Military Aviation

Simple balloons were used as surveillance aircraft as early as the 18th century. Over the years, military aircraft have been built to meet ever increasing capability requirements. Manufacturers of military aircraft compete for contracts to supply their government's arsenal. Aircraft are selected based on factors like cost, performance, and the speed of production.

Types of military aircraft

• Fighter aircraft's primary function is to destroy other aircraft. (e.g. Sopwith Camel, A6M Zero, F-15, MiG-29, Su-27, F-22).

• Ground attack aircraft are used against tactical earth-bound targets. (e.g. Junkers Stuka diver bomber, A-10 Warthog, Ilyushin Il-2, J-22 Orao, and Sukhoi Su-25).

• Bombers are generally used against more strategic targets, such as factories and oil fields. (e.g. Zeppelin, B-29 Superfortress, Tu-95, Dassault Mirage IV, and the B-52 Stratofortress)

• Cargo transport aircraft are used to transport hardware and personnel, such as the C-17 Globemaster III or C-130 Hercules.

• Surveillance aircraft are used for reconnaissance (e.g. Rumpler Taube, de Havilland Mosquito, U-2, and MiG-25R).

• Helicopters are used for assault support, cargo transport and close air support (e.g.AH-64,Mi-24).

The Lockheed SR-71 remains unsurpassed in many areas of performance.



Wikipedia: Military aviation

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