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Military aircraft



 
 
A military aircraft is any fixed-wing
Fixed-wing aircraft

A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of heavier-than-air flight whose Lift is generated not by wing motion relative to the aircraft, but by forward motion through the air....
 or rotary-wing aircraft
Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle which is able to flight by being supported by the air, or in general, the atmosphere, of a planet. Examples include balloons, airplanes and helicopters....
 that is in the current employ of a military
Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
 power. Fixed-wing military aircraft are also known as warplanes.


Non-combat military aircraft
Non-combat aircraft are not designed for combat as their primary function, but may carry weapons for self-defense.






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Encyclopedia


A military aircraft is any fixed-wing
Fixed-wing aircraft

A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of heavier-than-air flight whose Lift is generated not by wing motion relative to the aircraft, but by forward motion through the air....
 or rotary-wing aircraft
Aircraft

An aircraft is a vehicle which is able to flight by being supported by the air, or in general, the atmosphere, of a planet. Examples include balloons, airplanes and helicopters....
 that is in the current employ of a military
Military

A military is an organization authorized by its nation to use force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or Threat of force ....
 power. Fixed-wing military aircraft are also known as warplanes.

Categories


Combat aircraft


Combat aircraft are aircraft whose primary role is to carry weapon
Weapon

A weapon is a tool used to apply or threaten to apply force for the purpose of hunting, attack or defense in combat, subduing enemy personnel, or to destroy enemy weapons, equipment and defensive structures....
s with which to attack enemy
Enemy

Enemy or Enemies may refer to:Television* Enemies * Enemies * Enemies *...
 targets. Categories of combat aircraft include:
  • Fighter aircraft
    Fighter aircraft

    A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets by dropping bombs....
    • Interceptor aircraft
      Interceptor aircraft

      An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy aircraft, particularly bomber aircraft, usually relying on great speed....
    • Air superiority fighter
      Air superiority fighter

      An air superiority fighter is a type of fighter aircraft intended to enter and seize control of enemy airspace. Air superiority fighters are usually more expensive and procured in lesser numbers than multi-role fighters while being lighter, smaller, and more agile than interceptor aircraft....
    • Strike fighter
      Strike fighter

      A strike fighter is a fighter aircraft which is also capable of attacking surface targets, including ships. It differs from a ground-attack aircraft in that the aircraft remains a capable fighter....
  • Ground attack aircraft
    Ground attack aircraft

    Ground-attack aircraft are military aircraft designed to attack targets on the ground and are often deployed as close air support for, and in proximity to, their own ground forces....
  • Bomber
    Bomber

    A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, primarily by dropping bombs on them....
  • Stealth aircraft
    Stealth aircraft

    Stealth aircraft are aircraft that use stealth technology to make it harder to be detected by radar and other means than conventional aircraft by employing a combination of features to reduce visibility in the visual, audio, infrared and Radio frequency spectrum....
  • Drone
    Unmanned aerial vehicle

    File:MQ-9 Reaper in flight .jpgAn unmanned aerial vehicle is an unpiloted aircraft. UAVs come in two varieties: some are controlled from a remote location, and others fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans using more complex dynamic automation systems....


Non-combat military aircraft


Non-combat aircraft are not designed for combat as their primary function, but may carry weapons for self-defense. Categories include:

  • Tanker
    Aerial refueling

    Aerial refueling, also called air refueling, in-flight refueling , air-to-air refueling or tanking, is the process of transferring fuel from one aircraft to another during flight....
  • Trainer
    Trainer (aircraft)

    A trainer is an aircraft used to develop piloting, navigational or war-fighting skills in flight crew.Civilian pilots are normally trained in a light aircraft, with 2 or more seats to allow for student and instructor....
  • Transport
    Cargo aircraft

    File:An-225 Mriya.jpg A cargo aircraft plane is a fixed-wing aircraft designed or converted for the carriage of goods, rather than passengers....
  • Surveillance aircraft
    Surveillance aircraft

    Surveillance aircraft are military aircraft used for monitoring enemy activity, usually carrying no armament. This article concentrates on military aircraft used in this role, though a major civilian aviation activity is reconnaissance and ground surveillance for cartography, traffic monitoring, science, and geological survey....
     or reconnaissance
  • Observation balloon
    Observation balloon

    Observation balloons are balloons that are employed as aerial platforms for Military intelligence and Artillery observer. Their use began during the Napoleonic Wars, reaching their zenith during World War I, and they continue in limited use today....
  • Military glider
    Military glider

    Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the World War II....


Lists of military aircraft


  • Canada - List of active Canadian military aircraft
    List of active Canadian military aircraft

    This is a list of currently-active military aircraft in use by the Canadian Forces. In total the Canadian Forces Air Command operates over 500 aircraft....
  • China - List of aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force
    People's Liberation Army Air Force

    The People's Liberation Army Air Force is the aviation branch of the People's Liberation Army, the military of the People's Republic of China....
  • France - List of aircraft of the Armée de l'Air, World War II
    List of aircraft of the Armée de l'Air, World War II

    Aircraft of the France Arm?e de l'Air and Aviation Navale during the Battle of France in 1940.Quick Links:* Most Produced: Potez 63 series* Second Most Produced: Morane-Saulnier M.S.406...
  • Germany - List of World War II military aircraft of Germany
    List of World War II military aircraft of Germany

    This list covers Germany aircraft of the World War II that served in the Luftwaffe during World War II as defined by the years 1939 to 1945. Number designations are largely by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium aircraft designation system, although in this list they are partially organized by manufacturer and role....
  • India - List of aircraft of the Indian Air Force
    List of aircraft of the Indian Air Force

    The Indian Air Force, often abbreviated as the IAF, is the world's fourth largest air force after those of the United States, Russia and China; and operates more than 1430 combat and 1700 non-combat aircraft....
  • Italy - List of aircraft of the Regia Aeronautica
    Regia Aeronautica

    The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy . It was established as a service independent of the Regio Esercito from 1923 until 1946....
  • Japan - List of aircraft of Japan, World War II
    List of aircraft of Japan, World War II

    This is a list of aircraft used by the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. Allied code names in "quotation marks"....
  • South Africa - List of aircraft of the South African Air Force
    List of aircraft of the South African Air Force

    The following is a list of aircraft of the South African Air Force, past, present, and future....
  • Pakistan - List of aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force
    List of aircraft of the Pakistan Air Force

    The Pakistan Air Force currently operates an estimated 500 to 530 combat aircraft. The total of aircraft in service including VIP, trainer and transport aircraft is over 800....
  • UK
    • Air Force - List of aircraft of the RAF
      List of aircraft of the RAF

      Many aircraft types have served in the Royal Air Force since it was formed in 1918 by the merger of the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Naval Air Service....
    • Navy - List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
      List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm

      This is a list of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm.For an explanation of the alphanumeric codes that follow many of the aircraft, please see British military aircraft designation systems....
  • US - List of military aircraft of the United States
    List of military aircraft of the United States

    This list of military aircraft of the United States includes prototype, pre-production and operational types. For aircraft currently in service, see the List of active United States military aircraft....
  • USSR and CIS - List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS
    List of military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the CIS

    This list of the military aircraft of the Soviet Union and the Commonwealth of Independent States includes experimental, prototype, and operational types regardless of era....


Military aircraft designation systems


  • Germany
    • Idflieg aircraft designation system
      Idflieg aircraft designation system

      The Idflieg designation system was used to generate Germany military aircraft designations prior to the end of World War I.Each designation consisted of one of the following letters, followed by a roman numeral....
    • RLM aircraft designation system
      RLM aircraft designation system

      The Reichsluftfahrtministerium had a system for aircraft designation which was an attempt by the aviation bureaucracy of the Third Reich to standardize and produce an identifier for each aircraft type produced in Germany....
  • Japan - Japanese military aircraft designation systems
    Japanese military aircraft designation systems

    Japanese military aircraft, especially of Japan's Imperial period, are rather difficult to keep track of by their Japanese designations, primarily because multiple designation systems were in use by each armed service....
  • UK - British military aircraft designation systems
    British military aircraft designation systems

    Since the end of the First World War, military aircraft types in United Kingdom military service have generally been known by a "type name" assigned by their manufacturer, or bestowed upon them by the first military service to bring them into service....
  • US - United States of America military aircraft designation systems
    United States of America military aircraft designation systems

    The United States Military Aircraft Designation System was first designed in 1919 when the United States Army's Aeronautical Division became the United States Army Air Service....
  • USSR - USSR military aircraft designation systems
    USSR military aircraft designation systems

    Imperial Russia does not seem to have had a system.Aircraft were given names or numerical designations by manufacturers, like Sikorsky Ilya Muromets or Anatra Anasal....


See also


  • Military aviation
    Military aviation

    Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front....