Museum Audio Tour 47: Cold War Gallery: Tactical Air Command

DAYTON, OH, UNITED STATES

12.31.1969

Audio by NMUSAF PA 

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

While the Strategic Air Command was taking its position as a force to be reckoned with during the early years of the Cold War, the Tactical Air Command formed new units and acquired new aircraft. In 1955 TAC developed a capability for rapidly moving its self-contained and self-sufficient units from the United States to any area of the world where a there was a potential conflict. The command named it the "Composite Air Strike Force" and it included fighter jets for delivering both conventional and nuclear weapons, transport planes for airlifting men and equipment, tankers for mid-air refueling and reconnaissance planes for aerial photography. It was designed to enhance combat-ready units already assigned to the U.S. Air Force in Europe, the Pacific Air Force and the Alaskan Air Command. Two years later, TAC was strengthened when SAC transferred its fighter units to TAC. TAC became totally supersonic – or faster than the speed of sound – with the addition of the F-100, F-101, F-104 and F-105 in the second half of the 1950s. Prior to these supersonic aircraft, TAC used aircraft such as F-84F as a ground support fighter bomber and nuclear strike aircraft. Examples of these types of aircraft are located throughout the galleries.

• Date Taken: 12.31.1969
• Date Posted: 09.02.2015 13:52
• Category: Newscasts
• Audio ID: 41972
• Filename: 1509/DOD_102704399.mp3
• Length: 00:01:16
• Album: Museum Audio Tour
• Track #: 47
• Location: DAYTON, OH, US