This page lists the aerial units operated by the USA in the real-time strategy PC game Command & Conquer Generals and its expansion pack Zero Hour. The United States Air Force operates these planes and helicopters to achieve air superiority over GLA and Chinese opponents. Unless otherwise stated all US aircraft appearing in the expansion pack Zero Hour can be upgraded to release countermeasure flares, which help fool enemy anti-aircraft guided missiles, but have no effect on AA guns. Age of Empires (1997), Invasion of an enemy A real-time strategy (RTS) game is a type of computer game characterised by being in real-time being a wargame (strategic) featuring resource gathering featuring base building technology development using direct control over individual units Thus, RTS titles are strategy wargames... The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aerospace branch of the United States armed forces. ... Air superiority is the dominance in the air power of one side air forces of another side during a military campaign. ... A WWI-era parachute flare dropped from aircraft for illumination. ... A guided missile is a military rocket that can be directed in flight to change its flight path. ... American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline in 1943 Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging military aircraft in combat from the ground. ...

Combat aircraft

These aircraft are designed to carry and fire some type of ordnance at enemy targets.

F-22 Raptor

F-22 Raptors in Zero Hour

One of the most technologically-advanced fighter aircraft in the game is the F-22 Raptor, which can engage both air and ground targets. The F-22 can be upgraded to carry and use laser-guided munitions, which increase strike damage. Presumably in the name of game-balance, this aircraft bears no "stealth" features unlike its real-life namesake. Although effective for most air operations, the F-22 is vulnerable against non-missile weaponry, making these units somewhat harder to use against Chinese gatling guns and GLA Quad Cannons.
Image File history File links USA_Raptors_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_Raptors_(C&CG). ... An A-10 Thunderbolt II, F-86 Sabre, P-38 Lightning and P-51 Mustang fly in formation during an air show at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. ... The F-22 Raptor is a stealth fighter aircraft built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. ... BOLT-117 laser guided bomb Precision-guided munitions (smart munitions or smart bombs) are self-guiding weapons intended to maximize damage to the target while minimizing collateral damage. Because the damage effects of an explosive weapon scale as a power law with distance, quite modest improvements in accuracy (and hence... B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. ... ...

F-117 Nighthawk

A quartet of US F-117s in Zero Hour

Long associated with the might of the US Air Force, the F-117 Nighthawk is classified as a stealth fighter but mostly used as a bomber. To obtain them a General's point must be expended, but once done they can be built for the remainder of the round. The plane is normally hidden from view and can only be seen if detected by specialized units or performing an attack run. In addition to laser-guided munition upgrades, the payload can be further upgraded with dramatic bunker buster bombs.
Image File history File links USA_Stealth_Fighters_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_Stealth_Fighters_(C&CG). ... The Lockheed F-117A Nighthawk is the worlds first operational aircraft completely designed around stealth technology. ... A bunker buster bomb is designed to penetrate hardened targets or targets buried deep underground. ...

Aurora Bomber

A qaurtet of US Aurora Bombers in Zero Hour

A tactical bomber, the Aurora carries a single large bomb as its payload. The Aurora on its way to the target flies at hypersonic speeds, allowing it to evade all enemy anti-aircraft weaponry. Once the payload is delivered, the Aurora decelerates considerably and becomes an easy target for the AA weapons that it so easily flew past earlier. The official explanation given is that the Aurora expends most of its fuel performing the high-speed attack run and cuts back once the bomb is dropped in order to conserve fuel for the trip home. Image File history File links USA_Aurora_Bombers_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_Aurora_Bombers_(C&CG). ... A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... In aerodynamics, hypersonic speeds are speeds that are highly supersonic. ...

It should be noted that this unit is conceptualized with a great deal of artistic licence. In real-life, the mysterious Aurora aircraft is reputedly an extreme-speed surveillance aircraft in development since the 1980's, flying so fast it would have been impossible to shoot down. There is no virtually no verifiable public knowledge of its appearance, armament (if any at all), or even its existence.
Artistic licence or license (US), also known as dramatic license/licence, is a colloquial term used to denote the distortion or complete ignorance of fact, or the changing of an established work that an artist may undertake in the name of art — for example, if an artist decided it was... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... English Electric Canberra PR.9 photo reconnaissance aircraft CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft of the Canadian Air Force. ...

A-10 Thunderbolt II

US A-10 Thunderbolt II’s in Zero Hour

A heavily-armoured close air support plane, the A-10 Thunderbolt II is among the most durable planes in the game. These aircraft are only available through the expenditure of General's Points as special abilities; one point for one craft, two points for two, three points for all three. When activated they enter the map from off-screen, usually around the area closest to where the player's command center is located, and proceed to their designated target. Upon reaching the target the planes will dive, firing their GAU-8 Avenger gatling cannons and launching all missiles. Image File history File links USA_A-10_Thunderbolt_II_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_A-10_Thunderbolt_II_(C&CG). ... Close air support (often abbreviated CAS) is the use of military aircraft in a ground attack role against targets in close proximity to friendly troops, in support of ground combat operations. ... A-10 Thunderbolt II USAF A-10A Thunderbolt II USAF A-10 Thunderbolt from 1975 The only twin seat A-10 created. ... The GAU-8 Avenger The General Electric GAU-8/A Avenger is a 30 mm, seven-barrel Gatling gun that is mounted on the United States Air Forces A-10 Thunderbolt II. It is the largest, heaviest and most powerful purpose-built aircraft cannon in the United States military...

These units can withstand a good deal of punishment like their real-life counterparts and their durability is further enhanced by countermeasure upgrades. A full-strength A-10 strike can demolish most buildings in a single run, and this special ability is somewhat reminiscent of the GDI A-10 strikes in the first C&C game.

B-52 Stratofortress

A B-52 in Zero Hour

A slow, lumbering strategic bomber, the B-52 Stratofortress is used to drop a Fuel Air Explosive onto enemy targets. In its other role the B-52 can conduct tactical carpet bombing runs; however, this role is only available in the solo-player campaign, and even then they emerge from off-screen and remain under automatic control. They can absorb a significant amount of punishment before they are shot down, but this advantage is offset by their low speed. Image File history File links USA_B-52_Bomber_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_B-52_Bomber_(C&CG). ... A strategic bomber is a large aircraft designed to drop large amounts of ordnance on a distant target for the purposes of debilitating an enemys capacity to wage war. ... The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is a long-range eight-engined strategic bomber flown by the United States Air Force (USAF) since 1954, replacing the Convair B-36 and the Boeing B-47. ... Thermobaric weapons distinguish themselves from conventional weapons by using atmospheric oxygen, instead of carrying an oxidizer in their explosives. ... The phrases area bombing and carpet bombing refer to the use of very large numbers of unguided gravity bombs, often with high proportion of incendiary bombs, to attempt the complete destruction of a target region, either to destroy personnel and materiel, or as a means to demoralize the enemy (see...

It should be noted that for their primary role, the icon is inaccurate as it depicts a BLU-82 Daisy Cutter, which is not a true FAE. A true FAE must use atmospheric oxygen, while the BLU-82 instead carries and relies on an onboard oxidizing agent. Additionally, the provided map editor reveals that the weapon is indeed referred to as a Daisy Cutter (specifically daisycuttergas), with additional confirmation from the INI.big file.
A 15,000lb BLU-82/B on display at the USAF museum Note: Though commonly called daisy cutter, Daisy Cutter actually refers to the fuse extender on the nose of the bomb. ... General Name, Symbol, Number oxygen, O, 8 Chemical series Nonmetals, chalcogens Group, Period, Block 16, 2, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 15. ... European Union Chemical hazard symbol for oxidizing agents Dangerous goods label for oxidising agents An oxidizing agent is a compound that oxidizes another substance in electrochemistry or redox chemical reactions. ...

B-2 Spirit

A US B-2 Spirit in Zero Hour

Exclusive to Zero Hour, the B-2 Spirit is a flying wing bomber that is used to drop the mighty GBU-43 Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, referred to in-game as the MOAB. A curiosity should be noted at this point: While the text within the game calls it the B-2 Spirit, examination of the game model itself reveals (albeit normally hidden) underside markings that state B-3, with the reasoning for this odd numbering unknown. For the sake of convenience, the plane will be called by what the in-game text calls it, but one may wish to note its strange designation all the same. Image File history File links USA_B-3_Bomber_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_B-3_Bomber_(C&CG). ... Northrop YB-49 flying wing. ... The Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb (MOAB) (also known as the Mother Of All Bombs) is a large-yield conventional bomb developed by the United States military by Albert L. Weimorts Jr. ... The United States Air Force is the only air force that operates the B-2 Spirit. ...

The plane exists officially as an upgrade to the B-52 Stratofortress; to receive it a player must first expend a General's point purchasing the FAE special ability, and upgrade it to the MOAB at the USA Strategy Center. The 4-Star Air Force General Granger in Zero Hour also uses the B-2 as a carpet bomber in one of his General Powers. Aside from the MOAB and Carpet Bomb Powers, the only time it was observed with an alternative loadout in the single-player campaign was when it dropped six massive bombs (which probably contained napalm) on a GLA camp, prior to the arrival of Colonel Burton and his men in the third USA Zero Hour mission.

Unlike its real-life counterpart, it displays no stealth capabilities whatsoever and is easily seen and attacked by AA weaponry, but fares better at battlefield longevity than the B-52 as it flies faster. The bomber makes a dramatic entrance in the first American Zero Hour mission, swooping in from the north and obliterating the entire Baikonur Cosmodrome's launch area with a single MOAB. The Baikonur Cosmodrome (Kazakh: Байқоңыр ғарыш айлағы, Bayqoñır ğarış aylağı; Russian: Космодром Байконур, Kosmodrom Baykonur), also called Tyuratam, is the worlds oldest and largest working space launch facility. ... A spaceport is a site for launching spacecraft, by analogy with airport for aircraft. ...

Spectre Gunship

A US Spectre Gunship in Zero Hour

Based on the United States Air Forces Lockheed AC-130 Gunship, the Spectre is vastly different from the real thing. It is a swing-wing, jet engine-propelled design that travels at high-speed with a huge afterburner-style flame at the rear. The wings unsweep and the flame disappears when the Spectre slows down upon reaching the target, at which point it begins to circle a selected area and pound it with high-caliber gatling guns and a howitzer. Image File history File links USA_Spectre_Gunship_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_Spectre_Gunship_(C&CG). ... An AC-130, illustrating the port-side armament. ... A swing-wing is a type of pivoted wing planform that attempts to combine the advantages of a swept wing at high speeds, while avoiding its problems at lower speeds. ... A Pratt and Whitney turbofan engine for the F-15 Eagle is tested at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, USA. The tunnel behind the engine muffles noise and allows exhaust to escape. ... For other uses of afterburner, see Afterburner (disambiguation). ... The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod, also common for handguns. ... Loading a WW1 British 15 in (381 mm) howitzer A howitzer or hauwitzer is a type of field artillery. ...

This unit is only avaliable in Zero Hour through the expenditure of a General's Point, and its operating time on the battlefield can be extended if extra points are spent to upgrade it to Levels 2 and 3. Unlike the automated units usually operated for special abilities, the player can control the Spectre's targetting within the given area it is circling.

Comanche

A Commanche in Zero Hour

The only combat helicopter in the US arsenal is the RAH-66 Comanche, its primary armaments are the 20mm XM301 and a self-replenishing complement of AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The Comanche can be upgraded with Hydra 70 rocket pods, which allows it to pummel an area with them every once in a while.
Image File history File links USA_Commanche_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_Commanche_(C&CG). ... The Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche was an advanced U.S. Army military helicopter intended for the armed reconnaissance role, incorporating stealth techniques. ... AGM-114 Hellfire Type Air-To-Ground Missile Nationality United States Era Cold War Launch platform Helicopter, UAV Target armored vehicles History Builder Lockheed Martin Date of design   Production period   Service duration   Operators See main text Variants See main text Number built   Specifications Type   Diameter 17. ... Hydra 70 missiles on a helicopter platform The Hydra 70 rocket is a weapon derived from the 2. ...

Non Combat Units

These are units that are not designed to directly engage in combat, but are nonetheless important.

Cargo Plane

A Cargo Plane in Zero Hour

The Cargo plane is based on the US C-130 Hercules tactical airlifter. This plane is responsible for regular supply delivery to USA Supply Drop Zones and for deploying paratroopers. These units are fast and resonably well armoured; although they mount no weapon of their own they are vital to maintaining cash flow after all supply piles on a given map have been exhausted.
Image File history File links USA_Cargo_Plane_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_Cargo_Plane_(C&CG). ... Lockheed C-130H Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop aircraft that serves as the main tactical airlifter for military forces worldwide. ... An American Paratrooper using a MC1-B series parachute Paratroopers are soldiers trained in parachuting and generally operate as part of an airborne force. ...

Chinook

A Chinook in Zero Hour

The CH-47 Chinook is a twin-rotor transport helicopter responsible for collection from supply piles. In their secondary role, they can move infantry and vehicles across the map, and if loaded with United States Army Rangers can neutralize a garrisoned building by using the Combat Drop ability (in which Rangers would rappel down from the Chinook on ropes) on the building in question. Image File history File links USA_Chinook_(C&CG). ... Image File history File links USA_Chinook_(C&CG). ... A Royal Air Force Chinook A field artillery section slingloading a M-198 howitzer for airlift by a CH-47 Chinook The CH-47 Chinook is a versatile, twin-engine, tandem rotor heavy-lift helicopter. ... R0t0r is from efnet ... The 75th Ranger Regiment —also known as the United States Army Rangers— is a special operations force of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC); with headquarters in Fort Benning, Georgia. ...