Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command's primary role is to provide combat air forces to America's warfighting commanders. It operates fighter aircraft including the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-16C Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, F-35A Lightning II, and all intelligence gathering aircraft, not least the U-2, the type that Gary Powers was shot down in over the Soviet Union in 1960. Air Combat Command also hosts the US Air Force Warfare Center, its Weapons School and Exercise Red Flag, all at Nellis Air Force Base - the cradle of American combat air power. This 116-page special publication lifts the lid on American airpower's tip of the spear.