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Hughes Helicopters

Hughes Helicopters

Hughes Helicopters was a major manufacturer of military helicopters, now part of The Boeing Company. The company began as a unit of Hughes Aircraft when in 1947 helicopter manufacturer Kellett sold their latest design, the H-17 Sky Crane, to Hughes for production. In 1955 this unit became the Toolco Aircraft Division. In the May 1965 they won the contract for a new observation helicopter for the US Army, and produced the OH-6 Cayuse - which has remained in production, under various names, to this day. In 1972 the US Army issued a request for proposals (RFP) for an Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH). From an initial list of 5 manufacturers Hughes Aircraft's Toolco Aircraft Division (later Hughes Helicopters) and Bell were selected as finalists. Hughes' Model 97/YAH-64 was selected over Bell's. First flight of a development prototype occurred in 1977 but it was not until 1982 that a production contract was signed. In 1983 the first production helicopter was rolled out at Hughes Helicopter's facility at Mesa, Arizona. In 1984 Hughes Helicopters was purchased by McDonnell Douglas for $500m and was soon renamed McDonnell Douglas Helicopters. In 1996 this became Boeing Helicopters with the merger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing and is now a part of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. Category:Defunct American aircraft manufacturers

Military aircraft

Military aircraft Is the classification given to any Fixed or Non-Fixed wing aircraft that is in the current employ of a Military Power. General Categories include:
- Fighter aircraft
- Ground attack aircraft
- Bomber
- Tanker
- Trainer
- Transport
- Surveillance aircraft or reconnaissance, or air observation post Lists of military aircraft can be found at:
- List of military aircraft of the United States
- List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS
- List of aircraft of the Indian Air Force
- List of aircraft of the Armée de l'Air, World War II
- List of aircraft of the Luftwaffe, World War II
- List of aircraft of the RAF
- List of aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica
- List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
- Aircraft of the RAAF
- List of aircraft of the South African Air Force
- United States of America military aircraft designation systems
- USSR military aircraft designation systems
- British military aircraft designation systems

References and Links

- [http://www.fighter-planes.com/ Fighter Planes and Military Aircraft (data and images)]
- [http://www.canit.se/~griffon/aviation/faq/ The rec.aviation.military FAQ]
- [http://www.fas.org/ Federation of American Scientists]
- [http://flyawaysimulation.com/downloads-cat-68.html Download Military Aircraft for Flight Simulator]
- ja:軍用機

Boeing

The Boeing Company is leading: American aircraft and aerospace manufacturer, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with its largest production facilities in Everett, Washington, about 30 miles north of Seattle, Washington. It is also the second-largest defense contractor in the world [http://www.defensenews.com/content/features/2005chart1.html], and the largest civil aircraft manufacturer in the world in terms of aircraft sales this year (825 compared with 687 for Airbus as of November 2005), and the largest exporter in the United States. Airbus, which first delivered more planes than Boeing in 2003, will maintain that lead for 2005 as it expects to deliver 370 planes compared with 290. Boeing's stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Boeing's two principal divisions are Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (IDS), responsible for military and space products, and Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA), responsible for civil airliners. (A full list of subsidiaries is included below.)

History

Before 1950s

The company was founded in Seattle by William E. Boeing on July 15, 1916, together with George Conrad Westervelt, a U.S. Navy engineer, and was named "B&W" after their initials. Soon the name was changed to "Pacific Aero Products" and, in 1917, the company became the "Boeing Airplane Company." William E. Boeing had studied at Yale University and worked initially in the timber industry, where he became a rich man. There he also acquired knowledge about wooden structures which was later revealed to be of value for the design and assembly of airplanes. In 1927, Boeing created an airline, named Boeing Air Transport (BAT). A year later, BAT, as well as Pacific Air Transport and Boeing Airplane Company merge into a single corporation. The company changed its name to United Aircraft - Transport Corp. in 1929 and acquired Pratt & Whitney, Hamilton Standard Propeller Company, and Chance Vought. United Aircraft then purchased National Air Transport in 1930. The Air Mail Act of 1934 prohibited airlines and manufacturers from being under the same corporate umbrella, so the company split into three smaller companies - Boeing Airplane Company, United Airlines, and United Aircraft Corporation, the precursor to United Technologies. As a result, Bill Boeing sold off his shares. United Technologies Shortly after, an agreement with Pan American World Airways was reached, to develop and build a commercial flying-boat able to carry passengers on transoceanic routes. The first flight of the Boeing 314 Clipper was in June 1938. It was the largest civil aircraft of its time, with a capacity of 90 passengers on day flights, and of 40 passengers on night flights. One year later, the first regular passenger service from the US to the UK was inaugurated. Subsequently other routes were opened, so that soon Pan American flew with the Boeing 314 to destinations all over the world. In 1938, Boeing completed work on the Model 307 Stratoliner. This was the world's first pressurized-cabin transport aircraft, and it was capable of cruising at an altitude of 20,000 feet. — above most weather disturbances. During World War II, Boeing built a huge number of bombers. Many of the workers were women whose spouses had gone to war. In the beginning of March 1944, production had been scaled up in such a manner that over 350 planes were built each month. To prevent an attack from the air, the plants had been covered with greenery and farmland items. During these years of war the leading aircraft companies of the US cooperated. The Boeing-designed B-17 bomber was assembled also by Lockheed Aircraft Corp. and Douglas Aircraft Co., while the B-29 was assembled also by Bell Aircraft Co. and by Glenn L. Martin Co. After the war, most orders of bombers were canceled and 70,000 people lost their jobs at Boeing. The company aimed to recover quickly by selling its Stratocruiser, a luxurious four-engine commercial airliner developed from a military aircraft. However, sales of this model were not as expected and Boeing had to seek other opportunities to overcome the situation. The company successfully sold military aircraft adapted for troop transportation and for aerial refueling. aerial refueling

1950s

In the mid-1950s technology had advanced significantly, which gave Boeing the possibility to develop and manufacture totally new products. One of the first was the guided short-range missile used to intercept enemy aircraft. At that time the Cold War had become a fact to live with, and Boeing used its short-range missile technology to develop and build an intercontinental missile. In 1958, Boeing began delivery of its B707, the United States' first commercial jet airliner, in response to the British De Havilland Comet and the French Sud Caravelle, the world's first commercial jet aircraft. With the B707, a four-engine, 156-passenger airliner, the US became leaders in commercial jet manufacture. A few years later, Boeing added a second version of this aircraft, the B720. A few years later, Boeing introduced the B727, another commercial jet airliner of similar size, which had however three engines and was designed for medium-range routes. The B727 was immediately well accepted as a comfortable and reliable aircraft by passengers, crews, and airlines. Although production was discontinued in 1984, at the turn of the millennium nearly 1,300 B727s were still in service at airlines around the world.

1960s

The Piasecki Helicopter company was acquired by Boeing in 1960, and this became Boeing Vertol. The twin-rotor CH-47 Chinook, produced by Vertol, took its first flight in 1961. This heavy-lift helicopter remains a work-horse vehicle up to the present day. In 1964, Vertol also began production of the CH-46 Sea Knight. CH-46 Sea Knight In 1967, Boeing introduced another short- and medium-range airliner, the twin-engine B737. It has become since then the best-selling commercial jet aircraft in aviation history. The B737 is still being produced, and continuous improvements are made. Several versions have been developed, mainly to increase seating capacity and range. The roll-out ceremonies for the first 747-100 took place in 1968, at the massive new factory in Everett. The aircraft made its first flight a year later, and its first commercial flight occurs in 1970.

1970s

In the beginning of the 1970s Boeing faced a new crisis. The Apollo program in which Boeing had participated significantly during the preceding decade was almost entirely cancelled. Once more, Boeing hoped to compensate sales with its commercial airliners. At that time, however, there was a heavy recession in the airlines industry so that Boeing did not receive one single order during more than one year. Boeing's bet for the future, the new B747 Jumbo Jet was delayed in production and originated much higher costs than forecasted. Another problem was that, in 1971, the U.S. Congress decided to stop the financial support for the development of the supersonic 2707, Boeing's answer to the British-French Concorde, forcing the company to discontinue the project. The company had to reduce the number of employees from over 80,000 to almost half, only in the Seattle area. In 1970 the first B747, a four-engine long-range airliner, finally entered service. This famous aircraft changed completely the way of flying, with its 450-passenger seating capacity and its upper deck. Until 2001, Boeing had been the only aircraft manufacturer to offer such an airliner and has delivered near to 1,400 units. (Airbus now offers the A380, which when delivered will be the largest operational airliner). The B747 has undergone continuous improvements to keep it technologically up-to-date. Larger versions have also been developed by stretching the upper deck. A380

1980s

In 1983, the economic situation began to improve. Boeing assembled its 1,000th B737 passenger airliner. During the following years, commercial aircraft and their military versions became the basic equipment of airlines and air forces. As passenger air traffic increased, competition was harder, mainly from a European newcomer in commercial airliner manufacturing, Airbus. Boeing had to offer new aircraft, and developed the single-aisle B757, the larger, twin-aisle B767, and upgraded versions of the B737. An important project of these years was the Space Shuttle, to which Boeing contributed with its experience in space rockets acquired during the Apollo era, in which the company also participated. Boeing participated also with other products in the space program, and was the first contractor for the International Space Station. At the same time, several military projects went into production, like the RAH-66 Comanche helicopter, the Avenger air defense system and a new generation of short-range missiles. During these years, Boeing was very active upgrading existing military equipment and developing new ones. RAH-66 Comanche

1990s

In 1994, Boeing introduced its most modern commercial jet aircraft, the twin-engine B777, with a seating capacity of 390 passengers, in between the B767 and the B747. The longest range twin in the world, the B777 is one of a number of aircraft certified to fly routes over oceans and deserted zones (see ETOPS), and is being sold very successfully. This aircraft, affectionately known as the "triple seven," reached an important milestone by being the first airliner to be designed "entirely by computer," i.e. by using CAD techniques. Also in the mid-1990s, the company developed the revamped version of the B737, known as the "Next-Generation 737." It has since become the fastest-selling version of the B737 in history. The "Next-Generation 737" includes the 737-600, the 737-700, the 737-800, and the 737-900. In 1996, Boeing merged with Rockwell International Corp.’s aerospace and defense units. The Rockwell products became a subsidiary of Boeing, named Boeing North American, Inc. One year later, Boeing merged with McDonnell Douglas Corp. Following the merger between Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, the McDonnell Douglas MD-95 was renamed the Boeing 717. and the production of the MD-11 was stopped.

2000s

In recent years Boeing has faced an increasingly competitive Airbus, which offers some commonality between models and the latest fly-by-wire technology. From the 1970s Airbus has increased its family of aircraft to the point where they can now offer an aircraft in almost every class Boeing does. Indeed Airbus is now competing in markets that Boeing once had a monopoly over, e.g. the A320 has been selected by two low-cost operators (the aircraft used by these airlines has traditionally been the 737) and the very large aircraft market, the A380. The 747 is being cannibalized by healthy sales of Boeing's own competitor, the 777-300 Series. Currently, Boeing is planning to introduce four new aircraft, the 787 "Dreamliner", the ultra-long-range 777-200LR, the 737-900ER and the 747-800. The Boeing 787 was formerly known as the Boeing 7E7, but the designation has since been changed. The Boeing 777-200LR has the longest range of any commercial aircraft, and is the first airliner to able to fly halfway across the planet with a commercially viable payload. The 777-200LR has already entered flight-testing, with the first aircraft due to be delivered to Pakistan International Airlines in 2006. The 737-900ER, previously designated as the 737-900X is an improvement to the 737-900. The current 737-900 model has limited range, and is limited in capacity such that it can not be flown in a high-density configuration, rather requiring a solidly two-class configuration. The 737-900ER will extend the range of the 737-900ER to a similar range as the successful 737-800 with the capability to fly more passengers. The 747-800 will offer better effiency and longer range. The passenger and cargo versions will be 12ft and 18ft longer respectively. In 2004, Boeing canceled production of the 757 after more than a thousand were produced, with the last airplane going to Shanghai Airlines, in China. More advanced versions of the 737 were beginning to compete against the older design. Boeing also soon canceled the production of 717 due to slow sales, and the 767 is likely to cease production soon. However, if Boeing manages to win the contract for new USAF tankers, the 767 program might be saved. Boeing also is building an advanced version of the 747, the 747-8 [http://www.newairplane.com/], which will compete more closely with the Airbus A380. The aircraft was informally announced at the 2005 Paris Airshow. Paris Airshow

Recent history

After several decades of numerous successes, Boeing lost ground to Europe's Airbus and subsequently lost its leadership of the market in 2003. It responded by running a huge advertising campaign to promote its new motto, "Forever New Frontiers," and rehabilitate its image. Hopes are now focused on the newly-launched 787 as a platform of total fleet rejuvenation. On October 10 2001, against fierce competition for the contract to the JSF, Boeing lost to rival Lockheed Martin in the multi-billion dollar contract. Boeing's competitor was the X-32, which lost out to Lockheed's F-35 entrant. The X-32 may have been hampered by the requirement for a redesign after several flaws were found in the original concept. On August 2 2005 Boeing sold its Rocketdyne rocket engine division to Pratt & Whitney. In May 2005 Boeing announced its intent form a new company, United Launch Alliance with its competitor Lockheed Martin. The new company will be the sole provider of rocket launch services to the US government. The joint venture is expected to be gain regulatory approval and be complete near the end of 2005.

"Unethical conduct"

In May 2003 the US Air Force announced it would lease 100 KC-767 tankers to replace the oldest 136 of its KC-135s. The 10 year lease would give the USAF the option to purchase the aircraft at the end of the contract. In September 2003, responding to critics who argued that the lease was vastly more expensive than an outright purchase, the DOD announced a revised lease of 74 aircraft and purchase of 26. In December 2003 the Pentagon announced the project was to be frozen while allegations of corruption by one if its former procurement staffers, Darleen Druyun (who had moved to Boeing in January) was investigated. The fallout of this resulted in the resignation of Boeing CEO Philip M. Condit and the termination of CFO Michael M. Sears. Harry Stonecipher, former McDonnell Douglas CEO, replaced Condit. Druyun pleaded guilty to inflating the price of the contract to favor her future employer and to passing information on the competing Airbus A330 MRTT bid (from EADS). In October 2004 she was sentenced to nine months in jail for corruption, fined $5,000, given three years of supervised release and 150 hours of community service. In March 2005 the Boeing board forced President and CEO Harry Stonecipher to resign. Boeing said an internal investigation revealed a "consensual" relationship between Stonecipher and a female executive that “violated the company's Code of Conduct” and "would impair his ability to lead the company." James A. Bell served as interim CEO (in addition to his normal duties as Boeing's CFO) until the appointment of Jim McNerney as the new Chairman, President, and CEO on June 30, 2005.

Industrial espionage

In June 2003 Lockheed Martin sued Boeing alleging the company had resorted to industrial espionage in 1998 to win the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) competition. Lockheed alleged that a former employee; Kenneth Branch, who went to work for McDonnell Douglas and Boeing, passed 25,000 proprietary documents to his new employers. Lockheed argued that these documents allowed Boeing to win 21 of the 28 tendered military satellite launches. In July 2003 Boeing was penalized, with the Pentagon stripping $1 billion worth of contracts away from the company and awarding them to Lockheed. Furthermore, the company was forbidden to bid for rocket contracts for a 20 month period which expired in March 2005. In early September 2005 it was reported that Boeing was negotiating a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice in which it would pay up to $500 million to cover this and the Darleen Druyun scandal. [http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2005/09/05/daily53.html?from_rss=1]

Airbus subsidy dispute

In October 2004, Boeing filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization, claiming that Airbus had violated a 1992 bilateral accord when it received what Boeing deems as "unfair" subsidies from several European governments. Airbus retaliated by filing another complaint, contesting that Boeing had also violated the accord when it received tax breaks from the U.S. Government. Moreover, the E.U. also complained that the investment subsidies from Japanese airlines violated the accord. In January 11, the two parties (Boeing and Airbus) agreed that they would attempt to find a solution to the dispute outside of the WTO. However, in June 2005, Boeing and the United States government reopened the trade dispute with the WTO, claiming that Airbus had received illegal subsidies from European governments. Airbus has also retaliated against Boeing, reopening the dispute and also accusing Boeing of receiving subsidies from the US government.

Product developments

Finally, Boeing achieved several consecutive successes, beginning with the formal launch of the 787 for delivery to All Nippon Airways and Air New Zealand. Currently, the 787 orderbook stands at over 250 airframes with orders from Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, Japan Airlines, Icelandair and a conglomeration of Chinese carriers. Boeing also received the launch contract from the US Navy for the Multimission Maritime Aircraft, an anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft. Several orders for the Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft are expected as well. In November 2004, Boeing announced it will offer a cargo version of the popular 777 model. The freighter will be based on the 777-200LR. Customers rumored to be interested include Lufthansa, EVA Airways, ILFC, GECAS, Air Canada and Emirates. Expectations for the year 2005 ran high for Boeing. Although Boeing lost to Airbus in total orders at a recent Paris airshow, which comes as no supprise as Airbus is known for saving orders for major airshows, it continued to impress analysts with orders for its 787 Dreamliner, which outnumber those for Airbus's A350, and an overall rebound in orders that promised to allow Boeing to outproduce Airbus in the near future. Boeing officially announced in November, 2005 that it would produce a larger version of the 747, the 747-8, in two models, commencing with a model for two cargo carriers with firm orders for the aircraft. The second model, slightly shorter than the cargo version but still longer than the 747-400, dubbed the Intercontinental, would be produced for passenger airlines that Boeing expected would place orders in the near future. Both models of the 747-8 would feature a lengthened fuselage, new, advanced engines and wings, and the incorporation of other technologies developed for the 787. Boeing's most successful new aircraft measured by recent orders remained the 737, for which it received orders totaling 387 new units in 2005 as reported on August 7. The 737-900ER is the latest version of the venerable craft offered by Boeing and is the largest model of the 737 line at a length of 138 feet. The 777-200LR Worldliner embarked on a well-received global demonstration tour in the second half of 2005, showing off its capacity to fly farther than any other commercial aircraft. On November 10 2005, the 777-200LR set a world record for the longest non-stop flight. The plane, which departed from Hong Kong traveling to London, took a longer route, which included flying over the U.S. It flew 11,664 nautical miles (21,601km) during its 22-hour 42-minute flight. Realizing that increasing numbers of passengers have become reliant on their computers to stay in touch, Boeing is offering Connexion by Boeing, an Internet connectivity service that promises air travelers unprecedented access to the World Wide Web. The company debuted the product to journalists in 2005, receiving generally favorable reviews. Boeing has also been in the works of developing an airplane made out of 100% composite material. The 787 dreamliner is set to debut in 2008. Due to the high amount of publicity Boeing has recieved as a result of their recent push to promote the 787, Boeing has recruited some of the finest minds in America including Dr. Charles Wan, a prominent engineering professor from Carnegie Mellon as well as Daniel Maycock, a highly respected Information Technology resource from Washington State University.

Divisions

The two largest divisions are Boeing Commercial Airplanes and the Integrated Defense Systems group.
- AviationPartnersBoeing, a 50/50 joint venture with Aviation Partners, Inc.
- Boeing Australia, Ltd.
- Boeing Capital
- Boeing Commercial Airplanes
- Aeroinfo Systems
- Airspace Safety Analysis Corporation
- Alteon Training, formerly FlightSafetyBoeing
- Continental Datagraphics
- Jeppesen Sanderson
- SBS International
- Boeing Integrated Defense Systems
- Phantom Works
- United Launch Alliance (with Lockheed Martin)
- United Space Alliance (with Lockheed Martin)
- Boeing Satellite Systems
- Sea Launch (40%)
- Boeing Realty
- Boeing Shared Services Group
- Boeing Travel Management Company
- Connexion by Boeing
- Preston Aviation Solutions

Employment Numbers

Employment By Location

As of 10/06/2005

Employment by Group (Division)

As of 10/06/2005

Corporate governance

Current members of the board of directors of Boeing are: John H. Biggs, John Bryson, Linda Cook, Ken Duberstein, John McDonnell, W. James McNerney, Jr., Richard Nanula, Rozanne Ridgway, John Shalikashvili, and Mike Zafirovski.

Chief executive officer

Chairman of the board

President

Miscellaneous

The Boeing company culture has long had a tradition of strong community support. The Boeing employee community fund is the largest employee-owned and managed fund in the world.

References

- Greider, William (1997). One World, Ready or Not. Penguin Press. ISBN 0-713-99211-5.

External links

- [http://www.boeing.com/ The Boeing Company]
- [http://www.boeing.com/commercial/orders/ Boeing order sheet, year-to-date]
- [http://biz.yahoo.com/ic/10/10221.html Yahoo! - The Boeing Company Company Profile]
- [http://www.buffalo.edu/reporter/vol35/vol35n40/articles/Boeing.html Boeing and WTO]
- [http://www.aircraft-info.net/aircraft/jet_aircraft/boeing/ Aircraft-Info.net - Boeing]
- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/3722888.stm BBC]
- [http://www.generalatomic.com/jetmakers/chapter7.html Boeing's Triumph: The American Jetliner]
- Category:International aircraft manufacturers Category:Companies based in Washington Category:Fortune 500 companies ko:보잉 사 ms:Boeing ja:ボーイング th:โบอิง

1947 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1947:

Events

March
- March 14 - Saudi Arabian Airlines begins regular services. May
- May 28 - BSAA trials non-stop flights from London to Bermuda using aerial refueling over the Azores June
- June 17 - Pan Am begins a New York to San Francisco service flying west-to-east around almost the entire globe.
- June 19 - Col Albert Boyd sets a new official world airspeed record of 623.62 mph (1,003 km/h) in a Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. (This is still marginally slower than unofficial German speed records in rocket-powered aircraft during World War II). July
- July 15 - Northwest Airlines flies the first commercial passenger flight from the U.S. to Japan, using The Manila, a Douglas DC-4 aircraft, by way of Anchorage. From Tokyo, the flight continued to Seoul, Shanghai, and Manila. August
- August 10 - BEA began the world's first regular cargo-only airline service.
- August 20 - a new world airspeed record of 640 mph (1,031 km/h) is set in the Douglas Skystreak.
- August 25 - the Douglas Skystreak is flown to another airspeed record of 650 mph (1,047 km/h). September
- September 18 - the United States Air Force becomes its own fully independent military command. October
- October 1 - Los Angeles Airways begins the first scheduled carriage of airmail by helicopter
- October 1 - George Welch allegedly breaks the sound barrier during a dive in his XP-86 Sabre.
- October 14 - Chuck Yeager took the rocket-powered Bell X-1 past the speed of sound, the first controlled, supersonic, level flight.

First flights

June
- June 22 - Martin XB-48 July
- July 2 - Mikoyan-Gurevich I-310, prototype of the MiG-15
- July 8 - Boeing 377
- July 16 - Saunders-Roe SR.A/1
- July 21 - Aero 45
- July 24 - Ilyushin Il-22
- July 27 - Tupolev Tu-12, first Soviet jet bomber
- July 27 - Bristol Sycamore, first British helicopter October
- October 1 - North American XP-86 November
- November 2 - Hughes H-4 "Spruce Goose" December
- December 17 - Boeing XB-47

Entered service

Category:Timeline of aviation Category:1947

H-17 Sky Crane

XH-17 Flying Crane / H-28 The XH-17 "Flying Crane" was the first helicopter project for the Hughes aircraft division that became part of McDonnell Douglas in 1984. The XH-17, which had a two-bladed main rotor system with a diameter of 134 feet, was capable of flying at a gross weight of more than 50,000 pounds. The XH-17 was a heavy-lift rotorcraft that was designed to lift loads in excess of 15 metric tons. In the late 1940s, Hughes developed an interest in helicopters. In August 1947, helicopter manufacturer Kellett sold his design for the giant XH-17 Sky Crane to Hughes. Howard Hughes Jr. commissioned the development of the XH-17 Flying Crane research vehicle. In 1948 aviation pioneer Howard Hughes, Jr. began to turn the giant XH-17 Flying Crane into a flying reality. The giant helicopter was flight tested in Culver City, Calif. over a three-year period beginning in 1952. The XH-17 flew in 1953 flew at a gross weight in excess of 50,000 pounds. It still holds the record for flying with the world's largest rotor system. Only one unit built, since the behemoth was too cumbersome and inefficient to warrant further development. The H-28 was a derivative, with a maximum weight of 47,000 Kg. The program was cancelled and none were built.

1965 in aviation

This is a list of aviation-related events from 1965:

Events

January

- January 2 - Denis Healey, the UK's Secretary of Defence cancels the nation's fighter and military transport programmes and orders the purchase of the US-built F-4 Phantom and C-130 Hercules in their place.

February

- February 15 - G Meher sets out from Culver City, California on a journey to become the first woman to cross the United States by helicopter
- February 19 - Lufthansa signs up as the first customer for the forthcoming Boeing 737

March

- March 2 - Operation Rolling Thunder begins, a massive air campaign against North Vietnam by the US
- March 6 - a Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King makes the first non-stop helicopter flight across North America. The distance travelled is 2,116 miles (3,405 kilometres) and a new distance record for helicopters

April

- April 1 - Tasman Empire Airways becomes Air New Zealand
- April 6 - United Air Lines places orders for new aircraft worth $US 750 million - the largest airliner purchase at the time.
- April 6 - the BAC TSR.2 is cancelled in favour of the General Dynamics F-111 for the Royal Air Force (which is not, in the end, bought either)

May

- May 1 - a Lockheed YF-12 sets a new international airspeed record of 2,070 mpg (3,331 km/h).
- May 26 - Sir Geoffery de Havilland dies aged 82.

June

- June 17 - US Navy fighters from VF-21 shoot down two North Vietnamese Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s
- June 18 - the first B-52 Stratofortress missions are flown against North Vietnam

July

- July 10 - first US Air Force aerial victories of the Vietnam War scored by F-4 Phantoms

September

- the RAF carries out air strikes against Yemeni guerillas near Aden.
- The Indian Air Force and Pakistan Air Force engage in clashes over Kashmir
- September 11 - the US 1st Cavalry Division arrives in Vietnam with 400 helicopters
- September 13 - a new hot air balloon altitude record is set of 9,770 ft (2,978 m)

November

- November 15 - a Boeing 707 makes the first polar circumnavigation of the world.

December

- December 2 - USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered warship to see combat, launching air strikes at the Viet Cong near Bien Hoa
- December 21 - New York Airways commences helicopter services between the roof of the Pan Am building and John F. Kennedy International Airport

First flights

February

- February 25 - Douglas DC-9
- February 27 - Antonov An-22

April

- April 15 - Aérospatiale Puma prototype SA.330

Entered service

April

- April 1 - NAMC YS-11 with Japan Domestic Airlines
- April 9 - BAC One-Eleven with British united Airways

November

- November 30 - Convair 600 with Central Airlines Category:Timeline of aviation Category:1965

United States Army

The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces that has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. As of fiscal year 2004 (FY04), it consisted of 485,500 soldiers (including 71,400 women) on active duty and 591,000 in reserve (325,000 in the Army National Guard (ARNG) and 246,000 in the United States Army Reserve (USAR)). The Continental Army was formed on June 14, 1775, before the establishment of the United States, to meet the demands of the American Revolutionary War. Congress created the United States Army on June 3, 1784 after the end of the American Revolutionary War, to replace the disbanded Continental Army.

Components of the U.S. Army

1784 Between 1775 and August 7, 1789, the established Federal Army was the Continental Army. On the latter date, the Continental Army was replaced by the United States Army under the newly-established War Department. The structure of the US Army was constitutionally established as the Regular Army, the units of the State Militias when called to federal service, and units of Volunteers that were established for the duration of the emergency. This remained the normal scheme of things until the Civil War, when the first Conscription took place. The concept of the National Army as a Conscript Army was thus established in all but name, since units were established to accommodate the use of the conscripts in combat. The last time that the Volunteer Units were utilized was the Spanish-American War in 1898. From that time forward, the Regular Army, the State Militias, and the National Army were codified as standard. In 1908, the Organized Reserve Corps was established to provide trained Officers and Enlisted Men for immediate use in time of war. During the First World War, the "National Army" was organized to fight the conflict. It was demobilized at the end of World War I, and was replaced by the Regular Army, the Organized Reserve Corps, and the State Militias. In the 1920s and 1930s, the "career" soldiers were known as the "Regular Army" with the "Enlisted Reserve Corps" and "Officer Reserve Corps" augmented to fill vacancies when needed. In 1941, the "Army of the United States" was founded to fight the Second World War. The Regular Army, Army of the United States, the National Guard, and Officer/Enlisted Reserve Corps (ORC and ERC) existed simultaneously. After World War II, the ORC and ERC were combined into the United States Army Reserve. The Army of the United States was re-established for the Korean War and Vietnam War and was demobilized upon the suspension of the draft. Currently, the Army is divided into the Regular Army, the Army Reserve, and the United States National Guard. Prior to the 21st century, members of the National Guard were considered state Soldiers unless federalized by the Army. Currently, all National Guard members hold dual status: as National Guardsmen under the authority of the State Adjutant General, and as National Guardsmen under the authority of the Army Human Resources Command. Until such time as National Guardsmen retire from National Guard service, they are never considered members of the Army Reserve, but become members of the US Army Retired Reserve upon retirement, and remain in such status until their 60th Birthday, when they become full-fleged Retirees with a status equal to Regular Army Retirees. Various State Defense Forces also exist, sometimes known as State Militias, which are sponsored by individual state governments and serve as an auxiliary to the National Guard. Except in times of extreme national emergency, such as a mainland invasion of the United States, State Militias are operated independently from the U.S. Army and are seen as state government agencies rather than a component of the military. By design, the use of the Army Reserve and National Guard has increased since the Vietnam War. Reserve and Guard units took part in the Gulf War, peacekeeping in Kosovo, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. With recent manpower shortages in the military, some U.S. citizens have been concerned regarding a reinstitution of the draft (conscription) force. Federal and state lawmakers, however, have asserted that no such action is being planned. Although the present-day Army exists as an all volunteer force, augmented by Reserve and National Guard forces, measures exist for emergency expansion in the event of a catastrophic occurrence, such as a large scale attack against the US or the outbreak of a major global war. The current "call-up" order of the United States Army is as follows: major global war # Regular Army volunteer force # Army Reserve total mobilization # Full scale activation of all National Guard forces # Recall of all retired personnel fit for military duty # Re-establishment of the draft and creation of a conscript force within the Regular Army # Recall of previously discharged officers and enlisted who were separated under honorable conditions # Activation of the State Defense Forces/State Militias # Full scale mobilization of the unorganized U.S. militia The final stage of Army mobilization, known as "activation of the unorganized militia" would effectively place all able bodied males in the service of the U.S. Army. The last time an approximation of this occurred was during the American Civil War when the Confederate States of America activated the "Home Guard" in 1865, drafting all males, regardless of age or health, into the Confederate Army. A similar event, albeit in a foreign country, occurred during World War II when Nazi Germany activated the Volkssturm in April and May of 1945.

Structure of the U.S. Army

Officially, a member of the U.S. Army is called a Soldier (always capitalized). The U.S. Army is divided into the following components, from largest to smallest: Soldier, Smith, Weyland, Nugent;
front row: Simpson, Patton, Spaatz, Eisenhower, Bradley, Hodges, Gerow.]] Gerow :#Field Army Field Army: Usually commanded by a General (GEN; note that abbreviations of military rank within the U.S. Army are given in all capital letters without a period or other punctuation). :#Corps: Consists of two or more divisions and organic support brigades. The commander is most often a Lieutenant General (LTG). :#Division: Usually commanded by a Major General (MG). :#Brigade (or group): Composed of typically three or more battalions, and commanded by a Colonel (COL) or Brigadier General (BG). (See Regiment for combat arms units.) :#Battalion (or squadron): A Battalion usually consists of two to six companies and roughly 300 to 1000 soldiers. Most units are organized into battalions. Cavalry units are formed into squadrons. A battalion-sized unit is commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel (LTC), supported by a Command Sergeant Major/E-9 (CSM). This unit consists of a Battalion Commander (CO, LTC), a Battalion Executive Officer (XO,MAJ), a Command Sergeant Major (CSM) and headquarters, 3-5 Company Commanders (CPT), 3-5 Company Executive Officers (1LT), 3-5 First Sergeants (1SG) and headquarters, 6 or more Platoon Leaders (2LT/1LT), 6 or more Platoon sergeants (SFC),and 12 or more Squad Leaders (any NCO). :#Company (or battery/troop): A company usually consists of three to four platoons and roughly 100 to 130 soldiers. Artillery units are formed into batteries. Cavalry units are formed into troops. A company-sized unit is usually led by a Company Commander usually the rank of Captain/O-3 (CPT) supported by a First Sergeant/E-8 (1SG). This unit consists of a Company Commander (CO, CPT), a Company Executive Officer (XO,1LT), A First Sergeant(1SG) and a headquarters, Two or more Platoon Leaders (2LT/1LT), two or more Platoon Sergeants (SFC), and four or more Squad Leaders (any NCO). :#Platoon: Usually led by a lieutenant supported by a Sergeant First Class/E-7 (SFC). This unit consists of a Platoon Leader (2LT/1LT), a Platoon Sergeant (SFC), and two or more Squad Leaders (any NCO). :#Section (military unit): Usually directed by Staff Sergeants/E-6 (SSG) who supply guidance for junior NCO Squad leaders. Often used in conjunction with platoons at the company level. :#Squad: Squad leaders are often Staff Sergeants/E-6 (SSG), Sergeants/E-5 (SGT), or Corporals/E-4 (CPL). This unit consists of eight to ten Soldiers. :#Fire team: Usually consists of four Soldiers: a fire team leader, a grenadier, and two riflemen. Fire team leaders are often Corporals/E-4 (CPL).

Organization

The Army is organized by function. Combat Arms include Infantry, Armor, Field Artillery, Air Defense Artillery, Combat Engineers, Army Aviation, and Special Forces. Combat Support Arms include Signal Corps, Intelligence Corps, Chemical Corps, and Military Police Corps. Combat Service Support troops include the Judge Advocate General's Corps, Adjutant General's Corps, Finance Corps, Transportation Corps, Quartermaster Corps, Ordnance Corps, Medical Corps, Medical Service Corps, and Nurse Corps.

Named Campaigns

Revolutionary War

Nurse Corps #Lexington, 19 April 1775. Opening hostilities of the Revolutionary War occurred at Lexington, Massachusetts and Concord, Massachusetts on 19 April 1775, when a column of British troops that had moved out of Boston to seize rebel military stores at Concord was assailed by Minute Men and militia. The Massachusetts militia immediately placed the British in Boston under siege. #Ticonderoga, 10 May 1775. At the same time as Lexington, steps were taken to send an expedition against British-held Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain, a strategic post well-supplied with artillery and military stores much needed by the American forces investing Boston. Early on 10 May a New England force of some 80 men led by Cols. Ethan Allen of Vermont and Benedict Arnold of Connecticut surprised the British garrison of about 40 men, which surrendered without a fight. Following this success, Allen seized Crown Point, New York on 12 May and Arnold temporarily occupied St. John, Quebec, a fort across the Canadian border, on 16 May. Subsequently, a large part of the 100 cannon and substantial military stores captured at Ticonderoga were laboriously hauled overland to Boston under the direction of Maj. Gen. Henry Knox, of Washington's artillery, to supply the army besieging the city. #Boston, 17 June 1775 - 17 March 1776. On the night of 16 - 17 June 1775 about 1,200 men of the Colonial force besieging Boston moved on to the Charlestown isthmus overlooking the city and threw up entrenchments on Breed's Hill. The British garrison reacted promptly to this threat. On 17 June 2,200 troops under Maj. Gen. William Howe were ferried across to the isthmus and stormed the American positions on Breed's Hill. In the ensuing battle, incorrectly named after Bunker Hill which stands nearby, the British drove the Colonials from the isthmus after three assaults, but at a cost of about 1,000 in killed and wounded as compared with American losses of approximately 400 killed and wounded. Some 3,030 patriots took part in the fighting at one time or another. This proved to be the only major engagement of the prolonged siege of Boston. Gen. George Washington took formal command of the besieging army on 3 July 1775 and devoted the next several months to building up the American force and trying to solve its severe logistical difficulties. By March 1776 Washington had an army of 14,000 men. On 4 March he moved suddenly to install artillery on Dorchester Heights and, a short time later, on Nook's Hill, positions that dominated Boston from the south. The British commander, Howe, now recognized the serious difficulty of his position. He evacuated the city by 17 March and on 26 March sailed with about 9,000 men for Halifax, Nova Scotia. #Quebec, 28 August 1775 - July 1776. In June 1775 the Continental Congress, influenced by reports that the British commander in Canada was recruiting a force in preparation for an invasion of New York and by hopes that Canada, largely inhabited by French, might become a fourteenth colony in support of the Revolution, authorized seizure of any vital points in Canada needed to guarantee the security of the colonies. Consequently, a two-pronged invasion of Canada was launched in the early fall of 1775. Col. Benedict Arnold, starting from Cambridge, Massachusetts, with about 1,100 men, went by water and land through the Maine wilderness on an epic march up the Kennebec River and down the Chaudiere River, arriving before Quebec on 8 November with only 650 men. There he had to await the arrival of Brig. Gen. Richard Montgomery, who had taken over command of a force of about 2,000 men organized at Fort Ticonderoga by Maj. Gen. Philip Schuyler for an advance up the historic Lake Champlain-St. Lawrence River route. Beginning on 17 September, Montgomery laid siege to the British fort at St. Johns, which fell on 2 November, opening up the way to American occupation of Montreal on 13 November. Finally, Montgomery joined Arnold near Quebec on 3 December, but with only 300 men, the rest of his force staying behind to garrison St. Johns and Montreal, Quebec. With enlistments of most of the volunteer troops expiring at the end of the year' the two commanders decided to undertake a desperate night attack on Quebec on 30-31 December 1775. A composite British garrison repelled the assault, killing or wounding about 100 Americans and taking over 400 prisoners. Montgomery was among those killed. In spite of these severe losses, the Americans continued to besiege the city until the spring of 1776, when the reinforced British garrison drove the Colonials, who had already begun a retreat, back to the head of Lake Champlain. #Charleston, 28-29 June 1776 and 29 March-12 May 1780. The two engagements at Charleston, South Carolina, are reflected on a single streamer. The first campaign blunted the British threat in the southern theater for three years, and the second, while a defeat for the Americans, did not result in a cessation of hostilities in the south. Guerrillas began to harry British posts and lines of communications, and the American grass roots strength began once again to assert itself and to deny the British the fruits of military victory won in the field. #Long Island, 26-29 August 1776. After the British evacuation of Boston, Washington immediately moved his army, less the militia, to New York, in anticipation of a British invasion of that strategically important city. During July and August 1776, General Howe, supported by a British fleet under his brother, Adm. Lord Richard Howe, landed an army of 32,000 British and Hessian regulars unopposed on Staten Island. But by late August Washington had assembled a force of over 20,000 virtually untrained Continentals and militia, and built a system of defenses on and around Manhattan Island. About half of these Colonial troops were disposed in fortifications on Brooklyn Heights and forward positions at the western end of Long Island under command of Maj. Gen. Israel Putnam. From 22 - 25 August General Howe landed about 20,000 men on Long Island and, in the evening of the 26th, directed a wide flanking movement around the American left, commanded by Maj. Gen. John Sullivan. On the morning of the 27th Howe fell upon the rear of Sullivan's forces and, despite a valiant defense by the Continentals on the right under Brig. Gen. William Alexander (Lord Stirling), the whole American front crumpled. Remnants of the forward American forces fled back to entrenchments on Brooklyn Heights and two nights later were evacuated to Manhattan in a skillful withdrawal unobserved by the British. Estimates place American losses at 300-400 killed and wounded and 700-1,200 taken prisoners. General Howe listed his losses as 367. #Trenton, 26 December 1776. The British followed up their success on Long Island with a series of landings on Manhattan Island which compelled Washington to retire northward to avoid entrapment. When Fort Washington and Fort Lee on opposing sides of the Hudson above Manhattan were lost in mid-November 1776, Washington retreated across New Jersey with General Howe in close pursuit, escaping finally over the Delaware into Pennsylvania with about 3,000 men. Howe then went into winter quarters in New York City, leaving garrisons at Newport, R. I., and in several New Jersey towns. In December 1776, Washington determined to make a surprise attack on the British garrison in Trenton, a 1,400-man Hessian force, in the hope that a striking victory would lift the badly flagging American morale. Reinforcements had raised Washington's army to about 7,000 and on Christmas night (25-26 December) he ferried about 2,400 men of this force across the ice-choked Delaware River. At 0800 hours they converged on Trenton, New Jersey in two columns, achieving complete surprise. After only an hour and a half of fighting, the Hessians surrendered. Some 400 of the garrison escaped southward to Bordentown, New Jersey, when two other American columns failed to get across the Delaware in time to intercept them. About 30 were killed and 918 captured. American losses were only 4 dead and a like number wounded. #Princeton, 3 January 1777. After the successful coup at Trenton, Washington recrossed the Delaware into Pennsylvania with his Hessian prisoners. But he reoccupied Trenton on 30 - 31 December 1776, and collected there a force of 5,200 men, about half militia. Meanwhile, Maj. Gen. Charles Cornwallis, British commander in New Jersey, who was in New York at the time of the attack on Trenton, returned gathering troops as he came. He entered Trenton with some 6,000 British regulars on 2 January and faced Washington's forces, which had withdrawn southward behind Assunpink Creek. The Americans were in a most precarious position with their backs to the Delaware. Fortunately, Cornwallis delayed his attack until the following morning. This gave Washington's men an opportunity to steal off quietly by a side road during the night of 2 - 3 January, leaving their campfires burning brightly. They slipped southward and eastward undetected around the enemy's flank and by morning of the 3rd had arrived at Princeton, where they encountered a column of British regulars led by Col. Charles Mawhood just leaving the town to join Cornwallis. Mahwood's force consisted of only single battalion of aroung 400 men. But despite being heavily outnumbered, Mahwood routed two American brigades in succession, and was only driven from the field when Washington arrived to rally the panicking Americans bringing up a fresh brigade, and giving the Americans, with 4,600 men, an 11 to 1 numerical advantage. Mawhood's force retired in good order toward Trenton and New Brunswick, having lost some 86 men in the unequal fight, while Washington moved on north, having taken 40-50 casualties, to Morristown, New Jersey, where thickly wooded hills provided protection against a British attack. Here he established his winter headquarters on the flank of the British line of communications, compelling General Howe to withdraw his forces in New Jersey back to New Brunswick, New Jersey and points eastward. Some 323 other British troops surrendered to Washington's force in and around Princton without a fight. #Saratoga, 30 July - 17 October 1777. British over-all strategy in 1777 had two major objectives: (1) to split New England from the rest of the American states by a drive from Canada down the Hudson to Albany that would link up with another British force advancing north from New York City; and (2) to seize Philadelphia, seat of the Revolutionary government. The campaign in upper New York began in June 1777 with a two-pronged British drive from Canada. Maj. Gen. John Burgoyne's force of about 7,500, accompanied by some 400 Indians, pushed down Lake Champlain and compelled 2,500 Continentals and militia under Maj. Gen. Arthur St. Clair to evacuate Ticonderoga on 27 June. Other American forces in the area under the over-all command of General Schuyler retired southward, but were able to slow the progress of the heavily laden British in the rugged terrain. The other prong of the British invading force consisted of some 700 regulars and Tories, and a band of 1,000 Indians, under command of Col. Barry St. Leger. This force moved east from Fort Oswego on Lake Ontario into the Mohawk Valley with the objective of joining with Burgoyne at Albany. Leger laid siege to Fort Stanwix guarding the head of the Mohawk Valley on 2 August, but had to give up his campaign in mid-August when a relief force of 950 Continentals under Arnold scattered his Indian allies by means of a clever ruse. Meanwhile, Burgoyne continued his advance toward Albany, although his force was further weakened by the near annihilation on 17 August of a foraging detachment dispatched to capture stores at Bennington, Vt., protected by 2,600 militia under Brig. Gen. John Stark. On 13 - 14 September Burgoyne crossed the Hudson at Saratoga (now Schuylerville, N.Y.) and faced an American force of about 7,000 under Maj. Gen. Horatio Gates, who on 19 August had replaced General Schuyler as over-all commander of the northern army. On 19 September, Burgoyne, determined to reach Albany by winter, moved to attack Bemis Heights, where Gates' force barred the route southward in strongly entrenched positions. A major engagement occurred at Freeman's Farm, just forward of the main positions. The Americans yielded the field but inflicted twice as many casualties (600) as they suffered and held on to the Heights. For more than two weeks Burgoyne remained inactive while Maj. Gen. Sir Henry Clinton, now commanding troops in New York City, made an ineffectual effort to send relief forces up the Hudson. Finally, on 7 October, Burgoyne ventured out of his lines toward the American left with 1,650 troops and was repulsed in a sharp fight known as the Battle of Bemis Heights. On 9 October he retired to a position near Saratoga, where he was soon virtually surrounded by an American force now grown to nearly 15,000 men. Here on 17 October Burgoyne surrendered his entire army of about 5,000 men and large military stores. #Brandywine, 11 September 1777. The campaign to seize Philadelphia, the second mayor phase of British strategy in 1777, began in late July. Some 15,000 troops under Howe's command sailed from New York on 23 July and landed at Head of Elk (now Elkton), Maryland, a month later (25 August). Washington, with about 11,000 men, took up a defensive position blocking the way to Philadelphia at Chad's Ford on the eastern side of Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania. Howe attacked on 11 September, sending Cornwallis across the creek in a wide-sweeping flanking movement around the American right, while his Hessian troops demonstrated opposite Chad's Ford. Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene's troops staved off Cornwallis' threatened envelopment of Washington's whole force, and the Americans fell back to Chester in a hard-pressed but orderly retreat. Patriot losses in this engagement totaled about 1,200 killed, wounded, and prisoners. British casualties were 576. #Germantown, 4 October 1777. After their victory at Brandywine the British forces under Howe maneuvered in the vicinity of Philadelphia for two weeks, virtually annihilating a rear guard force under Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne at Paoli on 21 September 1777, before moving unopposed into the city on 26 September. Howe established his main encampment in nearby Germantown, stationing some 9,000 men there. Washington promptly attempted a coordinated attack against this garrison on the night of 3 - 4 October. Columns were to move into Germantown from four different directions and begin the assault at dawn Two of the columns, both made up of militia, never appeared to take part in the attack, but in the early phases of the fighting the columns under Greene and Divan achieved considerable success. However, a dense early morning fog which resulted in some American troops firing on each other while it permitted the better disciplined British to re-form for a counterattack and a shortage of, ammunition contributed to the still not fully explained retreat of the Americans, beginning about 0900. Howe pursued the Colonials a few miles as they fell back in disorder, but he did not exploit his victory. American losses were 673 killed and wounded and about 400 taken prisoner. British losses were approximately 521 killed and wounded. #Monmouth, 28 June 1778. After conclusion of the Franco-American Alliance (6 February 1778) British forces in America had to give consideration to the new threat created by the powerful French fleet. General Clinton, who relieved Howe as British commander in America on 8 May 1778, decided to shift the main body of his troops from Philadelphia to a point nearer the coast where it would be easier to maintain close communications with the British Fleet. Consequently, he ordered evacuation of the 10,000-man garrison in Philadelphia on 18 June. As these troops set out through New Jersey toward New York, Washington broke camp at his winter headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and began pursuit of Clinton with an army of about 13,500 men. Advance elements under Mad. Gen. Charles Lee launched the initial attack on the British column as it marched out of Monmouth Courthouse (now Freehold, New Jersey, on 28 June, an extremely hot day. For reasons not entirely clear Lee did not follow up early advantages gained, and when British reinforcements arrived on the scene he ordered a retreat. This encouraged Clinton to attack with his main force. Washington relieved Lee and assumed personal direction of the battle, which continued until dark without either side retiring from the field. But, during the night, the British slipped away to Sandy Hook, New Jersey, from where their fleet took them to New York City. The British reported losses of 65 killed, 155 wounded, and 64 missing; the Americans listed 69 killed, 161 wounded, and 130 missing. General Lee was subsequently court-martialed and suspended from service for disobedience and misbehavior. Washington's army moved northward, crossed the Hudson, and occupied positions at White Plains, New York #Savannah, 29 December 1778 and 16 September-10 October 1779. The fighting at Savannah, Georgia, on these two occasions is represented by a single streamer. In the first battle, a British expeditionary force that had landed on the Savannah River below the town overwhelmed and outmaneuvered the American defending force under General Robert Howe, and Savannah was captured. The following year D'Estaing's French fleet returned from the West Indies to the southern coast and began to debark troops at Beaulieu, Georgia, 14 miles south of Savannah, with the intention of attacking the British at Savannah. A combined force of 1,500 Americans under General Lincoln and more than 5,000 Frenchmen from D'Estaing's fleet laid siege to Savannah, which was defended by about 3,200 British regulars. D'Estaing's fears for the safety of the French fleet led to an early Franco-American attack on the entrenched British, which was repulsed with 828 casualties. British losses were 103. #Camden, 16 August 1780. An encounter between the main British/Hessian force in the Carolinia's, 2,200 troops under General Cornwallis, and a newly raised American force of 4,100 under Horation Gates and Baron de Kalb, sent south to retieve the situation following the fall of Charleston. The American centre and left, made up of militia from Virginia and North Carolina, fled at the first impact of the British assault, leaving the Continental regulars on the right to fight on their own. Outflanked, and taken from the rear by cavalry under Lt. Col. Banastre Tarleton, the Continentals were overwhelmed and de Kalb killed. British losses were 312. American lossess were 880 killed and wounded, plus 1,000 captured. #Cowpens, 17 January 1781. Cowpens, South Carolina, was the scene of a classic battle, which marked the beginning of the American campaign under General Greene, to drive the British from the south. In terms of duration and actual troops engaged, it was a larger battle than Princeton, and its results—the destruction of an important part of the British army in the south—were incalculable toward ending the war. #Guilford Court House, 15 March 1781. Guilford Court House, North Carolina, was the site of the culminating battle in General Greene's campaign against General Cornwallis. Despite having 4,400 troops, and being on the defensive, General Greene lost agaisnt the able Cornwallis and his 1,900 veteran soldiers in a hard fought engagement that cost the British 500 casualties, and the Americans 1,300. However, Greene could replace his heavier losses, while Cornwallis could not, causing him to retreat to the coast and from there to move to Virginia, where he ultimately became trapped at Yorktown. #Yorktown, 28 September - 19 October 1781. After 1778 the main theater of war shifted to the South as the British concentrated on trying to reestablish their control of that area. By 1781 they were convinced that this could not be accomplished while Virginia continued to serve as a base for American military operations. Hence in January 1781 Clinton sent the American turncoat, Benedict Arnold, with 1,600 British troops to raid up the James River. By late May the British had accumulated about 7,200 men in Virginia, including the remnants (1,500) of Cornwallis' force, which had come up from Wilmington, North Carolina. Cornwallis was given over-all command of British forces in Virginia and in late May and early June led them on raids deep into the state. At first he was opposed only by a numerically greatly inferior force under the Marquis de Lafayette, but in mid-June the later was reinforced by troops under Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne and Baron von Steuben, drillmaster and inspector general of the Continental Army. Cornwallis then turned back to the coast to establish a base at Yorktown from which he could maintain sea communications with Clinton in New York.
- Meanwhile, Washington was tentatively preparing his northern army, recently reinforced by about 4,800 French troops under Lt. Gen. Jean B. de Rochambeau, for an attack on New York. However, he received confirmation on 14 August that Adm. Francois de Grasse's fleet had departed the French West Indies with 3,000 troops aboard and would be available for operations in the Chesapeake Bay area until mid-October. Re therefore finally determined to go to Virginia with a substantial part of his army, including the French regulars under Rochambeau. He crossed the Hudson (20-26 August), made a feint in the direction of New York to hold Clinton in the city, and then struck southward across New Jersey and Pennsylvania to Maryland. In the meantime, De Grasse's fleet arrived off Yorktown on 30 August, debarked 3,000 French regulars to reinforce Lafayette, and on 5 September fought an indecisive naval engagement off the Virginia capes with a British fleet under Adm. Thomas Graves. After several days of maneuvering at sea, Graves retired temporarily to New York for repairs, leaving the French fleet in control of Chesapeake Bay. This permitted Washington and Rochambeau to embark their forces in Maryland and sail via the Chesapeake and the James River to a point near Williamsburg (14-24 September). From there an allied army numbering about 15,000-8,845 Americans and 7,800 French moved forward on 28 September to begin siege operations against Yorktown. Finally, after a night attack on 16 October failed to recapture key defense points, Cornwallis requested an armistice (17 October). He surrendered his entire command—about 8,000 men—on 19 October. In the siege the British lost 156 killed and 326 wounded; the Americans, 20 killed and 56 wounded; and the French, 52 killed and 134 wounded. British hopes for victory in America collapsed with Cornwallis' defeat. Lord North's ministry fell in March 1782 and the new cabinet opened direct negotiations with the American peace commissioners in Europe that resulted ultimately in ending the war. ----

Rank Structure

Comparison of ranking structure available at Ranks and Insignia of NATO. The Officer Corps provides leadership and managerial functions, and is composed of
- Company Grade officers
- Second Lieutenant (2LT; pay grade O-1) - gold bar,
- First Lieutenant (1LT; pay grade O-2) - silver bar,
- Captain (CPT; pay grade O-3) - two silver bars,
- Field Grade officers
- Major (MAJ; pay grade O-4) - gold oak leaf,
- Lieutenant Colonel (LTC; pay grade O-5) - silver oak leaf,
- Colonel (COL; pay grade O-6) - silver eagle,
- and General officers
- Brigadier General (BG; pay grade O-7) - one star,
- Major General (MG; pay grade O-8) - two stars,
- Lieutenant General (LTG; pay grade O-9) - three stars,
- General (GEN; pay grade O-10) - four stars
- General of the Army - In the 19th century, a title held by the Commander of the Army. After World War II a rank comprised of five stars in a pentagon
- General of the Armies - No established insignia. Held only by George Washington and John J. Pershing There are several sources of commissioned officers:
- The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York
- Graduates of other military academies of the United States may elect to be commissioned in the Army
- Enlisted soldiers or College graduates who successfully pass Officer Candidate School (OCS)
- College graduates who underwent Army Reserve Officer Training Corps courses at a four-year university
- Lawyers, doctors, nurses, veterinarians, and chaplains may be directly commissioned into their respective corps
- Enlisted soldiers may also be battlefield commissioned for valor and leadership during actual combat, Audie Murphy received his commission in this manner Officers receive a commission assigning them to the Officer Corps from the President. The appointments of commision officers can be either in the Regular Army, the Army Reserve (USAR), or the National Guard. Those officers who receive their commision in the USAR, but serve on active duty, upon attaining the rank of Major, can be appointed into the Regular Army by the President with the advice and consent of the United States Senate [http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/10/531.html]. Commissioned officers are assigned to a branch of service until they reach the rank of Brigadier General, where it is assumed that they are competent to command soldiers of all branches. Once commissioned, an officer attends several levels of professional education, starting with branch qualification in their respective branch and concluding in Command and General Staff College at Fort_Leavenworth, Kansas. Professional education is required for promotion at certain grades. The Warrant Officer is a single track specialty officer. Initially appointed an officer by the Secretary of the Army via a warrant, he/she is commissioned by the President upon promotion to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Two (CW2). The warrant officer is managed as a company grade officer, but receives limited field grade privilege upon promotion to Chief Warrant Officer Four (CW4). The primary source for Warrant Officers is the U.S. Army Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The Non-Commissioned Officer Corps (or NCO Corps) is the first line of leadership for the enlisted members of the Army, and includes the ranks of
- Corporal (CPL; pay grade E-4) (two stripes pointing up, called chevrons) ),
- Sergeant (SGT; pay grade E-5) (three chevrons),
- Staff Sergeant (SSG; pay grade E-6) (three chevrons and one rocker, a curved stripe at the bottom),
- Sergeant First Class (SFC; pay grade E-7) (three chevrons and two rockers),
- Master Sergeant (MSG; pay grade E-8) (three chevrons and three rockers),
- First Sergeant (1SG; pay grade E-8) (which holds the same enlisted pay grade as Master Sergeant, but which carries extra administrative duties - three chevrons and three rockers with a lozenge in the center),
- Sergeant Major (SGM; pay grade E-9) (three chevrons and three rockers with a star in the center),
- Command Sergeant Major (CSM; pay grade E-9) (three chevrons and three rockers with a wreathed star in the center)
- and Sergeant Major of the Army (of whom there is only one, and who advises the Chief of Staff of the Army on matters relating to enlisted personnel - three chevrons and three rockers with a centered eagle accompanied with two stars). Sergeant Major of the Army Training for NCOs takes place at any of the various NCO training centers around the world. Until relatively recent history, most countries depended upon their officer corps to micromanage strategy, tactics and virtually every other aspect of military operations. Current military theory in the U.S. and UK has begun to emphasize the "strategic corporal," recognizing that combat decision-making by NCOs is potentially of vast importance. The lowest enlisted ranks are:
- Private (PV1; pay grade E-1) (no rank insignia),
- Private Enlisted Grade 2 (PV2; pay grade E-2) (one chevron),
- Private First Class (PFC; pay grade E-3) (one chevron and one rocker),
- and Specialist (SPC; pay grade E-4) (which is the same Enlisted Grade as Corporal, but which requires technical leadership skills, as opposed to the combat leadership skills required of corporal -a dark green patch with an eagle centered). A Specialist ranks below a corporal in terms of chain of command. Training for enlisted soldiers usually consists of Basic Training, and Advanced Individual Training in their primary Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) at any of the numerous MOS training facilities around the world. All members of the Army must take an oath upon being sworn in as members, swearing (or affirming) to "protect the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, both foreign and domestic." This emphasis on the defense of the United States Constitution illustrates the concern of the framers that the military be subordinate to legitimate civilian authority.

Uniforms

Since World War II, the Army has maintained three distinct types of uniforms: Full Dress, Service/Garrison Dress, and Combat Dress. The Full Dress uniform, known today as Army Blue, is worn for most ceremonial duties in most Stateside posts, especially those attached to the 3rd Infantry Regiment in Washington, D.C. This uniform, adopted in present form in 1955, consists of a dark blue open-fronted coat with white shirt and black necktie, and light blue trousers, all trimmed in gold (the U.S. Marine Corps dress blues has a "choker collar" coat and scarlet trim). It is worn with a dark blue saucer cap, with officers rank insignia being worn on rectangluar epaulettes in the color of their branch of service. General officers wear a similar uniform, but with dark blue trousers in place of light blue ones, along with their distinctive General officer's insignia. A bowtie, worn in place of the necktie, is used when the uniform is worn when attending events similar to that of a "black-tie" function. The Service/Garrison uniform, introduced in the mid-1950's and replacing the Olive Drab uniforms worn since 1902, consists of an "Army Green" coat and trousers similar in design to the Army Blue uniform. Between the introduction of the uniform and the mid-1980's, the uniform was worn with a tan shirt and black necktie, but has since been replaced with a light green shirt. Enlisted members wear rank on both sleeves, while officers have their insginia on the epaulets. In addition, officers uniforms have black mohair bands on the coat cuffs and mohair stripes on the trousers. Since 2001, the uniform has been worn with the U.S. Army's general service black beret, which was worn only by Ranger regiments, prior to its service-wide introduction. Although regular units wear black shoes, with boots, ascot scarves, and pistol belts being worn only for parade dress functions, Airborne, Ranger, and Special Forces (green beret) units wear "Corcoran" jump boots with the trousers bloused into them. The Combat uniform, known throughout recent history as "fatigues," or "BDUs," has undergone the most changes since World War II. Introduced as a one-piece coverall, it was later changed to a two-piece shirt/trousers design by the end of World War II, and was the most-seen uniform during the Cold War. A two-piece "jungle fatigue" uniform, introduced during the Vietnam War, was modified in the 1980's with a woodland and "six-color" desert pattern, and replaced the old-style fatigues by Operation Desert Shield/Storm. The desert pattern changed after Operation Desert Storm to a 3-color pattern, used by Operation Iraqi Freedom, but the introduction of the new MARPAT digital pattern uniform for U.S. Marines and Navy Combat Corpsmen prompted the Army to introduce its new "Army Combat Uniform," or ACU in 2005. Identical to the Marine's uniform, in terms of pocket layout, the ACU differs only with the cammoflague pattern--the elimination of black squares allow the uniform to be worn in all non-polar terrains throughout the world, thus the same uniform can be worn in the Black Forest in Germany, to the deserts of the Southwest U.S. or Southwest Asia. The ACU also features, for the first time since WW2, rough-hide brown leather boots, which allows easier care, than their black leather counterparts worn since 1955. The new boots replaces the black "speed-lace" all-leather boots and the leather/canvas "jungle" boots worn since Vietnam. The combat uniform is worn with the beret for garrison (base) duties, with a visor cap for non-combat patrols and "kevlar" helmet and body armor for combat duties.

Leadership

Army Combat Uniform The civilian executive is the Secretary of the Army who heads the United States Department of the Army, formerly called the Secretary of War who headed the United States Department of War or the War Office for short, at the founding of the Republic. The professional head of the United States Army is the Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA). This position is filled by a four star general who sits on the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. As with the other members of that committee, the Army Chief of Staff is not in the direct chain of command over combatant forces. His function is administrative and policy making. The current Army Chief of Staff is General Peter J. Schoomaker. The most senior Army generals who are directly in the chain of command are those who command a Unified Combatant Command, known as the Combatant Commanders (COCOM's). An example is General John Abizaid, the commander of U.S. Central Command. Three star positions in the Army include some deputy commanders of the Combatant Commands, the heads of the army components of the Combatant Commands and general officers commanding an army corps.

Major Commands of the United States Army

Formations of the United States Army

First Army "First In Deed" (Reserve) :78th "Lightning" Division, Edison, NJ (Training Support) ::1st Brigade (Training Support) ::2d Brigade (Training Support) ::3d Brigade (Training Support) ::4th Brigade (Training Support) ::5th Brigade "We Dare" (Training Support) :85th "Custer" Division (Training Support) ::1st Brigade (Training Support) ::2d Brigade (Training Support) ::3d Brigade (Training Support) ::4th Brigade (Training Support) :87th Division "Golden Acorn", Birmingham, AL (Training Support) ::1st Brigade (Training Support) ::2d Brigade (Training Support) ::3d Brigade (Training Support) ::4th Brigade (Training Support) ::5th Brigade (Training Support) :Army Units ::4th Cavalry Brigade (Training Support) ::157th Infantry Brigade (Training Support) ::188th Infantry Brigade (Training Support) ::205th Infantry Brigade (Separate) (Light) Third Army: Army Central Command (ARCENT) :C/JTF-Kuwait :ARCENT Kuwait :ARCENT Saudi :ARCENT Qatar :Army Prepositioned Stock (APS-3) :Army Prepositioned Stock (APS-5) Fifth Army (Reserve) :7th Infantry Division "Bayonets", Fort Carson, CO (Light) ::39th Infantry Brigade (Light) (Separate) ::41st Infantry Brigade (Light) (Separate) ::45th Infantry Brigade (Light) (Separate) :75th Division, Houston, TX (Training Support) ::1st Brigade (Training Support) ::2d Brigade (Training Support) ::3d Brigade (Training Support) ::4th Brigade (Training Support) :91st Division, Houston, TX (Training Support) ::1st Brigade (Training Support) ::2d Brigade (Training Support) ::3d Brigade (Training Support) ::4th Brigade (Training Support) :Army Units ::5th Armored Brigade (Training Support) ::120th Infantry Brigade (Training Support) ::166th Aviation Brigade (Training Support) ::191st Infantry Brigade (Training Support) Seventh Army: United States Army Europe :V Corps, Heidelberg, Germany ::1st Infantry Division ("The Big Red One") — Würzburg, Germany ::1st Armored Divsion — Wiesbaden, Germany Eighth Army: South Korea ::2d Infantry Division ("Indian Head" Division) — Camp Red Cloud, South Korea ::25th Infantry Division (Light) ("Tropic Lightning") — Schofield Barracks, Hawaii :I Corps, Fort Lewis, Washington ("America's Corps") :::3d Brigade, 2d Infantry Division (Light) :::1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Light) :III Corps, Fort Hood, Texas ::1st Cavalry Division ::4th Infantry Division (Mechanized) :--III Corps U.S. Army National Guard ::7th Infantry Division (Light) ("Bayonet" Division) — Fort Carson, Colorado :XVIII Airborne Corps ::3d Infantry Division (Mechanized) ("Rock of the Marne") — Fort Stewart, Georgia :::1st Brigade (Raiders) "E Pluribus Unum" :::2d Brigade (Spartan) "Send Me" :::3d Brigade (Sledgehammer) "Not Pretty Just Tough" :::4th Brigade (Vanguard) ::10th Mountain Division (Light) — Fort Drum, New York :::1st Brigade :::2d Brigade :::3d Brigade :::27th Brigade (Orions) — New York National Guard ::82nd Airborne Division (All American)— Fort Bragg, North Carolina :::82d Aviation Brigade :::325th Airborne Infantry Regiment ::::1st Battalion 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment ::::2d Battalion 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment ::::3d Battalion 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment :::504th Parachute Infantry Regiment ::::1st Battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment ::::2d Battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment ::::3d Battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment :::505th Parachute Infantry Regiment ::::1st Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment ::::2d Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment ::::3d Battalion 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment ::101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) (Screaming Eagles) — Fort Campbell, Kentucky :::101st Aviation Brigade :::159th Aviation Brigade :::327th Parchute Infantry Regiment ("Bastogne") :::1st Battalion 327th PIR :::2d Battalion 327th PIR :::3d Battalion 327th PIR :::502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment ("Strike") :::1st Battalion 502nd PIR :::2nd Battalion 502nd PIR :::3rd Battalion 502nd PIR :::187th Parachute Infantry Regiment ("Rakkasans") :::1st Battalion 187th PIR :::2nd Battalion 187th PIR :::3rd Battalion 187th PIR ::XVIII Airborne Corps Artillery :::18th Field Artillery Brigade ::2d Armored Cavalry Regiment ::aviation-related events from 1972:

Events

January

- January 5 - US President Richard Nixon announces $US 5.5 billion in funding for the Space Shuttle program
- January 27 - Civil aviation in Canada is halted by a stike by air traffic controllers

February

- February 5 - Aeroflot and Lufthansa jointly open services between Moscow and Frankfurt-am-Main
- February 5 - NASA and de Havilland Canada extensively modify a C-8 Buffalo for STOL experiments

April

- April 1 - BOAC and BEA are merged to creat British Airways
- April 25 - Hans-Werner Grosse sets a new sailplane distance record of 1,460 km (908 miles) in a Schleicher ASW.12
- April 27 - US Air Force F-4 Phantoms destroy the Thanh Hoa bridge with laser-guided bombs.

May

- May 10 - Lts Randy Cunningham and J G William become the first US Navy aces of the Vietnam War, adding three Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17s to their tally on this day alone.
- May 26 - the United States and Soviet Union sign the SALT-1 strategic arms limitation treaty
- May 26 - Cessna builds its 100,000th aircraft, the first company in the world to achieve this figure.
- May 30 - three Japanese terrorists attack passengers at Tel Aviv Airport

June

- June 20 - Airline pilots hold a world-wide strike, calling for tighter security
- June 21 - Jean Boulet pilots a Aérospatiale Lama to a new record altitude for helicopters, 12,441 m (40,820 ft)

July

- July 26 - NASA announces

Hughes Helicopters

Military aircraft

References and Links

Boeing

History

Before 1950s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Recent history

"Unethical conduct"

Industrial espionage

Airbus subsidy dispute

Product developments

Divisions

Employment Numbers

Employment By Location

Employment by Group (Division)

Corporate governance

Chief executive officer

Chairman of the board

President

Miscellaneous

See also

References

External links

1947 in aviation

Events

First flights

Entered service

H-17 Sky Crane

1965 in aviation

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

September

November

December

First flights

February

April

May

June

July

August

September

Entered service

April

November

United States Army

Components of the U.S. Army

Structure of the U.S. Army

Organization

Named Campaigns

Revolutionary War

Rank Structure

Uniforms

Leadership

Major Commands of the United States Army

Formations of the United States Army

Events

January

February

April

May

June

July