U.S. AIR FORCE EXERCISES

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 70, Issue 138, 27 March 1950, Page 3

U.S. AIR FORCE EXERCISES

YEAR’S PROGRAMME OUTLINED JOINT MANOEUVRES WITH OTHER SERVICES WASHINGTON, March 25. Defence officials disclosed today that the United States Air Force would conduct 15 , large- ,, scale exercises during the year beginning on July. Thousands of ‘ aircraft would fly in exercises extending from the Panama Ganal Zone to Alaska, and covering all' likely targets and avenues of ehemy attack. ... ! The Army and Navy would cooperate with the Air Force in extensive manoeuvres involving the use of thousands of paratroopers and airborne' soldiers. The Air. Force, in other exercises, would test the performances of bomber crews and air-1 craft in long deployment flights. One phase of the exercises would employ* seven fighter groups of 525 aircraft over all of the United States east of the Mississippi. More than 160 fast interceptor and all-weather aircraft, carrying out defence missions, would manoeuvre over the north-western States. Two air groups of about 150 aircraft would join United States and Canadian Army units in exercises in the Far North, similar to those held earlier this year. Two exercises would be concerned with the defence of the Atlantic area, said the defence officials. The exercises would train pilots in ferrying jet fighters across the North Atlantic Ocean. More than 1000 aircraft would participate in other exercises, ranging from huge Army and Air Force joint manoeuvres at Fort Bragg, in North Carolina, to smaller operations to test new radar and other equipment. Hundreds of medium and heavy bombers would carry out deployment exercises between the United States and Europe/ and bet\Veen the United States and Alaska.

The officials said that the Army was planning 14 exercises involving cooperation with the Air Force and Navy during the year. The Navy would hold manoeuvres in the Atlantic and the Pacific. Some would be joint ex excises with the British, Canadian, French and Dutch fleets, and probably with warships of other North Atlantic Pact nations.