Īs a part of military nomenclature, a letter is often assigned to various types of aircraft to indicate their use, along with a number to indicate the specific aircraft. An interceptor is generally an aircraft intended to target (or intercept) bombers and so often trades maneuverability for climb rate. Some of the most expensive fighters such as the US Grumman F-14 Tomcat, McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and Russian Sukhoi Su-27 were employed as all-weather interceptors as well as air superiority fighter aircraft, while commonly developing air-to-ground roles late in their careers. Versatile multi role fighter-bombers such as the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet are a less expensive option than having a range of specialized aircraft types. This blurring follows the use of fighters from their earliest days for "attack" or "strike" operations against ground targets by means of strafing or dropping small bombs and incendiaries. The F-111B variant was originally intended for a fighter role with the U.S. Several aircraft, such as the F-111 and F-117, have received fighter designations though they had no fighter capability due to political or other reasons. In World War II, the USAAF and RAF often favored fighters over dedicated light bombers or dive bombers, and types such as the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and Hawker Hurricane that were no longer competitive as aerial combat fighters were relegated to ground attack. The Sopwith Camel and other "fighting scouts" of World War I performed a great deal of ground-attack work. This may be for political or national security reasons, for advertising purposes, or other reasons. Some fighter designs may be developed in variants performing other roles entirely, such as ground attack or unarmed reconnaissance. Of these, the Fighter-bomber, reconnaissance fighter and strike fighter classes are dual-role, possessing qualities of the fighter alongside some other battlefield role. Strategic fighter (including the escort fighter and strike fighter).All-weather fighter (including the night fighter).A short-range fighter designed to defend against incoming enemy aircraft is known as an interceptor. The UK changed to calling them fighters in the 1920s, while the US Army did so in the 1940s. Army called them "pursuit" aircraft until the late 1940s. Historically the British Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force referred to them as " scouts" until the early 1920s, while the U.S. A given type may be designed for specific combat conditions, and in some cases for additional roles such as air-to-ground fighting. 5.7 Sixth-generation jet fighters (2020s onward)Ī fighter aircraft is primarily designed for air-to-air combat.5.6 Fifth-generation jet fighters (2000s to 2020s).5.4 Fourth-generation jet fighters (circa 1970 to mid-1990s).5.3 Third-generation jet fighters (early 1960s to circa 1970).5.2 Second-generation jet fighters (mid-1950s to early 1960s).5.1 First-generation subsonic jet fighters (mid-1940s to mid-1950s).Other fighter designs are highly specialized while still filling the main air superiority role, and these include the interceptor, heavy fighter, and night fighter. Many modern fighter aircraft also have secondary capabilities such as ground attack and some types, such as fighter-bombers, are designed from the outset for dual roles. The success or failure of a combatant's efforts to gain air superiority hinges on several factors including the skill of its pilots, the tactical soundness of its doctrine for deploying its fighters, and the numbers and performance of those fighters. The key performance features of a fighter include not only its firepower but also its high speed and maneuverability relative to the target aircraft. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield permits bombers and attack aircraft to engage in tactical and strategic bombing of enemy targets. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. An F-16 Fighting Falcon (left), P-51D Mustang (bottom), F-86 Sabre (top), and F-22 Raptor (right) fly in a formation representing four generations of American fighters.įighter aircraft are fixed-wing military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat.
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