Military Aircraft: Exploring the Evolution and Technology of Aerial Warfare

By Fouad Sabry

What is Military Aircraft

A military aircraft is any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is operated by a legal or insurrectionary military of any type. Military aircraft can be either combat or non-combat:Combat aircraft, such as fighters and bombers, are designed to destroy enemy equipment or personnel using their own aircraft ordnance. Combat aircraft are typically developed and procured only by military forces.Non-combat aircraft, such as transports and tankers are not designed for combat as their primary function, but may carry weapons for self-defense. These mainly operate in support roles, and may be developed by either military forces or civilian organizations.

How you will benefit

(I) Insights, and validations about the following topics:

Chapter 1: Military Aircraft

Chapter 2: Bomber

Chapter 3: Fighter Aircraft

Chapter 4: Surveillance Aircraft

Chapter 5: Interceptor Aircraft

Chapter 6: Anti-aircraft Warfare

Chapter 7: Airborne Early Warning and Control

Chapter 8: Airstrike

Chapter 9: Stealth Aircraft

Chapter 10: Aerial Warfare

(II) Answering the public top questions about military aircraft.

Who this book is for

Professionals, undergraduate and graduate students, enthusiasts, hobbyists, and those who want to go beyond basic knowledge or information for any kind of Military Aircraft.

• Language: English
• Publisher: One Billion Knowledgeable
• Release date: Jun 21, 2024

Book preview

Chapter 1: Military aircraft

Any fixed-wing or rotary-wing aircraft that is flown by a legitimate or illicit military of any kind qualifies as a military aircraft. There are two types of military aircraft: combat and non-combat:

Combat aircraft are made to use their own weapons to destroy enemy property or persons. Typically, only military forces design and buy combat aircraft.

Non-combat aircraft can carry weaponry for self-defense even though combat is not their primary purpose. They may be created by either military forces or non-military organizations, and they primarily serve as support systems.

When hot-air and hydrogen balloons—the first practical aircraft—were developed in 1783, they were rapidly used for military missions. Since then, only a small number of lighter-than-air military aircraft have been employed, such as the American Blimp MZ-3, which the U.S. Navy operated for research and development from 2006 to 2017.

The Wright Flyer's initial flight sparked an interest in powered aircraft by a number of military. For the Aeronautical Division of the U.S. Signal Corps, the United States Army acquired the Wright Military Flyer, a two-seat observation aircraft, in 1909. It was in use until 1911, by which time powered aircraft were a significant part of many armies all over the world. The Italo-Turkish War saw the use of aircraft for aerial surveillance and tactical bombing missions, while the First Balkan War saw the introduction of naval-air operations. In the Second Balkan War, photoreconnaissance and propaganda leaflet drops came next.

Fighter aircraft were produced during World War I, long-range strategic bombing became a possibility, aviation technology improved quickly throughout the interwar era, and military aircraft got more and more capable, making air combat a noteworthy aspect of the conflict. At this time, autogyros and helicopters were also being developed. Aviation in the military advanced to unprecedented heights during World War II. Early jet aircraft conducted combat sorties, the first cruise missiles and ballistic missiles were deployed, airborne troops and supplies parachuted into action, and the nuclear weapons that ended the war were delivered by air. All of these events had a significant impact on the course of the war.

Aviation technology continued to evolve tremendously quickly during the Cold War era. Jet aircraft reached speeds greater than Mach 1 and Mach 2, armament shifted to missiles primarily, aircraft started to carry more advanced avionics, air-to-air refueling became a viable option, and transport aircraft grew in size. The 1970s saw the beginning of stealth aircraft development, and the 1980s saw them in action.

Fighters, bombers, attackers, electronic warfare, maritime, multirole, and unmanned aircraft are the main categories of combat aircraft, also known as warplanes. There are differences between them, including fighter-bombers like the Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 and MiG-23 ground attack aircraft. Long-range maritime patrol aircraft, like the Hawker Siddeley Nimrod and the S-3 Viking, which are frequently outfitted with anti-ship missiles and anti-submarine armaments, are also classified as combat aircraft.

As part of both offensive and defensive counter air operations, the primary function of fighters is the destruction of enemy aircraft in air-to-air combat. Many fighters can carry out surface attack and close air support missions because they have some degree of ground assault capability. They are required to carry out escort missions for bombers or other aircraft in addition to their counter air tasks. Weapons that fighters can carry include machine guns, cannons, rocket launchers, guided missiles, and bombs. Many modern fighters have the ability to launch long-range attacks on opposing fighters before their adversaries are even aware of them. The F-35 Lightning II, the F-22 Raptor, the F-15 Eagle, and the Su-27 are among examples of such fighters.

Typically, bombers are bigger, heavier, and less nimble than fighter planes. They have the capacity to transport heavy payloads of cruise missiles, torpedoes, or explosives. Almost mainly deployed for ground operations, bombers lack the speed and agility to engage enemy fighters head-on. Others have two or more engines and require crews of three or more, while some have a single engine and just require one pilot to operate. A small number of bombers, like the B-2 Spirit, have stealth features that prevent enemy radar from detecting them. The B-52 Stratofortress is an illustration of a traditional modern bomber. A B-17 Flying Fortress would be an illustration of a bomber from World War II. There are different types of bombers, such as light, medium, heavy, dive, and torpedo bombers.

Attack aircraft may be utilized to assist friendly ground forces. To attack important ground targets, some are able to transport conventional or nuclear weapons far beyond enemy lines. Attack helicopters take on enemy armor and support ground troops with close air support. Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft provide a good illustration. As gunships for ground assault, a variety of transport aircraft have been outfitted with sideways firing armaments. The AC-47 and AC-130 gunships are among them.

A military aircraft that is equipped for electronic warfare, or weakening the effectiveness of an adversary's radar and radio equipment, is known as an electronic warfare aircraft. Typically, they are altered copies of other existing aircraft. The EA-18G Growler, a modified version of the F/A-18F Super Hornet, is a modern illustration.

A fixed-wing military aircraft called a maritime patrol aircraft is made to operate over water for extended periods of time in maritime patrol operations, including anti-ship, anti-submarine, and search and rescue missions. For this purpose, some patrol aircraft, like the Kawasaki P-1, were created. While blimps and helicopters have also been used in the same roles, the term maritime patrol aircraft primarily refers to fixed wing aircraft.

Nowadays, a lot of combat aircraft can perform many roles. This word, which is typically only used to describe fixed-wing aircraft, denotes that the aircraft in question may be either a fighter or a bomber, depending on the mission. The F-15E Strike Eagle, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Panavia Tornado are three examples of multirole designs. An illustration from World War II would be the P-38 Lightning.

Air-to-surface missiles and bombs are used in warfare by unmanned combat aerial vehicles. Among other forms of drone warfare, they are utilized for air interdictions and targeted executions.

Search and rescue, reconnaissance, observation/surveillance, Airborne Early Warning and Control, transport, training, and aerial refueling are among the military aircraft's non-combat missions.

Many public aircraft, both fixed wing and rotary wing, have been constructed in separate versions for military usage, such as the British Dakota transport planes and the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner, which later became the military C-47 Skytrain and the USAF's AC-47 Spooky gunships. There was a military variant of even the two-seat Piper J3 Cub with fabric covering. Both gliders and balloons have served as military aircraft in the past. For instance, during the American Civil War and World War I, balloons were employed for observation, while during World War II, military gliders were utilized to deploy ground troops in airborne assaults.

The main purposes of military transport (logistics) aircraft are the transportation of personnel and military supplies. Pallets, which are simple to load, secure for flight, and swiftly unload for delivery, can hold cargo. There is no need to land because cargo can be dropped from flying airplanes on parachutes. Aerial tankers, which can refuel other aircraft while they are in flight, are also categorized under this heading. The C-17 Globemaster III is an illustration of a transport aircraft. The C-47 is a prime example from World War II. The KC-135 Stratotanker is a prime illustration of a tanker vessel. Gliders and transport helicopters can fly troops and supplies to places where conventional aircraft couldn't land.

It is incorrect to refer to a military transport plane as a cargo plane because such aircraft are capable of transporting personnel such as paratroopers.

An airborne radar system known as an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is used to identify aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles at a distance. It is also used to command and control the battle area during an air conflict by directing the strikes of fighter and attack aircraft. When granted military command over other troops, AEW&C units usually carry out C2BM (command and control, battle management) tasks like to those of an airport traffic controller. They are also employed to conduct surveillance, even over ground targets. The radars on the aircraft enable the operators to discriminate between friendly and enemy aircraft hundreds of miles distant when used at a high altitude.

A highly mobile and potent radar platform, AEW&C aircraft are employed for both defensive and offensive air operations and are to the NATO and American trained or integrated air forces what the combat information center is to a naval vessel. The system is used both offensively to guide jets to their intended targets and defensively to thwart ground- and air-based enemy counterattacks. The US Navy uses AEW&C aircraft from its Supercarriers to supplement and defend its carrier Combat information center due to the value of command and control from a high altitude (CICs).

The previous designations airborne early warning (AEW) and airborne warning and control system (AWACS) are also used to refer to AEW&C, /ˈeɪwæks/ ay-waks) although AWACS is the name of a specific system currently used by NATO and the USAF and is often used in error to describe similar systems.

The main purpose of reconnaissance aircraft is intelligence gathering. They have cameras and other sensors on board. These planes might be custom created or they might be modified versions of standard fighter or bomber types. More often than not, satellites and unmanned aerial vehicles fill this function (UAVs).

Observation and surveillance For battlefield observation, airspace surveillance, maritime patrol, and artillery spotting, aircraft use radar and other sensors. Mooded balloons, UAVs, and modified civil aircraft designs are some of them.

Advanced aerodynamic, structural, avionic, or propulsion concepts are tested in experimental aircraft. These are often well-instrumented, and ground stations at the test ranges where they are flown receive performance data via radio-frequency data lines from the aircraft. The Bristol 188 is a prime illustration of an experimental aircraft.

{End Chapter 1}

Chapter 2: Bomber

A bomber is a type of military combat aircraft used to attack ground and maritime targets by torpedoing, dropping bombs, or deploying air-launched cruise missiles. The first time a bomb was dropped from an airplane was during the Italian-Turkish War, and the first significant deployments by all major air forces caused terrible damage to cities, towns, and rural areas during the First and Second World Wars. The Italian Caproni Ca 30 and the British Bristol T.B.8, both produced in 1913, were the first specifically designed bombers. Some bombers had victory marks or nose art on them.

Bombers can be divided into two categories: tactical and strategic. Heavy bombers