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Military aircraft

Military aircraft are used for a variety of different tasks, including (broadly) locating, tracking and destroying targets. Given the specialised nature of the role that they perform, derived from the nature of the tasks that they are expected to carry out in warfare, military aircraft are variously categorised as bombers, fighters, fighter-bombers, transports, trainers, reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft.

Types of military aircraft

• Fighters - air superiority/ground attack/multi-role
• Bombers
• Reconnaissance and surveillance planes - airborne warning and control systems (AWACS)/unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
• Transport

Fighters/air-superiority: Typically, fighter aircraft are fast, highly manoeuvrable flying machines, designed to engage and destroy enemy aircraft. Fighter aircraft that perform such a role as their sole, or primary, function are dubbed as 'air-superiority fighters'. As part of their duty, fighters also escort bombers or other non-attack aircraft. This is in consonance with their main function to maintain control over their air space as well as that of the enemy. Fighters carry an assortment of weaponry, which includes cannons, rockets, guided missiles, and bombs. The weapon load that a fighter aircraft carries varies, depending upon the nature of the mission. In a secondary role such fighters also take on targets on the ground.

Fighters/ ground attack: As opposed to the air-superiority fighter, there are ground attack aircraft, which resemble air-superiority fighters in size and general capabilities but are dedicated to attacking targets on the ground. Smaller in size than bomber aircraft and hence more agile, ground attack aircraft are capable of attacking smaller, and widely dispersed, targets with a greater degree of precision and speed than the larger, more cumbersome bombers, which generally fly at higher altitudes. Generally speaking ground-attack fighters match air-superiority fighters in speed and size, and so allow quick response and 'getaway' advantages.

Fighters/ multi-role (multi-role combat aircraft): Over the last few decades, fighter aircraft have been designed to perform functions other than their primary one of maintaining air-superiority. Depending on the mission, a multi-role fighter aircraft can assume either an air-superiority or ground-attack role. The avionics and armaments of a multi-role combat aircraft enable it to perform both functions with ease.

Bombers: These are typically larger, heavier, and less manoeuvrable aircraft than fighters. A couple of decades ago they would have been described as being slower than fighters as well, but today supersonic bombers have chipped away at that particular advantage enjoyed by fighters. Given their size, they are capable of carrying a large load of weapons and are used to attack targets on the ground.

Reconnaissance/surveillance: Reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, such as AWACS aircraft and UAVs, are used primarily to gather intelligence. In the case of AWACS, the functions extend to controlling air battles as the operators aboard such aircraft assume responsibilities so far exercised by ground controllers. Equipped with highly sophisticated electronic equipment such as photographic, infrared, radar, and television sensors, such aircraft become the "eyes and ears" of militaries around the world that are capable of deploying them. In the case of AWACS, the aircraft are either specially designed and built for such roles or have their equipment 'loaded' on to modified transport, airliner or bomber platforms.

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are designed from scratch, and in appearance tend to resemble aircraft from the very early days of aviation, when aircraft design was dependent on the whims and fancies of aviation pioneers. Recent versions have tended to be more streamlined in design, and are extremely sophisticated in their capabilities.

The long endurance qualities of UAVs make them very useful replacements for manned aircraft, from which they are expected to increasingly take over surveillance responsibilities. They are also finding new use in civilian areas, as in spotting and controlling forest fires and in border patrol.

Transport: Transport aircraft are primarily used to ferry troops, equipment and materiel. Aerial tankers can refuel fighters and bombers, while in flight, thereby extending their operational range.