Picture: A stack of Republic F-84 Thunderjets awaiting their fate at Davis-Monthan AFB.
Photo from the Colonel Schrimer Collection.
August 1st, 1959 to February 1st, 1965
On August 1st, 1959 the Arizona Aircraft Storage Branch was redesignated the 270th Air Force Storage and Disposition Group, it also began to report to the Headquarters Air Material Command. By June of 1960 the 2704th aircraft inventory numbered 4,072, with some 1,777 aircraft being retired to the center in the previous year. By the early 1960s many of the aircraft being retired were of a more modern design and still useful to other friendly military forces. Although large numbers of obsolete aircraft were still being scrapped, many were re-generated back to operational units, sold to foreign customers or supplied under the Military Assistance Program (MAP).
Below are some of the more notable events which took place between 1953 and 1956.
1959
Douglas B-47 Stratojet - being replaced by the B-52 after just 10 years of service
C-97 Stratofreighters which were being replaced by the KC-135 and
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar -
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
Due to the gradual phasing out of a number of types, taking nearly ten years to accomplish, parts reclamation also increased utilizing the large numbers of aircraft being retired. Many of the nearly retired aircraft were turned over for reclamation to
>> Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center (MASDC)