Evening star., 1951-10-14
More Tactical Planes
Required in Europe,
Vandenberg Says
By John A. Giles


yesterday that much of the pro-
jected expansion of the Air Force
to upward of 140 wings would be |
in tactical aircraft for the support
of troops in the defense of West
ern Europe.
The Air Chief of Staff, starting
on weeks inspection of con-
tinental bases, haStened to explain
however that the expansion plan
itself was still no certainty. White
House and Congressional approval
is yet to be obtained.
"A lot of the expansion would
be in the tactical side" he told
reporters at National Airport.
There wouldn't be too much
bulld-up in the strategic dong
range bombardmenD end"
At present the air arm consists
of between 81 and 80 wings. 1t
is building toward 95 wings dur
ing the current fiscal year. New
plan, approved by the Joint Chiefs
OF Staff and forwarded to Presi-
dent Truman, calls for further
expansion to about 140 wings.
Jets Replace Older Types.
The Air Force now consists of
approximately a dozen strategic
bomb wings, the majority of them
B-29 and B-50 medium bombers,
with about three existing or pro-
Jected wings of heavy bombers of
the B-36 type. AS the newer BAT
medium jet bombers come off the
production line, they are being
put into units to replace the
plSton-engined B-29s and B-5Os.
The department has announced
1t is building prototypes, and will
go directly into production when
the first models of an all-jet heavy
bomber are flight tested.
Tactical units include fighter
bomberS. light bomberS and troop
transports. The piston -engined at
tack planes of World War II are
being replaced with jet fighters.
Including the ESQ. F-84 and F-86.
although the latter Is essentially
ali interceptor plane. {
AS Gen. Vandenberg left on his
trip, 1t also was disclosed that Sec
retary of the Air Force Thomas /
<. Flnletter was leaving this week I
end for Europe and North Africa,
where the Air Force already is in
process of constructing a number
OF large bases. = t
Need of More Bases Seen.
Air Force officials have said that :
o 95-wing force would require
about 800 bases of various kinds !.
in the United States and overseas.
1t has activated A bases in this
country since the start of the
Korean war. 7
Gen. Vandenberg was asked if J
the l40-Wing program would mean /
a tremendous base building pro-
gram.
He said that some doubling up" {
In the use of existing installations Z
could be done. but that some new 7
facilities would be needed, par +
ticularly in Europe for use by !.
tactical air wings to be sent there
as part of Gen. Eisenhower ,
composite defense force. +
In North Africa, the United
States is rushing to completion ,
modernization of airf1elds which ,
will be vital in defense of the !
southern European and eastern 3
Mediterranean fanks of the 7
Western Europe defense system. i
Fandenberg to Tour Bases. /
In Europe, Mr.. Finletter prob ,
ably will talk with Gen. Eisen-
hover and 1t. Gen. Lauris Nor ,
stad, commander of United States !,
Air Forces in Europe. Whether
he also will visit Greece and
Turkey was not disclosed. Those
two nations are in the process of
becoming full-fedeed members of
the North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
cation. Gen. Bradley, Joint Chiefs
OF Staff chairman. presently is in /
that area for conferences with
them on the matter.
Gen. Vandenberg went first to
Minneapolis to inspect air re-
serve and Air National Guard
units there He said he would
from there just wander around i,
on an informal inspection tour of :
bases.
He also said that he probably" ,
would make an early trip to the {
Far East for conferences with :
Gen. Matthew B. Ridgway, the !
United Nations commander in ,
Korea. and others in the Far ]
EoSt