Bureau of Aeronautics

The Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) was the U.S. Navy's material-support organization for naval aviation from 1921 to 1959. The bureau had "cognizance" (i.e., responsibility) for the design, procurement, and support of naval aircraft and related systems. Aerial weapons, however, were under the cognizance of the Navy's Bureau of Ordnance (BuOrd).

Origins[edit]

The USN's first attempt for naval aviation began in 1908 when it conducted observations of the Wright Brothers aircraft at Fort Myer.^[1]

First tests and Naval Aviation Corps[edit]

The first test of an aircraft from naval vessel was in 1910 when a Curtiss Model D flown by Eugene Burton Ely took off from the USS Birmingham (CL-2) and again on USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4) in early 1911. These test was enough for the USN to establish naval aviation units in the summer of 1911.^[1] The purchase of the first naval aircraft in May 1911^[2] and passage of naval appropriations act in August 1916 lead to the establishment of the Naval Reserve Flying Corps, which would train and deploy air corps for World War I.^[1]

World War II and the postwar period[edit]

World War II brought immense changes as well. BuAer was forced to expand rapidly in order to comply with the nation's defense needs. By the war's end, the bureau had developed an administrative structure that oversaw thousands of personnel, and the procurement and maintenance of tens of thousands of aircraft. In 1943, the Navy established the position of Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Air, or DCNO(Air), a move which relieved some of BuAer's responsibility for Fleet operations. RADM McCain, now promoted to vice admiral, was the first to fill the position.

BuAer downsized after the war, but continued its focus on aeronautical research and development. But as naval technology became increasingly complex, it became clear that the Navy's material organization was insufficient. In particular, the Navy needed better integration of aerial weapons with naval aircraft. There was also the question of "pilotless aircraft" (the ancestors of the late 20th century's Unmanned Aerial Vehicles); BuAer considered these to be aircraft, while BuOrd saw them as guided missiles.

To fix the problem, in 1959 the Navy merged BuAer and BuOrd to create the Bureau of Naval Weapons (BuWeps). This was only a temporary solution, however, and in 1966 the Navy undertook a wholesale revision of its material organization. The bureau system, which had existed since the 1840s, was replaced with the "Systems Commands" (SYSCOMs). BuWeps was replaced with the current Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

Naval Aviation Photographic Unit

Naval Aviation History Office/Branch, Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C.

Excerpts from the book United States Naval Aviation 1910–1995, published by the Naval Historical Center.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History and Heritage Command.