Evening star., 1949-10-10
Air Force Shows Can
Provide Close Support
For Army and Navy
By the Associated Press

EGLIN AIR BASE, Fla, Oct.
10.-Maj. Gen. Robert M. Lee
said today the Air Force is ready
to give close support to the Army
and Navy whenever called.
Gen. Lee is commander Of the
Tactical Air Command. which
would do the job. He told news
men assembled for a demonstra-
ton of methods and equipment,
1--WE believe we have the best
equipment available for the sup
port job"
A quick show of what the Air
Force, Army and Navy can do in
a combined operation was set up
for the benefit of about 5000
young officers and observers as
part of an air indoctrination
course.
The story is written around
Alpha-the three American serv-
ices-coming to the aid of Beta.
a small nation in whose remote
areas Gamma, hypothetical ag-
gressor, has established bases.
Unless something happens to the
script, Alpha will knock the tar
out of Gamma in a noisy, but
brief encounter tomorrow.
Gen. Lee opened his comment
with an explanation that the Air
Force wants to emphasize it's
vital interest in the tactical air
picture, or close support opera
tions, despite reports to the con-
trary.
Show to Be Repeated.
The show, which is being re-
peated five times for various
student groups, will be used not
only to teach young officers the
job, but also to test new tech
niques and equipment and to i'm
prove them, Gen. Lee said.
This is the first all-jet combat
demonstration of its kind so far
as the Air Force is concerned.
There will be F-84 Thunderjets
in fighter-bomber roles, B-45
Tornadoes in close support light
bomber operation, and RF-80
Shooting Stars for reconnaissance
work. The Navy will use F-8-F
Bearcats. propeller fighters, and
the Army will use C-S2 packet
troop carriers and Lib liaison
planes. About 1000 officers and
men and more than 200 planes
will participate.
Gen Lee said the F-84 in use
now is the "best fighter bomber
that can be put in hands of the
pilots. However, he said the Tao
tical Air Command is looking to
improvements in the light bomber
field.
Gen. Lee said the B-50 Super
fortress may be adapted close sup
port work, but an effort will be
made to put all jets into service,
he added, to find out how to use
them instead of sitting back until
someone else finds out how they
work."
Cites Cooperation.
Led into the realm of unifica-
ton. he said: 1--WE believe in inter-
service cooperation. We not only
believe in it, we practice it. I am
sure that if we have another emer-
gency, we will all be working to-
gether as we have in the past"
The general pointed to the near
ness of his headquarters at Lang
ley Air Base, Va, to the f1eadquar-
ters Of Gen. Mark Clark, Chief of
Army Field Forces, and Admiral
w. H. P. Blandy, commander-in-
chief of the Atlantic Fleet.
Maj. Gen. William E. Kepner,
chief of the Air Proving Ground
based here, said interception prob
lens built around the B-36 bonn
Der are being carried on to test
both the Jet fighters and the 10
eating devices. He gave no de-
tails. however, about the work
with the B-36, which for months
has been the center OF a major
controversy between the Air Force
and the Navy.
The use of jet aircraft will in
crease the supply problems be-
cause OF the relatively greater
amount of fuel required, Gun.
Kepner said.
Gen. Lee commented that a
larger logistics problem should
not interfere with the use of war,
planes better suited for the job.