PACAF and Alaskan Air Command in the 1980s

Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) and Alaskan Air Command (AAC) were Major Commands of the United States Air Force. Pacific Air Forces controlled units stationed in Hawaii, Japan, South Korea and the Phillippines. PACAF was responsible for an area of over 100 million square miles; its forces primarily faced the threats posed by the Soviet Union, the People’s Republic of China and North Korea. Alaskan Air Command was responsible for providing air defence forces, which were operationally tasked by North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), as well as other tactical units stationed within the state of Alaska.

Both commands received modernised equipment during the 1980s, and they were supported by aircraft deployed from the contiguous United States by Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command, Military Airlift Command, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve units.

Take a step inside the day-to-day operations of PACAF and AAC in the 1980s.