Military aircraft represent the pinnacle of high technology and they're an indispensable
part of modern fighting forces. Air superiority or the ability to control the airspace over
a battlefield is a fundamental part of military strategy. Today's air forces deploy a wide
range of specialized aircraft to carry out specific missions including surveillance,
bombing, and fighting. So here are 10 of the top military planes up in the sky.
Killer Drone
The MQ-1 Predator is probably the weapon system most associated with the Global War on Terror.
Officially the are referred to as remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles,
but long ago "drone" became the common term used by most military personnel and civilians
alike. Originally these drones were designed for surveillance and forward observations
missions, but their potential as a weapon system soon became clear. The Predator and
other armed drones have been used with impressive and terrifying results over many battlefields
including Iraq, Afghanistan, and Yemen. With pilots sitting in a room hundreds of miles
from the battlefield, Predators can launch missiles at enemy targets with no risk to
the airmen. These relatively cheap aircraft become the bane of any enemy, as that enemy
never know when one of these killers will appear in the skies overhead. The standoff
push-button nature of these weapons has made them controversial in some circles. This seems
odd in a world of increasing automation and artificial intelligence. Since the Predator
was first deployed almost two decades ago many advances have been made in drone technology
including more powerful weapons and sensors and even stealth technology that make them
very difficult for an enemy to defend against.
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Fortress In The Sky
Most of the top military planes are sleek jets that streak through the sky as speeds
approaching the sound barrier. The B-52 Stratofortress is not one of these planes. This venerable
workhorse of the United States Air Force had its maiden flight back in April 1954. The
massive jet plane has a wingspan of 185 feet and is 159 feet long. As a heavy bomber, it
is capable of carrying a payload of up to 70,00 pounds. The Stratofortress can carry
a wide range of deadly munitions including "dumb" gravity bombs, GPS and laser-guided
"smart" bombs and cruise missiles. Since their debut during the Cold War B-52s have also
regularly trained to carry and deliver nuclear bombs over enemy targets. Because this plane
is relatively slow the crew of 5 airmen relies on the plane's ability to fly at over 50,000
feet to stay out of harm's way. To make sure the bomber get through, however, fighter escorts
would likely accompany the bombers on high-risk missions over targets where they would be
in danger of getting shot down. Although not as glamorous as jet fighters this bomber has
more than made up for it with decades of reliable service that has saved many American lives
on battlefields around the world. The B-52 has been flying since the first decade of
the Cold War and with regular modifications and upgrades, it will likely be flying for
decades to come.
It's Raining Bullets
The A-10 Thunderbolt is a unique aircraft among military jets because instead of a plane
with weapons added to it the A-10 was conceived essentially as a giant gun with warplane built
around it. This armored ground attack plane is also known as the Warthog because it is
not known for sleek lines and graceful maneuvers, but for ugly, brute force. Although it often
carries a mix of missiles and bombs, this plane's brute force is mainly provided by
the plane's 30x173 mm GAU-8/A Avenger auto-cannon. This is the Air Force's way of saying it's
a really scary gun that can do a lot of damage. This impressive cannon fires large depleted
uranium armor-piercing shells that can devastate most armored vehicles. These impressive rounds
were designed to penetrate the armor of Soviet tanks in the event that the Cold War turned
hot in Europe. The A-10's effectiveness was demonstrated during the 1991 fight against
Saddam Hussein's armored forces during Operation Desert Sword. Much faster and more advanced
jets continue to come into service, but the A-10 remains a reliable and comforting weapon
that infantry units love to see flying over the battlefield. They have nearly been retired
from service several times, but their effectiveness will likely keep them flying well in the next
decade.
Might As Well Jump
Combat aircraft have been flying since World War One and one of their weaknesses are that
most of them need a fairly long runway to be effective. Finally, a British company developed
a revolutionary airplane in 1969 capable of vertical takeoffs and landings. These so-called
jump jets opened up the possibility of operating from smaller ships at sea and primitive landing
zones much as a helicopter is able to do. But this capability doesn't come cheap in
terms of cost and performance and they simply can't match up with more conventional planes
like the F-22 Raptor. The American Marine Corps took an interest in them and flies a
version called the AV-8B Harrier. The USMC flies them from the decks of amphibious assault
ships and uses them in a ground attack role much like the Air Force uses the A-10 Thunderbolt.
Because of their unique ability to take off and land vertically, they had to trade off
other capabilities. These planes usually carry a smaller payload and are not as fast as conventional
aircraft. Nevertheless, these warplanes have performed well in combat have earned the right
to fly with the other top military planes. In the long term, they are slated to be replaced
by a variant of the American F-35 Lightning.
A Dragon Takes Flight
The Chengdu J-20 Stealth fighter made its public debut at an airshow in 2016 and it
officially deployed with Chinese Air Force units in February of 2018. Many aviation analysts
are wondering how China's 5th generation stealth fighter will stack up against America's top
military planes like the F-35 and the F-22. Some analysts have concluded, based on what's
publicly available about the J-20, that it doesn't quite measure up - at least not yet.
The J-20's engines are believed to be inadequate for the size and weight of the fighter and
its stealth capabilities are not at the level of the F-22. One possible solution for these
issues involves the Russians. China has purchased some of Russia's advanced fighters and some
observers believe China intends to harvest the technology from these planes in order
to improve their own technology. Like the F-35 Lightning, the Chinese Air Force wants
the J-20 to fulfill multiple roles as a fighter and interceptor and as a ground attack plane.
Some analysts have contended that although the J-20 is impressive on paper they doubt
that its actual performance will be able to live up to the hype - at least in the short
term. Experts will continue to study the new plane and continue to assess its capabilities
as it evolves. It's true value, however, will only be known if or when it's used in combat.
Bat Wing
The F-117 Nighthawk is a cool looking plane that could be mistaken for Batman's Batwing,
but developers were concerned that the Air Force's best pilots wouldn't want to fly the
strange looking plane. Although the F-117 is in fact designed as and used as a bomber,
it was designated a "Fighter" by its creators. This ploy was used to help coax skeptical
pilots who wanted to fly fighters into giving the ungainly machine a try. The plane is not
built for speed or maneuverability it is built to trick radar operators into thinking what
they're seeing on their screens isn't a plane. The F-117 took advantage of all the state
of the art technology of its day including metallurgy, electronics and even the chemical
composition of paint to thwart enemy radar. However, it is the plane's strange shape with
its many angles that reduce its radar signature. This diamond shape means that only small amounts
of radar energy are reflected back to the radar operative at any given moment so it
would look like a flock of birds on the screen, but not a bomber. The Nighthawk debuted during
the 1991 Gulf War, flying at night over Baghdad to hit sensitive regime targets despite heavy
anti-aircraft defenses designed by the Soviet Union. While this plane had a remarkable record
it was eventually replaced by the bigger and even stealthier B-2 bombers that still fly
missions to this day.
Lightning Strikes
The F-35 Lightning has been criticized from the get-go as too expensive and too complex
to be a viable replacement for some of the U.S. military's aging squadrons. From the
beginning, this plan was designed to replace several different planes. When this happens
is still a question, but versions of the F-35 have been deployed since 2006. Like the F-22
the F-35 maintains its stealth capabilities when fully armed and fuelled because both
are stored internally. There are three main variations of the jet. The standard version
is flown by the Air Force and can carry a heavy load of missiles and bombs. The Navy
variation of this plane has been fitted with a tail hook so they can take off and land
on the deck of an aircraft carrier. The Marine Corps version is capable of vertical takeoffs
and landings. And the USMC version usually is deployed aboard amphibious assault ships
and, much like the aging Harrier, will be able to operate from primitive landing strips.
The F-35 is a compromise between stealth, power, and weapons which makes it a versatile
aircraft. However, it has also made it controversial because some analysts believe this type of
design resulted in a less effective jet than otherwise could have been built. These analysts
point to the F-22 as an example of what can be achieved. This criticism could prove to
be unfair and only time and its performance in combat will reveal its true worth.
Death From Above
Military technology is a long way from developing an actual cloaking device that can make aircraft
disappear like we are used to in science fiction movies. However, until we really can make
things invisible the B-2 Spirit Bomber is a pretty good substitute. Unlike the F-117
with its harsh angles and straight edges, the B-2 uses smooth surfaces and top secret
materials to hide from the searching signals of enemy radar systems. Work on the B-2 Spirit
got underway during the Carter administration in the late 1970's, but the stealth bomber
didn't make its first flight until Reagan's second term in 1989. It remains the only true
stealth bomber in the world and the U.S. Air Force has plans on the drawing board to replace
the B-2 with an even more advanced plane. The B-2 can carry a range of different payloads
including up to 80 500 lb. GPS guided bombs or 16 nukes. Only 20 of this amazing piece
of technology were built due to the end of the Cold War and their high cost which is
reportedly a little over a billion dollars per plane. With aerial refueling the B-2 has
nearly unlimited range and routinely flies to targets several thousand miles from its
base. The Spirit has had a nearly perfect operational record since it was first deployed
during the Kosovo War in 1999. It has since seen combat deployments over dangerous places
like Iraq and Afghanistan.
This Blackbird Sings
If there's a trophy for coolest plane ever than the SR-71 probably ought to get it. This
formidable looking jet was retired from military service years ago, but it still looks ahead
of its time hurtling through the atmosphere more like a starfighter from a movie than
a plane. The SR-71 Blackbird made its first flight in 1964 and was a highly effective
spy plane during the height of the Cold War with the Soviet Union. It was sent on dangerous
missions over sensitive targets like Soviet missile bases. The plane didn't carry any
weapons and relied on its truly impressive speed of Mach 3 that allowed it to outrun
any other plane in the air. The sleek design was an early attempt at stealth to evade enemy
radar. And the plane's dark blue paint (not black despite its name) also helped to deflect
radar signals. This combination of speed and stealth made it very difficult for surface
to air missiles to track and acquire the Blackbird. By the time the enemy radars locked on to
it, the SR-71 was streaking out of range of the missiles. These capabilities proved to
be very effective and no Blackbird was ever shot down during their more than 20 years
of service. Although aircraft technology has evolved greatly since the Blackbird's day
this formidable weapon still ranks as one of the top military planes ever.
Birds of Prey
The F-22 Raptor is the U.S. Air Force's premier 5th generation tactical air superiority fighter.
The Air Force considers this fighter to be superior to all enemy fighters currently deployed
or in development. The plane's advanced stealth capabilities, avionics, and aerodynamic performance
make it the most deadly fighter ever flown. However, its high cost and the fact that it
has no peers to challenge it convinced Congress to limit the plane's production to only 187
aircraft. With Russia and China aggressively rearming, this decision could soon be seen
as very short-sighted. Some critics of the F-22 argue that the F-35 is a good alternative
to the more pricey F-22. While the F-35 is indeed a fine aircraft, it seems odd to deny
the military the very best weapons that are available to them. Many politicians seem to
have calculated that a major war will not break out any time soon and the awesome capabilities
of the F-22 will not be needed. We hope this is true, but it seems a little short-sighted
for a national security policy. In the meantime, this plane made its first combat deployment
over Syria in 2014. Although the Raptor flew a number of bombing missions and at least
one close air support mission, its primary role was reconnaissance. For now, at least,
the F-22 is the top military plane in the world.
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