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        Policy UpdatesNewsroomReoptimizationBIOGRAPHIESAF Senior Leaders   Thunderbirds over CaliforniaThe U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" perform at the California Capital Air Show in Mather, Calif., September 26, 2021. Since 1953, the Thunderbirds team has served as America’s premier air demonstration squadron, entrusted with the vital mission to recruit, retain and inspire past, present and future Airmen. (U.S. Air Force Photo/SSgt Cory W. Bush)
                
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        Thunderbirds over Reno, Nev.Members of the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" perform a high show demonstration in Reno, Nevada, September 19, 2021. Since the show site was separate from the takeoff site, no groundshow was conducted. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicolas Myers)
                
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        Thunderbirds No. 5 and 6 perform a reflection pass during a practice show at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., on Aug. 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jack Braden)Thunderbirds No. 5 and 6 perform a reflection pass during a practice show at Scott Air Force Base, Ill., on Aug. 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Master Sgt. Jack Braden)
                
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        The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform during Air Power Day at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 21. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform during Air Power Day at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 21. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)
                
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        The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform during Air Power Day at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 21. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds perform during Air Power Day at Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Oct. 21. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Brian Ferguson)
                
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 ThunderbirdsMission
The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the Thunderbirds, performs precision aerial maneuvers demonstrating the capabilities of Air Force high performance aircraft to people throughout the world. The squadron exhibits the professional qualities the Air Force develops in the people who fly, maintain and support these aircraft.
Objectives of the squadron are:
- To support Air Force recruiting and retention programs
- To reinforce public confidence in the Air Force and to demonstrate to the public the professional competence of Air Force members
- To strengthen morale and esprit de corps among Air Force members
- To support Air Force community relations and people-to-people programs
- To represent the United States and its armed forces to foreign nations and to project international goodwill**The Team**
The Thunderbirds squadron is an Air Combat Command unit composed of eight pilots (including six demonstration pilots), four support officers, three civilians and more than 130 enlisted personnel performing in 25 career fields.
A Thunderbirds air demonstration is a mix of formation flying and solo routines. The four-aircraft diamond formation demonstrates the training and precision of Air Force pilots, while the solo aircraft highlight the maximum capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.
The pilots perform approximately 30 maneuvers in a demonstration. The entire show, including ground and air, runs about an hour and fifteen minutes. The season lasts from March to November, with the winter months used to train new members.

Thunderbirds Finish Cleveland National Air Show with StyleThe Thunderbirds, the Air Force's flight demonstration squadron, perform during the Cleveland National Air Show in Cleveland, Sept. 6, 2021. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicolas Myers)
            
            
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    Thunderbirds over Reno, Nev.Members of the United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" perform a high show demonstration in Reno, Nevada, September 19, 2021. Since the show site was separate from the takeoff site, no groundshow was conducted. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicolas Myers)
            
            
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    Thunderbirds over ClevelandThe United States Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron "Thunderbirds" perform during day one of the Cleveland National Air Show, September 4, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. This was a deployed show that involved the jets taking off from and landing at a different site from the air show.  (U.S. Air Force Photo by Tech. Sgt. Nicolas A. Myers)
            
            
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Officers serve a two-year assignment with the squadron, while enlisted personnel serve three to four. Replacements must be trained for about half of the team each year, providing a constant mix of experience.
The squadron performs approximately 75 demonstrations each year and has never canceled a demonstration due to maintenance difficulty. More than 300 million people in all 50 states and 58 foreign countries have seen the red, white and blue jets in more than 4,000 aerial demonstrations.
In addition to their responsibilities as the official U.S. Air Force aerial demonstration team, the Thunderbirds are part of our combat force. If required, the team's personnel and aircraft can be rapidly integrated into a fighter unit at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Since the aircraft are only slightly modified, they can be made combat-ready in less than 72 hours.**F-16 Fighting Falcon**
The Lockheed Martin (formerly General Dynamics) F-16 represents the full range of capabilities possessed by the Air Force's tactical fighters. This highly maneuverable multi-role fighter has proven to be one of the world's best precision tactical bombers and air-to-air combat aircraft. The only modifications needed to prepare the aircraft for its air demonstration role are installing a smoke-generating system in the space normally reserved for the 20mm cannon, and the painting of the aircraft in Thunderbird colors.**History**
The Thunderbirds were officially activated June 1, 1953, as the 3600th Air Demonstration Team at Luke AFB, Ariz. Their first aircraft was the straight-winged F-84G Thunderjet, a combat fighter-bomber that had seen action in Korea. Early in 1955 the team transitioned to the swept-winged F-84F Thunderstreak.
In June 1956, the team moved to its current home at Nellis. At the same time theThunderbirds traded the veteran F-84 for the world's first supersonic fighter, the F-100 Super Sabre -- an aerial platform that would serve the Thunderbirds for 13 years. More than 1,000 demonstrations were flown in the Super Sabre, thrilling spectators around the world. The team changed briefly to the Republic F-105 Thunderchief. After only six shows, in 1964, due to an extensive modification that became necessary on all Thunderchiefs, the Thunderbirds returned to the F-100.
From 1969 to 1973, the Thunderbirds flew the Air Force's front-line fighter, the F-4E Phantom. In 1974, the Thunderbirds converted to the T-38 Talon, the world's first supersonic trainer. The T-38 was more fuel-efficient and less costly to maintain than the larger F-4.
Early in 1983, the Thunderbirds reinstituted their traditional role of demonstrating the Air Force's front-line fighter capabilities. Transition to the F-16A allowed the team to retain manpower and fuel efficiency while demonstrating to spectators the latest in fighter technology.
In 1986, the Thunderbirds participated in the rededication flyby of the Statue of Liberty and in September, another milestone was attained when the team went over the 200 million mark for total attendance.
The largest crowd, 2.25 million people, to see a performance was at Coney Island, N.Y., July 4, 1987. The 1987 Far East tour marked their debut in Beijing, China -- the first American military demonstration performance in a Communist country.
Operation Desert Storm cancelled the 1990 European tour and the season was shortened. The team converted to the F-16C in 1992, bringing the F-16A era to an end.
 In July 1996, the team participated in opening ceremonies of the Centennial Olympics held in Atlanta which were viewed by an estimated 3.5 billion people around the world.
The Thunderbirds made television history in 2003 while celebrating their 50th Anniversary. The commander/leader started the Coca-Cola 600 by broadcasting live from Thunderbird No. 1 as he said, "Gentlemen, start your engines."
In 2007, the Thunderbirds visited Europe for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001 with the European Goodwill Tour. The trip included shows in Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom - and for the first time in Thunderbird history - Ireland.
In 2009, the Thunderbirds traveled back to the Pacific Rim, performing in locations like Malaysia, Guam, Australia, Korea and Japan. The team performed more than 70 shows in 22 states and Puerto Rico.
The 2010 season, the team's 57th year of performing, saw the team in 73 shows all over the United States and Canada. Spending more than 250 days on the road representing Airmen, millions of people have witnessed the Thunderbird demonstrations. In turn, they've seen the pride, professionalism and dedication of hundreds of thousands of Airmen serving at home and abroad. Each year brings another opportunity for the team to represent those who deserve the most credit: the everyday, hard-working Airmen voluntarily serving America and defending freedom.
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        The Air Force Distributed Common Ground System (AF DCGS), also referred to as the AN/GSQ-272 SENTINEL weapon system, is the Air Force’s primary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) collection, processing, exploitation, analysis and dissemination (CPAD) system. 
(U.S. Air Force photo)
                    
                    Air Force Distributed Common Ground System
                
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                The AN/ASQ-236 Radar Pod contains synthetic aperture radar that provides detailed maps for surveillance, coordinate generation and bomb impact assessment purposes.  It will be operational on the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo)
                    
                    AN/ASQ-236 Radar Pod
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