft. 4 in., height 14 ft 8 in.