Strike fighter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A strike fighter is a fighter aircraft which is also capable of attacking surface targets, including ships. It differs from an attack aircraft in that the aircraft remains a capable fighter. Previously, an airstrike on a ground target would usually involve bombers, defended by fighters. Strike-fighters can attack targets unaided, while remaining maneuverable and well-equipped enough to defend themselves.
The term ‘strike fighter’ is almost synonymous with the term ‘fighter-bomber’, first seeing usage in the 1950s to describe a new generation of attack aircraft like the Blackburn Firebrand. The term can be considered more politically correct, as bomber aircraft can be portrayed as dropping bombs indiscriminately over a target area. Precision attacks are commonly termed ‘surgical strikes’, a term that implies extremely accurate modern weapons and intelligence.
The Panavia Tornado, for example, was originally known as a fighter-bomber, and later became a strike fighter. The Tornado strike fighter is designated IDS, meaning ‘Interdiction/Strike’. IDS is the European equivalent of the US F/A designation. The term fighter-bomber remains in use when describing the Tornado, however, because it falls into an arbitrary class of older, slower, and less maneuverable strike fighters.
Recently, the term has become blurred. The F-117 Nighthawk is often referred to as a strike fighter, although it has no air-to-air capability and is therefore a pure attack aircraft. The F-22 Raptor was designated a F/A-22 between 2003 and 2005, implying a Fighter/Attack role, though it has since been returned to a fighter designation.
The latest generation of strike fighters are the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and Eurofighter Typhoon, though current European parlance describes the Typhoon as a 'swing-role' aircraft. The F-35 Lightning II program is designing a multirole fighter with ground attack capability.
[edit] Popular culture
Strike Fighter is also the name of a Sega arcade game simulating an F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter, this game is a spiritual successor to the earlier After Burner series and its semi-sequel, G-LOC: Air Battle.
The Tornado fighter is also currently in use of the RAF (Royal Air Force). It also has a major role in all operations which require a quick strike, either on land or in the air.
