Which U.S. military organization purchased the Wright brothers’ first military airplane?

The U.S. Army Signal Corps purchased the Wright brothers’ first military airplane.

In 1908, the Signal Corps ordered a Wright airplane after establishing requirements for a practical military aircraft. The resulting machine became known as the Wright Military Flyer, or Signal Corps Aeroplane No. 1. It was delivered to the Army and tested at Fort Myer, Virginia.

The purchase was significant because it represented the first military procurement of a production airplane by the United States. The aircraft was intended for reconnaissance and training rather than combat, reflecting the early military interest in observing terrain and carrying messages.

The U.S. Army Air Service did not yet exist when the order was made. It was created in 1918, during World War I, after aviation had become an established military technology. That later organization is therefore a common but incorrect answer to this question.