F-16 Fighting Falcon News

October 10, 1998 (by Lieven Dewitte) - The U.S. Air Force has formed four air expeditionary wings should NATO call for air strikes later this week. The units were formed primarily to support the possibility of air operations over Serbia.
The activation of an expeditionary command and control structure, under the leadership of Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Short, 16th Air Force commander, signals a transition from military planning to military operations. Any decision to initiate military engagement in response to the situation in Kosovo, however, will require further action by NATO. The AEWs were initially formed Oct. 11 to help simplify lines of command and control should a NATO-led force be directed on Kosovo.

• The 16th Air Expeditionary Wing-SA includes B-52 bombers capable of delivering conventionally armed cruise missiles, RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft, F-15C multi-role fighters, and KC-135 refuelers.
• The 31st AEW-SA includes F-16C/CG multirole fighters, A-10 ground attack aircraft, EC-130 airborne battlefield command and control centers, U-2 reconnaissance aircraft and KC-135s.
• The 86th AEW-SA includes C-130 airlift aircraft and KC-10 refuelers.
• The 100th Expeditionary Air Refueling Wing-SA includes KC-135s.

The four new AEWs now join three Air Force wings already in Italy supporting air operations in Bosnia. About 65 Air Force aircraft are involved with this operation. Two other wings based at Incirlik AirBase, Turkey, currently support enforcement of the no-fly zone overn orthern Iraq.