AMARG: America's Strategic Military Aircraft Reserve (ePub)
Imprint: Key Publishing
File Size: 3.6 MB (.epub)
Pages: 96
Illustrations: Approx. 160
ISBN: 9781802821093
Published: 1st August 2022
| Other formats available | Price |
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| AMARG: America's Strategic Military… Paperback Add to Basket | £15.99 |
The United States military stores more than 4,000 aircraft in the Arizona desert at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG) facility adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. Known as the “Boneyard,” this facility is much more than a place where aerospace vehicles come to die. Here some aircraft are maintained in both short- and long-term storage, while others serve as a “parts inventory on the wing” holding valuable spare parts in known locations ready to be harvested, overhauled, and returned to the fleet when needed. When an aircraft has yielded all the parts necessary to keep its brethren in the air, its carcass eventually meets the scrapper’s torch.
AMARG’s storage rows are home to massive fleets of F-15, F-16, and F/A-18 fighters, aerial refuelling tankers, C-130 and C-5 transports, helicopters of varying sizes, and bombers from the frontline B-1 to B-52s that are much older than the pilots flying them around the globe today. Among the rows are special use aircraft including the AWACS, P-3 maritime patrol bombers, aeromedical evacuation aircraft, and reconnaissance planes that serve a variety of missions, along with celebrity aircraft such as MiG killers that dominated the skies in aerial combat. As well as bringing the reader up to date with recent activities at AMARG, including the intake of new aircraft types, regeneration and the return to the fleet of aircraft formerly in storage, this book presents new, never-before-seen images that provide a visual tour of the Boneyard.
A highly illustrated look at America's vast military aircraft "Boneyard"', a 96-page soft-cover book from Key Publishing. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group site adjacent to Davis Monthan AFB in Arizona.
Military Model Scene
While best known as a storage site for military aircraft retired from the different branches of the US Military, it has over 3,000 aircraft lined up in the desert, over an area of more than 2,500 acres, this book explains how there is so much more to it. The book is split across 7 chapters, starting with a look at the detailed work carried out by the centre, including depot level maintenance on F-16s and use of the wings of stored A-10s to prolong the service life of others which remain in service, just to mention a couple. Then it moves on to cover Attack, Fighters and MiG Killers: Bombers and Patrol Aircraft: Helicopters, Tankers, Trainers and Transports: Special Use Aircraft: Centennial of Naval Aviation Paint Schemes: and finally, "What Happened to..." with some very special subjects in storage. Every chapter has lots of great colour photos showing us what is in store, and with plenty of additional information in the captions. Too many to try and tell you about in a review, but from the iconic images of the 'chopped up' B-52s to detail of the protective coatings over F-15s, C-130s, P-3s and many more. Perhaps one surprise for many of us will be the line of ex-RAF Harriers, wings stored separately to the fuselage, after the MoD sold the last 72 to the USA, who hold them for spares for their own in-service AV-8Bs.
So many interesting aircraft to be found in here, such as the 747 airborne laser, various types with MiG kills recorded on them and much more. In addition to the aircraft stored on site, there are also large quantities such as engines and specialist stores pylons which are all held as well. The 2 appendices in the back of the book include a list of the current 'stock' held at the facility, spares kept 'on the wing'. It does also include details of the Pima Air Museum, which is a neighbour to the AMARG. Aviation enthusiasts and modellers will find a lot in here to enjoy. I happily admit it is one site in the USA which I would love to be able to visit but have to make do with enjoying such a book as this one. Read here: https://www.militarymodelscenenew.com/book-reviews-1/amarg
A highly illustrated look at America's vast military aircraft "Boneyard"', a 96-page soft-cover book from Key Publishing. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group site adjacent to Davis Monthan AFB in Arizona.
Military Model Scene
While best known as a storage site for military aircraft retired from the different branches of the US Military, it has over 3,000 aircraft lined up in the desert, over an area of more than 2,500 acres, this book explains how there is so much more to it. The book is split across 7 chapters, starting with a look at the detailed work carried out by the centre, including depot level maintenance on F-16s and use of the wings of stored A-10s to prolong the service life of others which remain in service, just to mention a couple. Then it moves on to cover Attack, Fighters and MiG Killers: Bombers and Patrol Aircraft: Helicopters, Tankers, Trainers and Transports: Special Use Aircraft: Centennial of Naval Aviation Paint Schemes: and finally, "What Happened to..." with some very special subjects in storage. Every chapter has lots of great colour photos showing us what is in store, and with plenty of additional information in the captions. Too many to try and tell you about in a review, but from the iconic images of the 'chopped up' B-52s to detail of the protective coatings over F-15s, C-130s, P-3s and many more. Perhaps one surprise for many of us will be the line of ex-RAF Harriers, wings stored separately to the fuselage, after the MoD sold the last 72 to the USA, who hold them for spares for their own in-service AV-8Bs.
So many interesting aircraft to be found in here, such as the 747 airborne laser, various types with MiG kills recorded on them and much more. In addition to the aircraft stored on site, there are also large quantities such as engines and specialist stores pylons which are all held as well. The 2 appendices in the back of the book include a list of the current 'stock' held at the facility, spares kept 'on the wing'. It does also include details of the Pima Air Museum, which is a neighbour to the AMARG. Aviation enthusiasts and modellers will find a lot in here to enjoy. I happily admit it is one site in the USA which I would love to be able to visit but have to make do with enjoying such a book as this one. Read here: https://www.militarymodelscenenew.com/book-reviews-1/amarg
A highly illustrated look at America's vast military aircraft "Boneyard"', a 96-page soft-cover book from Key Publishing. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group site adjacent to Davis Monthan AFB in Arizona.
Military Model Scene
While best known as a storage site for military aircraft retired from the different branches of the US Military, it has over 3,000 aircraft lined up in the desert, over an area of more than 2,500 acres, this book explains how there is so much more to it. The book is split across 7 chapters, starting with a look at the detailed work carried out by the centre, including depot level maintenance on F-16s and use of the wings of stored A-10s to prolong the service life of others which remain in service, just to mention a couple. Then it moves on to cover Attack, Fighters and MiG Killers: Bombers and Patrol Aircraft: Helicopters, Tankers, Trainers and Transports: Special Use Aircraft: Centennial of Naval Aviation Paint Schemes: and finally, "What Happened to..." with some very special subjects in storage. Every chapter has lots of great colour photos showing us what is in store, and with plenty of additional information in the captions. Too many to try and tell you about in a review, but from the iconic images of the 'chopped up' B-52s to detail of the protective coatings over F-15s, C-130s, P-3s and many more. Perhaps one surprise for many of us will be the line of ex-RAF Harriers, wings stored separately to the fuselage, after the MoD sold the last 72 to the USA, who hold them for spares for their own in-service AV-8Bs.
So many interesting aircraft to be found in here, such as the 747 airborne laser, various types with MiG kills recorded on them and much more. In addition to the aircraft stored on site, there are also large quantities such as engines and specialist stores pylons which are all held as well. The 2 appendices in the back of the book include a list of the current 'stock' held at the facility, spares kept 'on the wing'. It does also include details of the Pima Air Museum, which is a neighbour to the AMARG. Aviation enthusiasts and modellers will find a lot in here to enjoy. I happily admit it is one site in the USA which I would love to be able to visit but have to make do with enjoying such a book as this one. Read here: https://www.militarymodelscenenew.com/book-reviews-1/amarg
"An interesting insight into the workings of this facility, with many pictures of lines of everything from small helicopters to giant B-52 Bombers".
Helicopter International - January-February 2023
About Jim Dunn
Jim Dunn is a freelance aviation photojournalist from Sacramento, California. Since 1982, he has contributed to numerous aviation magazines including Air Classics, Air Fan, Air International, AirForces Monthly, and Combat Aircraft. A Vietnam-era US Air Force veteran (1971-1975), he has co-authored six books on current military aviation subjects. He served as the Executive Secretary of the McClellan Aviation Museum (1986-1994) and has a strong interest in aviation history and aircraft preservation.
Jim Dunn and Nicholas A. Veronico have collaborated on several publications in the past, including Giant Cargo Planes (Motorbooks Intl, 1999), 21st Century U.S. Air Power (Motorbooks Intl, 2004), and Boneyard Nose Art (Stackpole Books, 2013).
About Nicholas A. Veronico
Nicholas A. Veronico is an award-winning author of more than 40 books on military, transportation, local history, and art history subjects. Most recently, he served as public affairs officer for NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (known as SOFIA) – a highly modified Boeing 747SP fitted with a 106-inch diameter infrared telescope used for astrophysics research. He was a crew member on 79 airborne science missions. His most recent books include Air Force One: The Aircraft of the Modern U.S. Presidency (with the late Robert F. Dorr), Pearl Harbor Air Raid, and D-Day: The Air and Sea Invasion of Normandy in Photos.
Veronico has co-authored three previous books on military aircraft storage including Military Aircraft Boneyards (Zenith Press, 2000), AMARG: America’s Military Aircraft Boneyard (Specialty Press, 2010), and Boneyard Nose Art: U.S. Military Aircraft Markings and Artwork (Stackpole Books, 2013).
Jim Dunn and Nicholas A. Veronico have collaborated on several publications in the past, including Giant Cargo Planes (Motorbooks Intl, 1999), 21st Century U.S. Air Power (Motorbooks Intl, 2004), and Boneyard Nose Art (Stackpole Books, 2013).
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