Editing Tactical Air Command (section)

==== Fourth generation jet fighter aircraft ====
[[Image:F-16a-80-537-shaw.jpg|thumb|300px|General Dynamics F-16A Block 10D Fighting Falcon, AF ser. No. 80-0537 of the 363 TFW at [[Shaw AFB]], SC. This aircraft was later a static display at the Lockheed-Martin factory in Fort Worth, TX. On 19 March 2004 it was noted to be in use as a ground instructional airframe at [[NAS Fort Worth JRB]] (former [[Carswell AFB]]), TX.]]
[[Image:Oa10a-79-206-21fs-shaw.jpg|thumb|300px|Fairchild Republic A-10A Thunderbolt II, AF Ser. No. 79-0206 of the 21st Fighter Squadron, [[Shaw AFB]], SC, 29 September 1993.]]
[[Image:F-15e-4thfw-sj.jpg|thumb|300px|McDonnell Douglas F-15E-48-MC Strike Eagle, AF Ser. No. 89-0490 of the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, [[Seymour Johnson AFB]], NC.]]
[[Image:Ef-111a-27tfw-cannon.jpg|thumb|right|300px|General Dynamics EF-111A, AF Ser. No. 67-0035 of the 429th/430th Electronic Combat Squadron, [[Cannon AFB]], NM.]]
[[Image:49th Fighter Wing Web Site Image.jpg|right|300px|thumb|Lockheed F-117A of the 49 FW at [[Holloman AFB]], NM.]]
The late 1970s through 1992 were a transition era for most TAC fighter wings, replacing their third generation Vietnam-Era fighter and attack aircraft such as the [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II]], [[General Dynamics F-111]], and [[LTV A-7 Corsair II]] with fourth generation fighter aircraft like the [[F-15 Eagle|McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle]], [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon]] and [[A-10 Thunderbolt II|Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II]]). The F-15A/B and subsequent F-15C/D were designed for the air superiority role, which was not really filled since the [[F-86 Sabre|North American F-86 Sabre]] entered the USAF inventory in the 1950s. Conversely, the F-16 was designed for a multi-mission fighter-bomber role, replacing the F-4D/Es, while the A-10 was designed to fill the close air support mission of the A-7D.

Although developed and initially deployed in the late 1970s, budgetary constraints limited their deployment into the active duty forces. The [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan Administration]] embarked on a massive overhaul of the United States armed forces and large numbers of these aircraft were ordered and deployed to front line active duty Air Force wings beginning in 1983.

The upgrade was not limited to first line USAF units, as beginning in 1985, [[Air National Guard]] ([[Air National Guard|ANG]]) and [[Air Force Reserve]] ([[AFRES]]) units also began trading in their Vietnam Era aircraft for newer and more sophisticated weapons systems with F-16A/Bs being allocated to Guard and Reserve units as active duty Air Force units upgraded to the F-16C/Ds models. F-15A/B models of the 1970s were also provided to ANG squadrons when newer F-15C/D models reached front-line wings. As A-10s replaced A-7s, [[Cessna A-37 Dragonfly|A-37]]s and [[OV-10]]s in the Regular Air Force, the A-7 and A-37 close air support aircraft, along with newly produced twin-seat A-7Ks, were flown by many ANG squadrons, often training with both Regular Army and [[Army National Guard]] combat units in ground support operations. The last A-7D/Ks were retired in 1993, being replaced in the ANG by A-10s and F-16C/Ds.

In 1984, a new version of the 1960s [[General Dynamics F-111]] also began equipping select TAC and USAFE units. This version, known as the [[EF-111A Raven]], was modified to carry electronic jamming units, its sole purpose being to fly into enemy airspace and confuse enemy radar so that the strike package could follow and accomplish the mission, replacing the venerable [[B-66 Destroyer|Douglas RB/EB-66]] of the 1950s and 1960s that served in the Vietnam War.

A new version of the F-15, the [[F-15E Strike Eagle]], was also developed to replace the F-111E/F tactical strike aircraft in TAC's and USAFE's arsenal. Developed from the twin-seat F-15B, the Strike Eagle was designed for long-range interdiction of enemy ground targets deep behind enemy lines while concurrently retaining air-to-air combat capability. The first F-15Es were deployed to the [[4th Fighter Wing|4th Tactical Fighter Wing]] at [[Seymour Johnson AFB]], North Carolina on 29 December 1988.

Across the Nevada desert skies in the 1980s, there were reports of strange lights in the night skies, with some of these reports explained as possible UFOs. Most of these reports seem to come from the area around [[Tonopah, Nevada|Tonopah]] and another area identified on maps as [[Nellis AFB]]'s [[Area 51]]. The UFO story seemed to hold water, as the USAF radars at Nellis and FAA radars at [[Las Vegas Valley|Las Vegas]] could not see any aircraft in the area of question.  The strange lights over the Nevada desert were officially recognized in November 1988 when the Department of Defense unveiled the [[F-117 Nighthawk]] stealth aircraft, an outgrowth of USAF's [[Have Blue]] reduced radar cross-section (RCS) research aircraft.  Although ostensibly designated as a "fighter," the F-117 was actually a precision light bomber with no air-to-air combat capability.

The F-117 was a well-kept secret throughout the 1980s. The first prototype aircraft had first flown in 1981 and one had crashed in June 1984 in the Nevada desert. It took another crash of the aircraft in California in 1988 to finally lift the veil of secrecy. On 9 May 1992, four Lockheed F-117A Nighthawks from the [[Tonopah Test Range Airport]], Nevada, arrived at Holloman AFB, New Mexico and were assigned to the [[49th Fighter Wing|49th Tactical Fighter Wing]].<ref name="multi3"/>