eli5: Why does the US Military have airplanes in multiple branches (Navy, Marines etc) as opposed to having all flight operations handled by the Air Force exclusively?
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The comments addressing mission sets are true, but not ultimately why the different services have their own aircraft. It comes down to control and convenience. If the Air Force held all of the planes, they would have a lot of control over the navy and the missions the navy wants to perform. The same goes for the army. For example, the navy wants to do a carrier exercise with planes in the South Pacific. To do so, they need planes. If the Air Force had all the planes, the Navy would have to get the Air Force involved to execute a drill with a carrier. Under the current structure, that isn’t necessary because the navy has its own planes. The current setup is much more convenient, and efficient, for all parties involved.
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