Evening star., 1948-04-18
.70-Group Air Force
Will Provide $500
First-Line Planes
By John A, Giles

The controversial 70-group Air
Force plan now being studied by
the Senate Armed Service Com
mittee would provide the Nation
with $500 first-line aircraft.
Today the Air Force has about
$500 aircraft in operation with Its
present SIS groups.
A group" is a tactical unit rough
ly comparable to an Army regiment
and is composed Of two or more air
squadrons
The size of the squadrons vary
with the plane types-there may be
10 very heavy bombers eight OF
them operational at all times) IN a
squadron, or a total of Is fast fight
ers might be moulded into squad
ron. Thus, the size Of a group Is
bound to vary also.
Breakdown Suggested.
That 70-group force recommended
so strongly by Air Secretary Sym
ington and Gen. Carl Spaatz, retlr-
ing Air Force chief of staff, despite
administration decision to back a
55-group force, would be broken
down something like this:
Heavy and medium bombers-2l
groups. with from 81 to 80 IN each
group, or about $50 big power houses
in all
Light bombers-5 groups, 81 per
group. ZIG planes.
Fiehters-22 groups, rs per group,
1850 aircraft.
Troop carriers-10 groups, with
about 420 heavy and medium planes
In all. With the Army becoming
increasingly more air minded, TINS
phase likely will come IN for expan-
sion in the future.
Ionp-range reconnaissance -
groups, 36 to a group, 18o planes.
All-weather lighters groups 80
to a group, 1O8 planes.
Tactical reconnaissance groups
81 to a group, ZIG planes.
~ Special-Purpose Groups.
Tn addition there would be u sep
arate souadrons for special purposes
-noncombat units such as air rescue
-plrs the trainers. The Air Force
adds the whole thing up to the $780,
plane figure. ;.
OF course. the Air Force also Is
asking and the Congress Is CONSIDER.
ing the establishment of 81 Nationa
Guard groups with 5000 planes anc
a 34.proup air reserve with at least
3 900 more. That's total OF Isl
groups and 14,200 planes.
The present IS groups include /;
groups of B-29s and "A groups o.
fighters.
The United States today has ar
estimated $4,000 military planes
although some are now obsolete
divided as follows:
In addition to its $500 operabl'
aircraft, the Air Force has arount
10000 planes in storage and TIT
National Guard and reserves hav'
another 5000 or more. 1n mothball'
the air arm has almost 1,500 B-29'
and hundreds OF fighter planes, ou
no jets) ,
The Navy's air arm, about whlcf
little is being said at the moment
has around $500 first line plane!
and another 500 support aircraft
Might Take Almost Two Years.
How long would it take to expant
the Air Force by Is more comba
groups, fully trained and equipped
for battle? Some officers estimated
Yesterday that it might take almos
two years and they mentioned thes'
factors:
l.. Time needed to train indl
viduals as members of air crews ant
as members of the ground crew
which keep the airplanes In condl
ton to fly.
2. Training of units in the com
plex operation of formations o
planes on bomber strikes, or fghte1
support, or attack on enemy craft
8. Providing the airplanes for tn
groups. The officials say that SUI
ficient aircraft to equip Is add
toinal groups could be withdraw
within a few months from the stor
age pile but, they point out, ther'