Sixteenth Air Force
Stored: Sixteenth Air Force
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Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), commonly referred to as 16 AF, is a United States Air Force Numbered Air Force headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, reactivated on October 11, 2019, as the service’s first Information Warfare (IW) NAF, integrating capabilities from the former 24th and 25th Air Forces to provide global ISR, cyber, and electronic warfare support.
Mission
The Sixteenth Air Force aims to deliver integrated information warfare capabilities, combining intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), cyber operations, electronic warfare (EW), and information operations (IO) to outpace adversaries. It serves as the Air Force’s Service Cryptologic Component to the NSA and Cyber Component to U.S. Cyber Command, ensuring rapid, lethal, and fully integrated operations across competition and conflict.
Parent organization
The 16 AF operates under Air Combat Command, within the United States Air Force, aligning its IW efforts with broader airpower objectives and reporting to ACC’s commander for operational oversight.
Legislation
The 16 AF was not established by specific legislation; its current form resulted from a 2019 Air Force decision to consolidate IW capabilities, reactivating the historic 16 AF (originally activated May 20, 1954) under ACC, with roots in the National Security Act of 1947 that created the USAF.
Partners
- U.S. Cyber Command for cyber operations
- National Security Agency (NSA) for cryptologic support
- Joint Special Operations Command for ISR integration
Number of employees
The 16 AF commands approximately 49,000 personnel, including active duty, civilians, and reservists, across its subordinate wings and units, per Air Force estimates as of 2025, reflecting its broad IW scope.
Organization structure
The 16 AF is structured to integrate IW capabilities across multiple wings:
Leader
The Commander of the 16 AF is Lt. Gen. Thomas K. James, who assumed command on September 20, 2024, succeeding Lt. Gen. Kevin B. Kennedy.
Divisions
Key subordinate units include:
- 9th Reconnaissance Wing (Beale AFB, CA)
- 55th Wing (Offutt AFB, NE)
- 67th Cyberspace Wing (JBSA-Lackland, TX)
- 70th ISR Wing (Fort George G. Meade, MD)
- 319th Reconnaissance Wing (Grand Forks AFB, ND)
- 363rd ISR Wing (Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA)
- 688th Cyberspace Wing (JBSA-Lackland, TX)
List of programs
- Multi-Intelligence Discipline Network Integration Training Exercise (MIDNITE APEX)
- Cyber National Mission Force Support
- Global ISR Operations
Last total enacted budget
The 16 AF’s budget is not separately detailed; it’s funded within the Air Force’s FY 2024 budget of $185.1 billion, supporting personnel, aircraft (e.g., RC-135, EC-130H), and cyber infrastructure, with no specific allocation published.
Staff
The 16 AF’s 49,000 personnel include airmen, civilians, and contractors, with roles ranging from ISR analysts and cyber operators to EW specialists, operating across 40+ global locations, including deployed units supporting combatant commands.
Funding
Since its reactivation in 2019, the 16 AF has been funded through Air Force appropriations under Title 10 U.S.C., with FY 2024’s $185.1 billion budget supporting its IW missions, supplemented by DoD cyber funding.
Services provided
The 16 AF conducts global ISR with aircraft like the RC-135 Rivet Joint and U-2 Dragon Lady, executes cyber operations via the 67th and 688th Wings, provides EW through the EC-130H Compass Call, and integrates IO to counter adversaries, supporting combatant commanders and national security.
Regulations overseen
The 16 AF operates under Air Force Instructions (e.g., AFI 14-104 for ISR oversight) and aligns with U.S. Cyber Command and NSA directives, but does not create regulations itself.
Headquarters address
Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, TX 78236
History
Originally activated as the Joint U.S. Military Group, Air Administration (Spain) on May 20, 1954, the 16 AF was redesignated a Numbered Air Force in 1956 under Strategic Air Command, later shifting to USAFE (1966-2006). Inactivated in 2014, it was reactivated on October 11, 2019, merging the 24th and 25th Air Forces under ACC to form the Air Force’s IW hub, adapting to modern threats like cyber and disinformation.
Related
See Also Links to related programs articles or organizations: