<p>When the US Air Force entered the 1990s, the service had never been more uncertain about the nature of the threats it would face during the decade. Dramatic upheavals in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe had radically altered the political temperature of superpower relations and, with the end of the Warsaw Pact, the concept of a fierce conflict involving nuclear weapons on the European Central Front seemed virtually impossible. Yet, on paper the arsenal still maintained by the republics of the former Soviet Union could not be ignored, and the failed military coup in August 1991 would give the Pentagon further cause for alarm.
</p>
<p>Just a few months previously the US Air Force had been involved in a swift and bloody conflict to oust Saddam Hussein from Kuwait. The successes of the Gulf War were achieved largely by air power, and the key factors had proved to be 'smart' technology, rapid deployment and excellent training for personnel at all levels. The message to the Pentagon from both the Middle East and Moscow was that while there was a great peace 'dividend' to be gained from the final thawing of any remnants of the Cold War, the huge potential for armed conflict remained in the world. Considerable budget cuts were likely, and money would have to be spent wisely on weapon systems that would be of maximum effectiveness in a wide variety of combat scenarios.
</p>
<p>With the massive reorganisation of its commands in 1992 the US Air Force had set out its stall for the rest of the decade: a slimmer, leaner force with a considerable cut in personnel, unit and aircraft numbers. Gone were the days of huge interceptor forces to meet the Soviet bomber threat; gone was the vast organization of Strategic Air Command, whose principle <hi format=ital>raison d'être</hi> was to stand ready to wage all-out nuclear war at a moment's notice; gone were the massive tactical forces in Europe who waited for the first tanks to come crashing through the border from the East.
</p>
<p>In their place is a smaller yet far more flexible force, able to respond to many varying threats coming from any direction and in any part of the globe. The nature of wing structures is moving away from the single-type concept with the introduction of 'composite wings', with several aircraft types attached in order to provide a self-contained rapid projection force tailored to a specific threat. Traditional single-type wings are having their roles widened to spread their capabilities across a greater number of scenarios. With the budget axe swinging on Capitol Hill, many famous units are being disbanded.
</p>
<p>Budgetary concerns are being felt strongly in the Pentagon, and procurement of expensive weapon systems to meet the projected threats of the future is being met with more political opposition than ever before. How many of the prestigious procurement programs will survive the decade remains to be seen. In order to understand the implications of the sweeping changes under way within the US Air Force organization, one must examine, role by role, the aircraft it currently uses and has procured, and the way in which it expects to use them.
