US Armed Forces: A Brief Overview
The influence of the USA on other countries is due to several factors. First of all, it is a powerful economy with which the economies of many other countries are directly connected, as well as the global financial system as a whole. In addition, the United States has at least one of the best armies in the world. This country is the world leader in the size of the military budget, which also translates into technical and other superiority over the masses of other countries. As a result, in various ratings, the US armed forces regularly rank first. Consider the main features of the American army.
Common numbers
One of the main features of the American armed forces are the record large size of the military budget. Over the past few years, attempts have been made to reduce costs, but now, according to some data, it is planned to return to growth. In the 2014 fiscal year, about 610 billions of dollars were allocated for defense. 2015 plans to spend about the same or a bit more. Nevertheless, in the current situation, the United States retains the largest military budget in the world, with a serious lead over its closest competitors in the person of Russia and China.
According to the directory The Military Balance, in 2014, about 1492,2 thousand people served in the US military. In addition, 14 thousand jobs were provided to civilian specialists. If necessary, the Pentagon can take advantage of the reserve, which includes 843,75 thousand people.
US citizens may enter military service with 18 years (or with 17 years - with the permission of parents or legal representatives). The maximum age of recruits is limited and depends on the type of armed forces. So, in the land forces take persons not older than 35 years, and in the Marine Corps - not older than 28 years. With a population over 316 million people, the United States has a great mobilization potential. According to reports, about 120 million people are eligible for service.
Ground troops
The total number of land forces, including the National Guard Army, is 586,7 thousand people. In addition, 528,5 thou reservists are attributed to land forces. Thus, the US Army is the most numerous structure in the US armed forces, due to a number of its features.
The personnel and equipment of the ground forces are distributed among several large subdivisions for various purposes. The 2 th and 3 th cavalry regiments, as well as 3 reconnaissance brigades, are responsible for conducting reconnaissance in the interests of the ground forces. There are 5 "heavy" divisions, equipped with armored vehicles of various types, self-propelled artillery, etc. The 2-I and 25-I infantry divisions belong to the "middle" and have the appropriate composition. They have means of transportation and fire support for personnel, etc. technique. There is also one light infantry division. The landing troops are represented by three large subdivisions. These are the 82-i and 101-i divisions, as well as the 173-i brigade.
The US Army has 2 helicopter brigades, 7 artillery brigades, 5 engineering brigades, 3 logistics brigades, 3 medical brigades, and other units to perform support functions.
The Army of the National Guard serves about 20 thousand people. The number of National Guard reservists exceeds 330 thousand people. Due to other goals, this structure has a smaller number of units in comparison with the armed forces. So, in its composition there are only 7 armored brigades and 3 "heavy" infantry brigades. "Medium" mechanized brigades are represented by only one such division, "light" - 20 brigades. At the same time, the National Guard Army has 13 helicopter brigades, 7 artillery, 7 engineering, etc.
The US Army has a large number of various military equipment. As of 2014, there were 2338 troops tanks M1 Abrams in operation. About 3500 of these machines were in storage. There were also 1928 reconnaissance vehicles of several types, and most of them (a little more than 1000 units) are equipment based on the Stryker platform. For the transportation of personnel used 4559 infantry fighting vehicles M2 and M3 Bradley. About 2000 of these machines are in storage.
The most numerous vehicles in the US Army are armored personnel carriers: several types of 25209 vehicles. Despite the cuts, one of the most massive armored personnel carriers remains M113 of later modifications. In parts there are about 5 thousand such machines, another 8 thousand are in storage. The delivery of an armored personnel carrier of the Stryker family continues: it has already been transferred to the 2792 troops of such vehicles. In recent years, 17417 MRAP-class armored cars were built, including X-NUMX M-ATV type vehicles.
Artillery is represented by 5899 guns of various types. These are the 969 self-propelled artillery mounts M109A6 (about 500 such SAUs are in storage); 1242 towed guns caliber 105 and 155 mm; 1205 multiple rocket launcher systems; as well as 2483 mortars, including self-propelled ones.
To combat the tanks can be used 1512 self-propelled anti-tank complexes. These are the TN 1379 complexes on the HMMWV chassis, as well as 133 machines based on the Stryker platform. In addition, infantry units rely Javelin wearable missile systems.
For landing, US Army can use 45 landing craft of type LCU-1600 and LCU-2000. There are also 8 boats of the type Frank Besson and 73 type LCM-8.
As part of the U.S. Army aviation units. They use 61 reconnaissance aircraft, both with photo equipment and with electronic intelligence equipment. There are also about 160 transport aircraft of several types.
In this case, the basis of the American Army Aviation are units equipped with helicopters. They have AH-737D / E Apache attack helicopters, 64 multipurpose OH-356D Kiowa Warrior, 58 reconnaissance OH-90A / C Kiowa, 58 multipurpose HH-126. For the transport of goods used 60 transport helicopters of several types, including 2787 heavy CH-397 Chinook several modifications. Pilots are trained using TH-47 Creek 154 helicopters.
Army units also operate 323 unmanned aerial vehicles. The most common type of such equipment is RQ-7A Shadow (236 units).
Military air defense is represented by approximately 1300 units of various equipment. These are 816 self-propelled complexes: 703 FIM-92A Avenger, 95 M6 Linebacker and 18 THAAD. There are also 480 towed MIM-104 Patriot complexes of several modifications. FIM-92 Stinger man-portable air defense systems are issued to various units.
Naval forces
The US Navy serves 322,7 thousand people. In the reserve are 100,75 thousand people. All naval units are divided between two large fleets, the main points of base which are located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the country. In addition, five fleets have been formed, the area of responsibility of which are those or other areas of the oceans. All US Navy formations include 72 submarines and 107 warships.
The US fleet includes Ohio 14 submarines carrying 24 UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missiles. In addition, they are armed with torpedo tubes. Ohio-type submarines are currently the only strike weapons of the naval component of the US strategic nuclear forces.
Ohio-type 4 submarines, previously equipped with ballistic missiles, were repaired and re-equipped with Tomahawk LACM cruise missiles. After upgrading, each such submarine carries 154 rockets. Search and destruction of ships or enemy ground targets is also assigned to 30 multipurpose Los Angeles-type submarines in two versions. There are 10 multi-purpose submarines of the Virginia project. The main armament of Los Angeles and Virginia types of submarines are LACM missiles.
Some amount of torpedo nuclear submarines is saved. This 11 submarines of the Los Angeles type of the first modification, armed only with torpedo tubes, as well as 8 submarines of the Seawolf type. The latter can use both torpedoes and rockets launched through torpedo tubes.
The main striking force of the US Navy are 10 aircraft carriers such as Nimiz. Each of them carries a set of anti-aircraft weapons, as well as an aviation group consisting of several dozen airplanes and helicopters. The main strike means of such ships are F / A-18 Hornet fighter-bombers - up to 50-60 aircraft on board.
The US Navy has 22 cruisers of the Ticonderoga type, equipped with two vertical Mk 41 launchers with 61 cells for weapons. Depending on the combat mission, these ships can carry anti-missile missiles RGM-84, cruise Tomahawk LACM, several types of anti-aircraft missiles, etc.
The most massive type of ships in the US Navy are destroyers of the type Arleigh Burke in the number of 62 units. At the present time in the ranks there are destroyers of several modifications, having a different composition of weapons and equipment. The main armament of such ships is one vertical launcher Mk 41, similar to that used on Ticonderoga cruisers.
10 frigates of the Oliver Hazard Perry project, which have anti-aircraft, artillery and torpedo weapons, remain in the ranks. In addition, over the past few years, three ships of the class Littoral Combat Ship were built. Two built on the project with the symbol Independence, one on the project Freedom.
To patrol waters, 55 ships and boats of several types are used. Also available are 13 minesweepers such as the Avenger, 245 landing craft and 71 auxiliary vessel. Delivery and disembarkation of troops ashore are assigned to 30 amphibious assault ships of several types, including the 1 ship of the Tarawa project and the 8 type San Antonio.
An important part of the naval forces is naval aviation. This structure employs 98,6 thousand people. Personnel and equipment are distributed between 10 air wings, each of which consists on average of 8 squadrons. There are units of strike aircraft, reconnaissance and electronic warfare, anti-submarine squadrons, etc.
The US Navy naval aviation has a total of 1089 aircraft of various types. The most numerous of them are carrier-based fighter-bombers, of which there are 823 units. The overwhelming majority of this technology is F / A-18 Hornet airplanes of various modifications. In addition, deliveries of the F-35C Lightning II have begun.
The second largest are anti-submarine aircraft - the 151 board. These are the P-140C Orion 3 aircraft and the P-11A Poseidon X-NUMX aircraft. The third in number - EW aircraft EA-8B Prowler and EA-6G Growler (18 units).
There are X-NUMX E-69C / D Hawkeye long-range radar detection airplanes, EP-2E Aries II, X-NUMX reconnaissance RC-11F / M Huron reconnaissance aircraft, as well as several types of 3 transport and 2 training aircraft.
The main US Navy multi-purpose helicopter is the MH-60 - 495 units in three versions. There are MH-28E Sea Dragon 53, 3 OH-58C Kiowa, 11 HH-60H Seahawk helicopters, and several types of 13 transport and 120 helicopters.
The Navy has 60 unmanned aerial vehicles. Deliveries of MQ-8B / C devices (21 unit) are continuing, 4 RQ-4A Global Hawk machines were transferred for testing.
Air Force
The total number of personnel of the US Air Force - 329,5 thousand people. 168,85 thousand people listed in the reserve. Various units of the Air Force are subordinate to several commands. So, Global Strike Command manages strategic aviation and units armed with ballistic missiles. Under the command of Air Combat Command, connections with various strike aircraft were consolidated. Air Mobility Command is responsible for military transport aviation, Air Education and Training Command - for the training of pilots.
In total, the US Air Force has 1438 combat aircraft of various types. Long-range aviation is represented by 136 bombers of three types: 63 B-1B Lancer, 19 B-2A Spirit and 52 B-52H Stratofortress. It should be noted that units equipped with B-1B bombers belong to the Air Combat Command, and the other two types of equipment are operated by the Global Strike Command.
The bulk of combat aircraft in the air force - fighter-bombers of several types. These are the 585 F-16 Fighting Falcon of several modifications, the 211 F-15E Strike Eagle and the 27 F-35A Lightning II - the entire 823 aircraft. The direct support of the troops lies with the 160 of the A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. For the execution of fighter missions in the Air Force, the X-NUMX F-275C Eagle (15 units), the F-106D Eagle (15 units) and the F-10A Raptor (22 units) are used.
Also 14 EW EC-130H Compass Call, 80 reconnaissance aircraft of several types, 22 radio reconnaissance aircraft, 32 E-3B / C Sentry detection aircraft, etc. can be involved in combat missions. There are 167 tanker aircraft KC-135 of two modifications and 59 tanker / transporter KC-10A Extender.
The units subordinated to the Air Mobility Command include X-NUMX heavy military transport aircraft C-228A Globemaster and C-17 Galaxy; 5 Medium C-140 Hercules and 130 are several lung types. Also, the Air Force has 39 passenger aircraft.
For the training of pilots used aircraft of three types. These are T-1A Jayhawk (179 machines), T-6A Texan II (405 units) and T-38A Talon (546 units).
In the US armed forces, attack helicopters belong to army aviation and are operated in the relevant units of the ground forces. For this reason, the Air Force has only a few types of 143 helicopter. This technique is mainly used for the transport of goods and personnel.
The air force has 248 unmanned aerial vehicles of several types used for reconnaissance and strikes against ground targets. These are the 101 UAV MQ-1B Predator, the 115 MQ-9A / B Reaper, the 31 RQ-4B Global Hawk and several RQ-170 Sentinel.
In addition to strategic aviation, Global Strike Command is under the command of units armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles LGM-30 Minuteman. Currently, there are about 450-500 of such products in service.
The US Air Force is armed with various missiles and bombs, both guided and unguided. There are air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. In addition to weapons with a conventional warhead there are nuclear warheads. In addition, if necessary, aircraft can use electronic warfare equipment, made in the form of overhead containers.
Marine Corps
In the Marine Corps serves 197,3 thousand people. KMP reserve - 37,55 thousand people. This type of armed forces is designed to conduct military operations at a great distance from the bases, which affects its structure and equipment. Thus, various amphibious vehicles are actively used in the marines. In addition, there is its own aircraft. At the same time, however, ships and boats for the implementation of amphibious assault forces should be provided by naval forces.
The Marine Corps units have 447 M1A1 Abrams tanks. Also operated 252 armored LAV-25. For the delivery of troops to the coast during the landing and other transportation tasks, 1311 amphibious vehicles AAV-7A1 are used. Other transport tasks are assigned to the 1679 M-ATV and 2380 armored vehicles of MRAP class armored vehicles.
The artillery units of the KMP have 1506 guns of various types. These are 832 and 105 155 caliber mm 40, M142 HIMARS and 634 mortar propulsion systems, including self-propelled.
Marine anti-tank weapons consist of X-NUMX self-propelled LAV-TOW missile systems based on the LAV-95 BTR chassis and a large number of TOW radar-mounted anti-tank systems. The main means of protection from an air attack is FIM-25 Stinger MANPADS.
The most important part of the Marine Corps are aviation units, designed to provide fire support and perform other tasks. The aviation structure of the KMP includes almost 70 of various units with different equipment and weapons.
KMP aviation has 394 aircraft of several types. F / A-18 aircraft of various modifications (222 units) and AV-8B Harrier (125 units) form the basis of aviation of the marine corps. Also, deliveries of F-35B Lightning II aircraft have begun, 30 of such machines are already in operation.
29 EW EA-6B Prowler aircraft, 46 KC-130J Hercules, 19 transport and passenger aircraft, as well as X-NUMX training T-3C Turbo Mentor can be used to carry out auxiliary tasks.
Over the past few years, the MV-22 Osprey (210 machines of several modifications) have become the main vehicle of the KMP. Also available are 374 transport helicopters, including the 145 heavy CH-53E Sea Stallion, the 90 medium CH-46E Sea Knight and the 70 UH-1Y Iroquois. Operation of the AH-158W Cobra and AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters continues.
Coast guard
The situation on the waters monitored 41,2 thousand military and 7,6 civilian employees serving in the coast guard. All water areas for which the coast guard is responsible are divided into 9 areas. 4 areas are in the Pacific Ocean, the rest 5 - in the Atlantic. The main task of the Coast Guard is to patrol waters and prevent various illegal activities.
The US Coast Guard has 159 patrol and warships and boats. The park of this technology is represented by various numbers of boats and ships of different types. For example, boats of type Marine Protector are available in the number of 73 units, and the boat Alex Haley is the only representative of its project. The Coast Guard auxiliary fleet consists of 377 units of equipment for various purposes.
The coast guard has its own aircraft. These are 57 airplanes, including 14 HU-25 of several modifications and 27 HC-130H / J Hercules, as well as several types of 125 helicopters. The most massive of the helicopters available is AS366G1 - 90 units, the delivery of another 11 is planned.
Special Operations Forces
The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) or the Special Operations Command is the central authority coordinating the work of the relevant armed forces units. Under his command, the commands, which are part of various types of armed forces, work. The total number of US Special Operations Forces is 60,2 thousand people. In addition, 6,4 thousand civilian employees work in this structure.
From the ground forces, the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) participates in the structure of the special operations forces, under the command of which serves 32,4 thousand people. This command is subject to several ground units, an aviation regiment, a logistics brigade, as well as several battalions whose task is to work with the civilian population.
USASOC has 640 M-ATV armored vehicles, 50 AH-6M/MH-6M Little Bird helicopters, 130 MH-47G Chinook helicopters and 62 MH-60s of several modifications. There are also 57 reconnaissance drones several types.
US Naval Special Warfare Command or NAVSOC manages some units of the Navy, engaged in the forces of special operations. 9,5 thousand people are involved in this structure. The main striking force of NAVSOC are the SEAL units. To support them, there are other units responsible for transport, equipment, etc.
The air force is represented on the USSOCOM by the command of the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) with a population of 15,3 thousand. 2 squadrons of AC-130H / U fire support aircraft, 14 transport squadrons, 5 training squadrons and 2 UAV squadrons obey him. In total, there are 149 airplanes in total, including the AC-25H / U and 130 transport MH-61 130 airplanes (various modifications). AFSOC has 35 CV-22 Osprey converters. In addition, there are several types of 40 helicopters. Most of them are light Bell 205 (24 machines). An interesting fact is that there are several Soviet / Russian-made aircraft and helicopters in the transport squadrons: An-26, Mi8 and Mi-171.
AFSOC is responsible for the heavy UAV 39. These are the 29 Reconnaissance MQ-1B Predator and the 10 MQ-9 Reaper for a similar purpose.
3 thousand people are employed in the command of the US Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC). For a number of reasons, there are only three divisions in this structure: one special regiment and two auxiliary battalions.
Satellite constellation
The Pentagon’s satellite constellation includes 115 spacecraft for various purposes. This technique is used to perform various tasks related to supporting the armed forces.
36 satellites are used for communication, including 3 type AEHF, 8 DSCS-III, 7 UFO, 6 WGS SV2 and others. The satellite navigation system GPS NAVSTAR uses the 33 satellite: 9 NAVSTAR Block II / IIA, 4 NAVSTAR Block IIF and 20 NAVSTAR Block IIR / RM. The DSN-6 5 satellites are used for meteorological and oceanographic services. The United States has a developed group of reconnaissance spacecraft. These are the FN, 2 ORS-1, 1 TacSat-1, 1 SBSS 1, and several types of 22 electronic reconnaissance satellite. As part of the missile attack detection system, 4 satellite DSP and 2 SBIRS Geo-1 are operated.
Based on:
http://globalsecurity.org/
http://janes.com/
http://defense-update.com/
http://defense.gov/
The Military Balance 2014
Common numbers
One of the main features of the American armed forces are the record large size of the military budget. Over the past few years, attempts have been made to reduce costs, but now, according to some data, it is planned to return to growth. In the 2014 fiscal year, about 610 billions of dollars were allocated for defense. 2015 plans to spend about the same or a bit more. Nevertheless, in the current situation, the United States retains the largest military budget in the world, with a serious lead over its closest competitors in the person of Russia and China.
According to the directory The Military Balance, in 2014, about 1492,2 thousand people served in the US military. In addition, 14 thousand jobs were provided to civilian specialists. If necessary, the Pentagon can take advantage of the reserve, which includes 843,75 thousand people.
US citizens may enter military service with 18 years (or with 17 years - with the permission of parents or legal representatives). The maximum age of recruits is limited and depends on the type of armed forces. So, in the land forces take persons not older than 35 years, and in the Marine Corps - not older than 28 years. With a population over 316 million people, the United States has a great mobilization potential. According to reports, about 120 million people are eligible for service.
Ground troops
The total number of land forces, including the National Guard Army, is 586,7 thousand people. In addition, 528,5 thou reservists are attributed to land forces. Thus, the US Army is the most numerous structure in the US armed forces, due to a number of its features.
The personnel and equipment of the ground forces are distributed among several large subdivisions for various purposes. The 2 th and 3 th cavalry regiments, as well as 3 reconnaissance brigades, are responsible for conducting reconnaissance in the interests of the ground forces. There are 5 "heavy" divisions, equipped with armored vehicles of various types, self-propelled artillery, etc. The 2-I and 25-I infantry divisions belong to the "middle" and have the appropriate composition. They have means of transportation and fire support for personnel, etc. technique. There is also one light infantry division. The landing troops are represented by three large subdivisions. These are the 82-i and 101-i divisions, as well as the 173-i brigade.
The US Army has 2 helicopter brigades, 7 artillery brigades, 5 engineering brigades, 3 logistics brigades, 3 medical brigades, and other units to perform support functions.
The Army of the National Guard serves about 20 thousand people. The number of National Guard reservists exceeds 330 thousand people. Due to other goals, this structure has a smaller number of units in comparison with the armed forces. So, in its composition there are only 7 armored brigades and 3 "heavy" infantry brigades. "Medium" mechanized brigades are represented by only one such division, "light" - 20 brigades. At the same time, the National Guard Army has 13 helicopter brigades, 7 artillery, 7 engineering, etc.
The US Army has a large number of various military equipment. As of 2014, there were 2338 troops tanks M1 Abrams in operation. About 3500 of these machines were in storage. There were also 1928 reconnaissance vehicles of several types, and most of them (a little more than 1000 units) are equipment based on the Stryker platform. For the transportation of personnel used 4559 infantry fighting vehicles M2 and M3 Bradley. About 2000 of these machines are in storage.
The most numerous vehicles in the US Army are armored personnel carriers: several types of 25209 vehicles. Despite the cuts, one of the most massive armored personnel carriers remains M113 of later modifications. In parts there are about 5 thousand such machines, another 8 thousand are in storage. The delivery of an armored personnel carrier of the Stryker family continues: it has already been transferred to the 2792 troops of such vehicles. In recent years, 17417 MRAP-class armored cars were built, including X-NUMX M-ATV type vehicles.
Artillery is represented by 5899 guns of various types. These are the 969 self-propelled artillery mounts M109A6 (about 500 such SAUs are in storage); 1242 towed guns caliber 105 and 155 mm; 1205 multiple rocket launcher systems; as well as 2483 mortars, including self-propelled ones.
To combat the tanks can be used 1512 self-propelled anti-tank complexes. These are the TN 1379 complexes on the HMMWV chassis, as well as 133 machines based on the Stryker platform. In addition, infantry units rely Javelin wearable missile systems.
For landing, US Army can use 45 landing craft of type LCU-1600 and LCU-2000. There are also 8 boats of the type Frank Besson and 73 type LCM-8.
As part of the U.S. Army aviation units. They use 61 reconnaissance aircraft, both with photo equipment and with electronic intelligence equipment. There are also about 160 transport aircraft of several types.
In this case, the basis of the American Army Aviation are units equipped with helicopters. They have AH-737D / E Apache attack helicopters, 64 multipurpose OH-356D Kiowa Warrior, 58 reconnaissance OH-90A / C Kiowa, 58 multipurpose HH-126. For the transport of goods used 60 transport helicopters of several types, including 2787 heavy CH-397 Chinook several modifications. Pilots are trained using TH-47 Creek 154 helicopters.
Army units also operate 323 unmanned aerial vehicles. The most common type of such equipment is RQ-7A Shadow (236 units).
Military air defense is represented by approximately 1300 units of various equipment. These are 816 self-propelled complexes: 703 FIM-92A Avenger, 95 M6 Linebacker and 18 THAAD. There are also 480 towed MIM-104 Patriot complexes of several modifications. FIM-92 Stinger man-portable air defense systems are issued to various units.
Naval forces
The US Navy serves 322,7 thousand people. In the reserve are 100,75 thousand people. All naval units are divided between two large fleets, the main points of base which are located on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the country. In addition, five fleets have been formed, the area of responsibility of which are those or other areas of the oceans. All US Navy formations include 72 submarines and 107 warships.
The US fleet includes Ohio 14 submarines carrying 24 UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missiles. In addition, they are armed with torpedo tubes. Ohio-type submarines are currently the only strike weapons of the naval component of the US strategic nuclear forces.
Ohio-type 4 submarines, previously equipped with ballistic missiles, were repaired and re-equipped with Tomahawk LACM cruise missiles. After upgrading, each such submarine carries 154 rockets. Search and destruction of ships or enemy ground targets is also assigned to 30 multipurpose Los Angeles-type submarines in two versions. There are 10 multi-purpose submarines of the Virginia project. The main armament of Los Angeles and Virginia types of submarines are LACM missiles.
Some amount of torpedo nuclear submarines is saved. This 11 submarines of the Los Angeles type of the first modification, armed only with torpedo tubes, as well as 8 submarines of the Seawolf type. The latter can use both torpedoes and rockets launched through torpedo tubes.
The main striking force of the US Navy are 10 aircraft carriers such as Nimiz. Each of them carries a set of anti-aircraft weapons, as well as an aviation group consisting of several dozen airplanes and helicopters. The main strike means of such ships are F / A-18 Hornet fighter-bombers - up to 50-60 aircraft on board.
The US Navy has 22 cruisers of the Ticonderoga type, equipped with two vertical Mk 41 launchers with 61 cells for weapons. Depending on the combat mission, these ships can carry anti-missile missiles RGM-84, cruise Tomahawk LACM, several types of anti-aircraft missiles, etc.
The most massive type of ships in the US Navy are destroyers of the type Arleigh Burke in the number of 62 units. At the present time in the ranks there are destroyers of several modifications, having a different composition of weapons and equipment. The main armament of such ships is one vertical launcher Mk 41, similar to that used on Ticonderoga cruisers.
10 frigates of the Oliver Hazard Perry project, which have anti-aircraft, artillery and torpedo weapons, remain in the ranks. In addition, over the past few years, three ships of the class Littoral Combat Ship were built. Two built on the project with the symbol Independence, one on the project Freedom.
To patrol waters, 55 ships and boats of several types are used. Also available are 13 minesweepers such as the Avenger, 245 landing craft and 71 auxiliary vessel. Delivery and disembarkation of troops ashore are assigned to 30 amphibious assault ships of several types, including the 1 ship of the Tarawa project and the 8 type San Antonio.
An important part of the naval forces is naval aviation. This structure employs 98,6 thousand people. Personnel and equipment are distributed between 10 air wings, each of which consists on average of 8 squadrons. There are units of strike aircraft, reconnaissance and electronic warfare, anti-submarine squadrons, etc.
The US Navy naval aviation has a total of 1089 aircraft of various types. The most numerous of them are carrier-based fighter-bombers, of which there are 823 units. The overwhelming majority of this technology is F / A-18 Hornet airplanes of various modifications. In addition, deliveries of the F-35C Lightning II have begun.
The second largest are anti-submarine aircraft - the 151 board. These are the P-140C Orion 3 aircraft and the P-11A Poseidon X-NUMX aircraft. The third in number - EW aircraft EA-8B Prowler and EA-6G Growler (18 units).
There are X-NUMX E-69C / D Hawkeye long-range radar detection airplanes, EP-2E Aries II, X-NUMX reconnaissance RC-11F / M Huron reconnaissance aircraft, as well as several types of 3 transport and 2 training aircraft.
The main US Navy multi-purpose helicopter is the MH-60 - 495 units in three versions. There are MH-28E Sea Dragon 53, 3 OH-58C Kiowa, 11 HH-60H Seahawk helicopters, and several types of 13 transport and 120 helicopters.
The Navy has 60 unmanned aerial vehicles. Deliveries of MQ-8B / C devices (21 unit) are continuing, 4 RQ-4A Global Hawk machines were transferred for testing.
Air Force
The total number of personnel of the US Air Force - 329,5 thousand people. 168,85 thousand people listed in the reserve. Various units of the Air Force are subordinate to several commands. So, Global Strike Command manages strategic aviation and units armed with ballistic missiles. Under the command of Air Combat Command, connections with various strike aircraft were consolidated. Air Mobility Command is responsible for military transport aviation, Air Education and Training Command - for the training of pilots.
In total, the US Air Force has 1438 combat aircraft of various types. Long-range aviation is represented by 136 bombers of three types: 63 B-1B Lancer, 19 B-2A Spirit and 52 B-52H Stratofortress. It should be noted that units equipped with B-1B bombers belong to the Air Combat Command, and the other two types of equipment are operated by the Global Strike Command.
The bulk of combat aircraft in the air force - fighter-bombers of several types. These are the 585 F-16 Fighting Falcon of several modifications, the 211 F-15E Strike Eagle and the 27 F-35A Lightning II - the entire 823 aircraft. The direct support of the troops lies with the 160 of the A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. For the execution of fighter missions in the Air Force, the X-NUMX F-275C Eagle (15 units), the F-106D Eagle (15 units) and the F-10A Raptor (22 units) are used.
Also 14 EW EC-130H Compass Call, 80 reconnaissance aircraft of several types, 22 radio reconnaissance aircraft, 32 E-3B / C Sentry detection aircraft, etc. can be involved in combat missions. There are 167 tanker aircraft KC-135 of two modifications and 59 tanker / transporter KC-10A Extender.
The units subordinated to the Air Mobility Command include X-NUMX heavy military transport aircraft C-228A Globemaster and C-17 Galaxy; 5 Medium C-140 Hercules and 130 are several lung types. Also, the Air Force has 39 passenger aircraft.
For the training of pilots used aircraft of three types. These are T-1A Jayhawk (179 machines), T-6A Texan II (405 units) and T-38A Talon (546 units).
In the US armed forces, attack helicopters belong to army aviation and are operated in the relevant units of the ground forces. For this reason, the Air Force has only a few types of 143 helicopter. This technique is mainly used for the transport of goods and personnel.
The air force has 248 unmanned aerial vehicles of several types used for reconnaissance and strikes against ground targets. These are the 101 UAV MQ-1B Predator, the 115 MQ-9A / B Reaper, the 31 RQ-4B Global Hawk and several RQ-170 Sentinel.
In addition to strategic aviation, Global Strike Command is under the command of units armed with intercontinental ballistic missiles LGM-30 Minuteman. Currently, there are about 450-500 of such products in service.
The US Air Force is armed with various missiles and bombs, both guided and unguided. There are air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. In addition to weapons with a conventional warhead there are nuclear warheads. In addition, if necessary, aircraft can use electronic warfare equipment, made in the form of overhead containers.
Marine Corps
In the Marine Corps serves 197,3 thousand people. KMP reserve - 37,55 thousand people. This type of armed forces is designed to conduct military operations at a great distance from the bases, which affects its structure and equipment. Thus, various amphibious vehicles are actively used in the marines. In addition, there is its own aircraft. At the same time, however, ships and boats for the implementation of amphibious assault forces should be provided by naval forces.
The Marine Corps units have 447 M1A1 Abrams tanks. Also operated 252 armored LAV-25. For the delivery of troops to the coast during the landing and other transportation tasks, 1311 amphibious vehicles AAV-7A1 are used. Other transport tasks are assigned to the 1679 M-ATV and 2380 armored vehicles of MRAP class armored vehicles.
The artillery units of the KMP have 1506 guns of various types. These are 832 and 105 155 caliber mm 40, M142 HIMARS and 634 mortar propulsion systems, including self-propelled.
Marine anti-tank weapons consist of X-NUMX self-propelled LAV-TOW missile systems based on the LAV-95 BTR chassis and a large number of TOW radar-mounted anti-tank systems. The main means of protection from an air attack is FIM-25 Stinger MANPADS.
The most important part of the Marine Corps are aviation units, designed to provide fire support and perform other tasks. The aviation structure of the KMP includes almost 70 of various units with different equipment and weapons.
KMP aviation has 394 aircraft of several types. F / A-18 aircraft of various modifications (222 units) and AV-8B Harrier (125 units) form the basis of aviation of the marine corps. Also, deliveries of F-35B Lightning II aircraft have begun, 30 of such machines are already in operation.
29 EW EA-6B Prowler aircraft, 46 KC-130J Hercules, 19 transport and passenger aircraft, as well as X-NUMX training T-3C Turbo Mentor can be used to carry out auxiliary tasks.
Over the past few years, the MV-22 Osprey (210 machines of several modifications) have become the main vehicle of the KMP. Also available are 374 transport helicopters, including the 145 heavy CH-53E Sea Stallion, the 90 medium CH-46E Sea Knight and the 70 UH-1Y Iroquois. Operation of the AH-158W Cobra and AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters continues.
Coast guard
The situation on the waters monitored 41,2 thousand military and 7,6 civilian employees serving in the coast guard. All water areas for which the coast guard is responsible are divided into 9 areas. 4 areas are in the Pacific Ocean, the rest 5 - in the Atlantic. The main task of the Coast Guard is to patrol waters and prevent various illegal activities.
The US Coast Guard has 159 patrol and warships and boats. The park of this technology is represented by various numbers of boats and ships of different types. For example, boats of type Marine Protector are available in the number of 73 units, and the boat Alex Haley is the only representative of its project. The Coast Guard auxiliary fleet consists of 377 units of equipment for various purposes.
The coast guard has its own aircraft. These are 57 airplanes, including 14 HU-25 of several modifications and 27 HC-130H / J Hercules, as well as several types of 125 helicopters. The most massive of the helicopters available is AS366G1 - 90 units, the delivery of another 11 is planned.
Special Operations Forces
The US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) or the Special Operations Command is the central authority coordinating the work of the relevant armed forces units. Under his command, the commands, which are part of various types of armed forces, work. The total number of US Special Operations Forces is 60,2 thousand people. In addition, 6,4 thousand civilian employees work in this structure.
From the ground forces, the US Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) participates in the structure of the special operations forces, under the command of which serves 32,4 thousand people. This command is subject to several ground units, an aviation regiment, a logistics brigade, as well as several battalions whose task is to work with the civilian population.
USASOC has 640 M-ATV armored vehicles, 50 AH-6M/MH-6M Little Bird helicopters, 130 MH-47G Chinook helicopters and 62 MH-60s of several modifications. There are also 57 reconnaissance drones several types.
US Naval Special Warfare Command or NAVSOC manages some units of the Navy, engaged in the forces of special operations. 9,5 thousand people are involved in this structure. The main striking force of NAVSOC are the SEAL units. To support them, there are other units responsible for transport, equipment, etc.
The air force is represented on the USSOCOM by the command of the US Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) with a population of 15,3 thousand. 2 squadrons of AC-130H / U fire support aircraft, 14 transport squadrons, 5 training squadrons and 2 UAV squadrons obey him. In total, there are 149 airplanes in total, including the AC-25H / U and 130 transport MH-61 130 airplanes (various modifications). AFSOC has 35 CV-22 Osprey converters. In addition, there are several types of 40 helicopters. Most of them are light Bell 205 (24 machines). An interesting fact is that there are several Soviet / Russian-made aircraft and helicopters in the transport squadrons: An-26, Mi8 and Mi-171.
AFSOC is responsible for the heavy UAV 39. These are the 29 Reconnaissance MQ-1B Predator and the 10 MQ-9 Reaper for a similar purpose.
3 thousand people are employed in the command of the US Marine Special Operations Command (MARSOC). For a number of reasons, there are only three divisions in this structure: one special regiment and two auxiliary battalions.
Satellite constellation
The Pentagon’s satellite constellation includes 115 spacecraft for various purposes. This technique is used to perform various tasks related to supporting the armed forces.
36 satellites are used for communication, including 3 type AEHF, 8 DSCS-III, 7 UFO, 6 WGS SV2 and others. The satellite navigation system GPS NAVSTAR uses the 33 satellite: 9 NAVSTAR Block II / IIA, 4 NAVSTAR Block IIF and 20 NAVSTAR Block IIR / RM. The DSN-6 5 satellites are used for meteorological and oceanographic services. The United States has a developed group of reconnaissance spacecraft. These are the FN, 2 ORS-1, 1 TacSat-1, 1 SBSS 1, and several types of 22 electronic reconnaissance satellite. As part of the missile attack detection system, 4 satellite DSP and 2 SBIRS Geo-1 are operated.
Based on:
http://globalsecurity.org/
http://janes.com/
http://defense-update.com/
http://defense.gov/
The Military Balance 2014
Information