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Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of combating military aircraft from the ground. Various guns and cannon have been used in this role since the first military aircraft were used in World War I, growing in power and accuracy over the years. Starting in the post-World War II era the guns were joined by the guided missile, specifically the "surface-to-air missile", and today both are used in combination in most roles. Download high resolution version (776x611, 80 KB) American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline, 1943. ...
Download high resolution version (776x611, 80 KB) American troops man an anti-aircraft gun near the Algerian coastline, 1943. ...
1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ...
An aircraft is any machine capable of atmospheric flight. ...
A small cast-iron cannon on a carriage A cannon is any large tubular firearm designed to fire a heavy projectile over a considerable distance. ...
Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...
Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...
A guided missile is a military rocket that can be directed in flight to change its flight path. ...
A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ...
Adaptations of standard artillery systems were commonly used for most long-range anti-aircraft artillery, starting with standard pieces on new mountings, and evolving to custom guns with much higher performance prior to World War II. Their shells are usually fitted with different types of fuses (barometric (air pressure), time-delay, or proximity) to send exploding "flak" into a specified area. The classic example of a large, long-range anti-aircraft gun is the German 88 mm gun. Long range weapons of this sort were replaced outright with the introduction of missile systems in the 1950s. Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...
The German eighty-eight was likely the best known, even famous, artillery piece of World War II. It was not one gun, but a series of anti-aircraft guns officially called the 8. ...
For shorter-range work a lighter weapon with a higher rate of fire is required, to guarantee a hit on a quickly traversing target. Weapons of 20 mm, 37 mm and 40 mm have been widely used in this role. Unlike the heavier guns, these smaller weapons are still in widespread use today for the same reasons as they were originally introduced, that missile systems cannot traverse or react fast enough to targets that are manuvering close to the ground. Modern systems often use weapons originally intended for air-to-ground use, and are known as autocannon. The very latest of short-range missiles appear to be able to replace guns even in this role. The Rate of fire is the speed at which a specific firearm can operate. ...
M242 Bushmaster autocannon on an M2 Bradley. ...
Nicknames for anti-aircraft guns include AAA or triple-A for anti-aircraft artillery, ack-ack (from the World War I phonetic alphabet for AA), archie (a WWI British term believed to derive via the Royal Flying Corps from the music-hall comedian George Robey's line "Archibald, certainly not!"), and flak (from the German Flugzeugabwehrkanone, aircraft defense cannon). An anti-aircraft missile is an alternate name for a surface-to-air missile. A different kind of phonetic alphabet is the International Phonetic Alphabet. ...
The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of World War I. Origin and Early History Formed by Royal Warrant on May 13, 1912, the RFC superseded the Air Battalion of the Royal Engineers. ...
Music Hall is a form of British theatrical entertainment which reached its peak of popularity between 1850 and 1960. ...
The U.S. Navy uses the acronym AAW to stand for anti-air warfare; most groups of ships will have a designated AAW commander among them. In the Russian Army, Air Defense is a separate armed service, reflecting its extreme importance in Russian doctrine. The United States Army has disdained air defense for ground units, counting on achieving air superiority. This has left a gap in American military equipment between the man-portable Stinger and the theater anti-missile system Patriot. The United States Navy (USN) is the branch of the United States armed forces responsible for naval operations. ...
The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...
Two soldiers preparing to fire a shoulder-mounted Stinger missile launcher Light to carry and easy to operate, the FIM-92 Stinger is a passive infrared homing/seek surface-to-air missile, shoulder-fired by a single operator and designed to attack aircraft at a range of up to 15...
Four Patriot missiles like the one shown here can be fired from this mobile launcher between loadings. ...
History
Earliest use The earliest known use of weapons specifically made for the anti-aircraft role occurred during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870. After the disaster at Sedan, Paris was besieged and French troops outside the city started an attempt at resupply via balloon. Krupp quickly modified a 1 pounder (20 mm) gun to be mounted on top of a horse-drawn carriage for the purpose of shooting down these balloons. Very little information on this weapon has been published. The Franco-Prussian War (July 19, 1870 – May 10, 1871) was fought between France and Prussia (backed by the North German Confederation) allied with the south German states of Baden, Bavaria and Württemberg. ...
1870 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...
Battle of Sedan Conflict Franco-Prussian War Date September 2, 1870 Place Sedan, France Result Decisive German victory The Battle of Sedan was fought during the Franco-Prussian War on September 1-2, 1870. ...
The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...
Balloons are a type of lighter than air aircraft that remain aloft due to their buoyancy. ...
The Krupp family is a prominent 400-year-old German family from Essen, famous for their steel production and manufacture of ammunition and armaments. ...
World War I Given this early history, it is perhaps not surprising that it was only in Germany that development of anti-aircraft guns continued. In 1909 a number of Krupp's designs were shown, including adaptations of their 65 mm 9-pounder, a 75 mm 12-pounder, and even a 105 mm gun. By the start of World War I the 75 mm had become the standard German weapon, and came mounted on a large traverse that could be easily picked up on a wagon for movement. 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...
Ypres, 1917, in the vicinity of the Battle of Passchendaele. ...
Other countries involved seem to have largely ignored the possibility of aircraft being an important part of the hostilities, but this soon changed when German spotter aircraft started calling down increasingly accurate artillery fire. All armies soon deployed a number of guns based on their smaller field pieces, notably the French 75 mm and Russian 76.2 mm, typically simply propped up on some sort of embankment to get the muzzle pointed skyward. The British Army decided on an entirely new weapon, and deployed a 3 inch (76 mm) gun that was perhaps the best of the bunch. Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...
The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British military. ...
In general these ad-hoc solutions proved largely useless. With little experience in the role, and no ability to spot the "fall" of their rounds with accuracy, gunners proved unable to get the altitude correct and most rounds fell well below their targets. The exception to this rule were the guns protecting spotting balloons, in which case the altitude could be accurately measured from the length of the cable holding the balloon. The Krupp guns were later supplied with an optical sighting system and soon improved their capabilities, but these sorts of systems were not deployed by other forces.
As aircraft started to be used in tactical roles against ground targets, these larger weapons proved too ponderous to aim at the quickly moving targets. Soon the forces were adding various machine gun based weapons mounted on poles, and the British also introduced another new weapon based on their 1-pounder "pom-pom" (a 20 mm belt-fed gun). These short-range weapons proved more deadly, and the Red Baron arguably fell victim to an anti-aircraft Vickers gun. A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...
Red Baron may refer to: Manfred von Richthofen, World War I flying ace Red Baron, a popular computer game This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
The Vickers corporation, founded as the Vickers company in 1828, was a British manufacturer, primarily of military equipment. ...
When the war ended it was clear that the increasing capabilities of aircraft would require a much more serious attempt at downing them. Nevertheless the pattern had been set: anti-aircraft weapons would be based around heavy weapons attacking high-altitude targets and lighter weapons for use when they came to lower altitudes.
World War II World War I had proven that the aircraft was an important part of the battlefield. As the capabilities of aircraft improved, and more specificially their engines, it was clear that their role in future combat would be even more critical as their warload grew. Many felt that the higher speeds and altitudes would render anti-aircraft systems useless, and little effort was put into improving systems.
So once again only Germany that seriously considered what to do about this. They developed a number of new anti-aircraft weapons in the late 1920s and early 1930s, often in collaboration with Swiss and Swedish companies, including a new rapid-fire 20 mm gun for low-altitude work, and a 37 mm gun for low and medium altitudes. By the mid-1930s the 20 mm was considered to be too low power against the increasingly fast planes, but instead of introducing a new gun, Krupps managed to squeeze four of the existing 20 mm guns onto a single carriage of about the same weight. By the end of the war Germany had essentially given up on the 20 mm as lacking punch. It was never cleanly replaced however; the 37 mm was available in limited numbers, and a new dual-30 mm system based on the MK 103 aircraft gun was never put into widespread use. Sometimes referred to as the Roaring Twenties or the Jazz Age. ...
Events and trends Technology Jet engine invented First atom was split with a particle accelerator Golden Age of radio begins in U.S. Disney adopts a three-color Technicolor process for cartoons First Kit Kat in UK The photocopier is invented by Carlson Air mail service across the Atlantic Science...
Their high-altitude needs were originally going to be filled by a 75 mm gun from Krupp, designed in collaboration with their Swedish counterpart Bofors, but the specifications were later amended to require much higher performance. In response Krupp's engineers presented a new 88 mm gun design, the Flak 18. The eighty-eight would go on to become one of the most famous artillery pieces in history. First used in Spain during the Spanish Civil War, the gun proved to be one of the best anti-aircraft guns in the world, as well as particularly deadly against tanks. It is in this later role that it became most widely known, the bane of allied tank crews everywhere. Bofors was an iron works, cannon maker, and defence industry located in Sweden. ...
The German eighty-eight was likely the best known, even famous, artillery piece of World War II. It was not one gun, but a series of anti-aircraft guns officially called the 8. ...
Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...
History of Spain Series -Timeline -Roman Spain -Visigothic Spain -Moorish Spain -Age of Reconquest -Age of Expansion -Age of Enlightenment -Reaction and Revolution -First Spanish Republic -The Restoration -Second Spanish Republic -Spanish Civil War -The Dictatorship -Modern Spain Topics -Economic History -Military History -Social History The Spanish Civil War (July...
After the Dambusters raid in 1943 an entirely new system was developed that was required to knock down any low-flying aircraft with a single hit. The first attempt to produce such a system used a 50 mm gun, but this proved inaccurate and a new 55 mm gun replaced it. The system used a centralized control system including both search and targeting radar, which calculated the aim point for the guns after considering windage and ballisitics, the commands were then sent to the guns which used hydraulics to point themselves at high speeds. Operators simply fed the guns and selected the targets. This system, modern even by today's standards, was in late development when the war ended. Operation Chastise was the official name for the attacks on German dams on May 17, 1943 in World War II using a specially developed bouncing bomb. The attack was carried out by Royal Air Force No. ...
1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ...
Hydraulics is a branch of science and engineering concerned with the use of liquids to perform mechanical tasks. ...
In the late 1920s the Swedish Navy had ordered the development of a 40 mm naval anti-aircraft gun from the Bofors company. The new gun proved to be light, fast and reliable, and a mobile version on a four wheel carriage was soon developed. Known simply as the 40 mm, it was adopted by some 17 different nations just before WWII and is still in use today in some applications such as on coast guard frigates. The Swedish Navy (Swedish: Marinen) is the naval branch of the Swedish Armed Forces. ...
Bofors was an iron works, cannon maker, and defence industry located in Sweden. ...
40 mm Bofors Polish-made Bofors gun after the Battle of Bzura The Bofors 40 mm gun is a famous autocannon designed by the Swedish firm of Bofors. ...
At the start of the war Britain had started a slow upgrade to their own systems, including a new 90 mm gun in addition to their existing WWI-era 3" guns. Both were delivered with optical sighting systems for ranging. At the small-end of the scale a number of 20 mm designs were used, but testing showed, as Germany had discovered, that these weapons were of little use against modern aircraft.
Their solution was the introduction into service of the 40 mm Bofors gun. These had the power to knock down aircraft of any size, yet were light enough to be mobile and easily swung. The gun became so important to the British war effort that they even produced a movie, The Gun, in order to make workers on the assembly line work harder. The drawings were also handed over to the Americans who illegally copied the 40 mm gun during the war.
Service trials demonstrated another problem however, that the problem of ranging and tracking the new high-speed targets was almost impossible – at shorter ranges the "lead" required (aiming in front of the target because it is moving) is so small that it can be done manually, and at very long ranges the apparent speed is so slow that existing manual calculators were good enough. For the ranges and speeds that the Bofors worked at neither solution was good enough.
The solution was automation, in the form of a mechanical computer, the Kerrison Predictor. Operators kept it pointed at the target, and the Predictor then calculated the proper aim point automatically and displayed it as a pointer mounted on the gun. The gun operators simply followed the pointer and loaded the shells. The Kerrison was fairly simple, but it pointed the way to future generations which incorporated radar for ranging, and then tracking. Automation (ancient Greek: = self dictated) or Industrial Automation is the use of computers to control industrial machinery and processes, replacing human operators. ...
The Kerrison Predictor was one of the first fully-automated anti-aircraft predictors, fire control systems which would attempt to predict the correct aim at a plane based on simple inputs like the observed speed and angle to the target. ...
This long range radar antenna (approximately 40m (130ft) in diameter) rotates on a track to observe activities near the horizon. ...
Although they receive little attention, US Army anti-aircraft systems were actually quite good. Their smaller tactical needs were filled with quad-mounted 50 calibre (12.7 mm) machine guns, which were often mounted on the back of a half-track to form the Half Track M16, Anti-Aircraft. Although of even less power than Germany's 20 mm systems, they were at least widely available. Their larger 90 mm heavy guns would prove, as did the eighty-eight, to make an excellent anti-tank gun as well, and was widely used late in the war in this role. Finally just as the war was ending a new 120 mm gun with an impressive 60,000 ft altitude capability was introduced, the so-called stratosphere gun, which would continue in use after the war into the 1950s. The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...
M3 half-track A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. ...
The Germans developed massive reinforced concrete blockhouses, some more than six stories high, which known as Hochbunker "High Bunkers" or "Flakturm" Flak Towers, on which they placed Anti-aircraft Artillery. Those which were in cities attacked by the Allied land forces became fortresses. Several in Berlin were some of the last buildings to fall to the Soviets during the Battle of Berlin in 1945. The British built structures in the Thames estuary and other tidal areas on which they based Triple A. After the war most were left to rot. Some were outside territorial waters, and had a second life in the 1960s as a platforms for Pirate radio stations. A 19th-century-era block house in Fort York, Toronto In military science, a blockhouse is a small, isolated fort in the form of a single building. ...
Air raid shelters are structures for the protection of the civil population as well as military personnel against enemy attacks from the air. ...
The Flak Towers were large AA gun bunkers used by the Luftwaffe to prevent overflights of key areas in certain cities in World War II. They also served as air-raid shelters for tens of thousands of people and to coordinate air defence. ...
Berlin (pronounced: , German ) is the capital of Germany and its largest city, with 3,426,000 inhabitants (as of January 2005); down from 4. ...
Battle of Berlin Conflict World War II Date April 16, 1945 - May 8, 1945 Place Berlin, Germany Result Soviet victory The Battle of Berlin was one of the final battles(1) of the European Theatre of World War II. A massive Soviet army attacked Berlin from the east. ...
1945 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...
An introduction to the subject of Pirate Radio can be found under that heading. ...
Post-war
A modern BUK M1 anti-aircraft missile system Post-war analysis demonstrated that even with newer anti-aircraft systems employed by both sides, the vast majority of bombers reached their targets successfully, on the order of 90%. This was bad enough during the war, but the introduction of the nuclear bomb into the equation upset things considerably. Now even a single bomber reaching the target would be generally unacceptable. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...
The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 lifted nuclear fallout some 18 km (60,000 feet) above the epicenter. ...
The developments during WWII continued for a short time into the post-war period as well. In particular the US Army set up a huge air defense network around its larger cities based on radar-guided 90 mm and 120 mm guns. But given the general lack of success of guns against even propeller bombers, it was clear that any defense was going to have to rely almost entirely on interceptor aircraft. Despite this US efforts continued into the 1950s with the 75 mm Skysweeper system. Interceptor redirects here. ...
Millennia: 1st millennium - 2nd millennium - 3rd millennium Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. ...
Skysweeper, technically Gun, M51, Antiaircraft, was an American 75 mm anti-aircraft gun deployed in the early 1950s. ...
Things changed with the introduction of the guided missile. Although Germany had been desperate to introduce them during the war, none were ready for service, and British countermeasures were likely to defeat them even if they were. With a few years of development however, these system started to mature into practical weapons. The US started an upgrade of their defenses using the Nike Ajax missile, and soon the larger anti-aircraft guns disappeared. The same thing occurred in the USSR after the introduction of their SA-2 Guideline systems. Launch of a Nike Zeus missile Project Nike was a US Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Labs, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. ...
An S-75 missile on camoflaged launcher An S-75 missile in elevated position An North Vietnamese S-75 site An S-75 missile in transit A Fan Song radar (left) and what looks like a Low Blow to the right The SA-2 Guideline is the NATO reporting name...
The evolution since this time has been a slow change from guns to missiles for the shorter range roles. Originally missiles were useful only as a replacement for the very largest of anti-aircraft guns, but by the 1960s they had been scaled down to the point where they were also replacing smaller weapons previously serviced by guns in the 40 mm to 57 mm range. Today man-portable missiles, known as MANPADS, are replacing even the very smallest of gun systems. Events and trends The 1960s was a turbulent decade of change around the world. ...
MANPADS stands for Human-Portable Air-Defence System and typically refers to shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles such as the FIM-92 Stinger, 9K32M Strela-2 (SA-7), RBS-70, 9K36 Strela-3 (SA-14), 9K38 Igla (SA-18) and 9K310 Igla-M (SA-16). ...
Future developments If current trends continue, missiles will replace gun systems completely in "first line" service. Guns are being increasingly pushed into specialist roles, such as the US Phalanx CIWS which uses a 20 mm M61 Vulcan gun firing at over 4,500 rounds per minute for last ditch anti-missile and anti-aircraft fighting. Even this formerly first-rate weapon is currently being replaced by a new missile system, the Rolling Airframe Missile, which is smaller, faster, and allows for mid-flight course correction (guidance) to ensure a hit. Phalanx CIWS The Phalanx CIWS (Close-in weapon system, pronounced see-whizz) is an anti-missile system designed and manufactured by Raytheon Company. ...
Mounted Vulcan The 20mm M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired gatling gun with an extremely high rate of fire. ...
RIM-116 test firing The RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a small, lightweight, infrared homing surface-to-air missile in use by the United States and German Navy. ...
Upsetting this development to all-missile systems is the current move to stealth-based aircraft. Long range missiles depend on long-range detection in order to provide significant lead. Stealth designs cut detection ranges so much that the aircraft is often never even seen, and when it is, often too late for an intecept. Systems for detection and tracking of stealthy aircraft are a major problem for anti-aircraft development. F-117 Stealth Fighter Stealth technology covers a range of techniques used with aircraft, ships and missiles, in order to make them less visible (ideally invisible) to radar and other detection methods. ...
Another potential weapon system for anti-aircraft use is the laser. Although originally intended to be used in this role since the late 1960s, the most modern laser systems are currently reaching what could be considered "experimental usefulness". In particular the HEL can be used in the anti-aircraft and anti-missile role. If current developments continue, it is reasonable to suggest that lasers will play a major role in air defense starting in the next 10 years. Laser (US Air Force) A laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) is a device which uses a quantum mechanical effect, stimulated emission, to generate a coherent beam of light from a lasing medium of controlled purity, size, and shape. ...
This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
Force structures Most western militaries integrate air defence purely with the traditional arms of the military (i.e. army, navy and air force). This is in contrast to some (largely communist or ex-communist) countries where not only are there provisions for air defence in the army, navy and air force but there are specific branches which deal only with the air defence of territory. For example, the Soviet PVO Strany. It should be noted that the USSR also had a separate strategic rocket force (in charge of, among other things, nuclear ICBMs. A nations army is its military, or more specifically, all of its land forces. ...
A Navy is the branch of a countrys military forces principally designated for naval warfare, namely maritime or ocean-borne combat operations and other functions. ...
An air force is a military organization that primarily operates in air-based war. ...
Voyska PVO (Russian: Войска ПВО, or PVO Strany until 1981) was the air defense branch of the Soviet military. ...
The mushroom cloud of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan, 1945, rose some 18 km (11 mi) above the epicenter. ...
A Minuteman III missile soars after a test launch. ...
Navy Virtually all modern vessels contain air-aircraft weapon systems. Smaller boats and ships typically have machine-guns or fast cannons, which can often be deadly to low-flying aircraft if linked to a radar-directed fire-control system. Larger vessels (patrol boats, frigates, destroyers and on up) are typically equipped with surface-to-air missile systems, with increased range and deadliness as the vessel size increases. Some vessels like Aegis cruisers are as much a threat to aircraft as any surface-based air defence system. In general, naval vessels should be treated with respect by aircraft, however the reverse is equally true. Carrier battle groups are especially well defended, as not only do they typically consist of many vessels with heavy air defence armament but they are also able to launch fighter jets for combat air patrol overhead to intercept incoming airborne threats. This long range radar antenna (approximately 40m (130ft) in diameter) rotates on a track to observe activities near the horizon. ...
A fire-control system is a computer, often mechanical, which is designed to assist a weapon system in hitting its target. ...
A patrol boat is a small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence duties. ...
Sailing frigates were 4th, 5th, or 6th-rated ships in the rating system of the Royal Navy. ...
This article is about the warship. ...
A surface-to-air missile (SAM) is a missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy aircraft. ...
The Aegis combat system, named for the mythological aegis shield, is a United States Navy weapons system. ...
The carrier battle group (CVBG or CARBATGRU) or carrier strike group (CVSG) is a fleet of ships in support of an aircraft carrier. ...
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ...
Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of defensive mission for fighter aircraft, in which they guard a designated site, either a fixed site on land, ships at sea, or less commonly support aircraft such as aerial tankers. ...
Some modern submarines are equipped with surface-to-air missile systems, since helicopters and anti-submarine warfare aircraft are significant threats. Anti-submarine warfare is a term referring to warfare directed against submarines. ...
Army Armies typically have air defence in depth, from integral MANPADS like Stinger and Igla at smaller force levels up to army-level missile defence systems such as Angara and Patriot. Often, the high-altitude long-range missile systems force aircraft to fly at low level, where even a pistol can be enough to bring an unlucky aircraft down. In many modern conflicts, aircraft losses to small arms (typically rifles) exceed those to enemy aircraft or missiles. As well as the small and large systems, for effective air defence there must be intermediate systems. These may be deployed at, say, regiment-level and consist of platoons of self-propelled anti-aircraft platforms, whether they are SPAAGs, integrated air-defence systems like Tunguska or all-in-one surface-to-air missile platforms like Roland or SA-11 Gadfly. MANPADS stands for Human-Portable Air-Defence System and typically refers to shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles such as the FIM-92 Stinger, 9K32M Strela-2 (SA-7), RBS-70, 9K36 Strela-3 (SA-14), 9K38 Igla (SA-18) and 9K310 Igla-M (SA-16). ...
Two soldiers preparing to fire a shoulder-mounted Stinger missile launcher Light to carry and easy to operate, the FIM-92 Stinger is a passive infrared homing/seek surface-to-air missile, shoulder-fired by a single operator and designed to attack aircraft at a range of up to 15...
9K38 Igla The 9K38 Igla (Russian 9К38 Игла́ - needle) is a Russian/Soviet man-portable infra-red homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. ...
A single S-300-PM missile TEL ready to fire. ...
Four Patriot missiles like the one shown here can be fired from this mobile launcher between loadings. ...
SPAAG stands for Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun. ...
The Tunguska Integrated Air Defence System. ...
A 9K37M TEL. Photo by Field Artillery Magazine. ...
Air force Air defence by air forces is typically taken care of by fighter jets carrying air-to-air missiles which is beyond the scope of this article, however most air forces choose to augment air base defence with surface-to-air missile systems as they are such valuable targets for enemy aircraft. In addition, countries without dedicated air defence forces often relegate these duties to the air force. For example, the United State's strategic air defence is typically the domain of the air force, even when it is performed by missiles launched from fixed installations. For example, see Project Nike. A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ...
A US Navy VF-103 Jolly Rogers F-14 Tomcat fighter launchers an AIM-54 Phoenix long-range air-to-air missile. ...
Launch of a Nike Zeus missile Project Nike was a US Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Labs, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. ...
Tactics
Mobility Most modern air defence systems are fairly mobile. Even the larger systems tend to be mounted on trailers and are designed to be fairly quickly broken down or set up. In the past, this was not always the case. Early missile systems were cumbersome and required much infrastructure - many could not be moved at all. With the diversification of air defence there has been much more emphasis on mobility. Most modern systems are usually either self-propelled (i.e. guns or missiles are mounted on a truck or tracked chassis) or easily towed. Even systems which consist of many components (transporter/erector/launchers, radars, command posts etc.) benefit from being mounted on a fleet of vehicles. In general, a fixed system can be identified, attacked and destroyed whereas a mobile system can show up in places where it's not expected. Soviet systems especially concentrate on mobility, after the lessons learnt in the Vietnam proxy-war between the USA and USSR. For more information on this part of the conflict, see SA-2 Guideline. See also Tell (poker). ...
This long range radar antenna (approximately 40m (130ft) in diameter) rotates on a track to observe activities near the horizon. ...
The Vietnam War was a war fought roughly from 1957 to 1975 after the North Vietnamese government secretly agreed to begin involvement in South Vietnam. ...
An S-75 missile on camoflaged launcher An S-75 missile in elevated position An North Vietnamese S-75 site An S-75 missile in transit A Fan Song radar (left) and what looks like a Low Blow to the right The SA-2 Guideline is the NATO reporting name...
North Korea (officially the DPRK) has inherited a lot of older Soviet equipment. One major reason for the success of the U.N. forces during the Korean War (1950-1953) against the DPRK and PRC was the air superiority they were able to attain. As tensions still exist on the Korean peninsula and the DPRK is so heavily militarised, their air-defence network is amongst the strongest of a non-superpower. A large part of it consists of a number of older, fixed systems like SA-2, SA-3, SA-4 and SA-5. But the DPRK is also in possession of many mobile systems which have proven to be deadly in the past. The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ...
The Korean War (Korean: 한국전쟁), from June 25, 1950 to July 27, 1953, was a conflict between North Korea and South Korea. ...
1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...
1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ...
In the technical terminology of political science the PRC was a communist state for much of the 20th century, and is still considered a communist state by many, though not all, political scientists. ...
An S-75 missile on camoflaged launcher An S-75 missile in elevated position An North Vietnamese S-75 site An S-75 missile in transit A Fan Song radar (left) and what looks like a Low Blow to the right The SA-2 Guideline is the NATO reporting name...
Two S-125 dual missile launcher trailers. ...
A 2K11 TEL in transit. ...
An S-200 missile on its launcher. ...
Air defence vs. air defence suppression The US air force, in conjunction with the members of NATO, has developed significant tactics for air defence suppression. Dedicated weapons such as anti-radiation missiles and advanced electronics intelligence and electronic countermeasures platforms seek to suppress or negate the effectiveness of an opposing air-defence system. It is an arms race; as better jamming, countermeasures and anti-radiation weapons are developed, so are better SAM systems with ECCM capabilities and the ability to shoot down anti-radiation missiles and other munitions aimed at them or the targets they are defending. Now that Russia is beginning to offer top quality SAM systems for export, it is possible that the USA and NATO forces could face serious challenges in maintaining air superiority in future conflicts. This will mainly be determined by the effectiveness of these devices and tactics. The flag of NATO NATO 2002 Summit The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4, 1949. ...
An anti-radiation missile is a missile which is designed to detect and home in on the emissions of an enemy radar installation. ...
ELINT stands for ELectronic INTelligence, and refers to intelligence-gathering by use of electronic sensors. ...
Inspecting an F-16 electronic countermeasures pod Electronic countermeasures or ECM are any sort of electrical or electronic device designed entirely to spoof radar, sonar, or other detection systems. ...
Electronic counter-countermeasures (ECCM) describes a variety of practices which attempt to reduce or eliminate the effect of Electronic countermeasures ( ECM) on sensors aboard vehicles, ships and aircraft and especially seekers on weapons such as missiles. ...
List of anti-aircraft weapons
France Crotales are also percussion instruments. ...
Germany The 2 cm Gebirgsflak 38 (2 cm GebF 38) was a German mountain gun, derived from the Flak 38, used during World War II. The anti-aircraft gun was first manufactured in 1941, and in use by 1942. ...
The German eighty-eight was likely the best known, even famous, artillery piece of World War II. It was not one gun, but a series of anti-aircraft guns officially called the 8. ...
The Enzian (named for a type of mountain flower, the Gentian Violet) was a WWII surface-to-air anti-aircraft missile that has the distinction of being the first to use an infrared guidance system. ...
Wasserfall (German for Waterfall) was a German surface-to-air missile developed during World War II. It never reached operational status although it was well developed and likely ready for operation, and the project was cancelled in February 1945. ...
India Trishul is the name of a short range surface-to-air missile developed by India as a part of IGMDP project. ...
Akash (Sky) is a Surface to Air missile developed under the IGMDP by India. ...
Israel Mounted Vulcan The 20mm M61 Vulcan is a hydraulically driven, six-barreled, air-cooled, electrically fired gatling gun with an extremely high rate of fire. ...
Two soldiers preparing to fire a shoulder-mounted Stinger missile launcher Light to carry and easy to operate, the FIM-92 Stinger is a passive infrared homing/seek surface-to-air missile, shoulder-fired by a single operator and designed to attack aircraft at a range of up to 15...
The Arrow Interceptor ( טיל חץ, Hebrew: Hetz) is a theater missile defense (TMD) system; it is the first missile that was specifically designed and built to intercept and destroy ballistic missiles on a national level. ...
Italy - Scotti 20/L77
- Breda M1935 20/L53
- M1941 90/L53
Joint European Aster is a surface-to-air missile manufactured by the European firm MBDA. The missile comes in two variants, the medium range Aster 15 and the longer range Aster 30. ...
Norway - NALLADS (using Bofors RBS-70 missiles)
- NASAMS - Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System (using AMRAAM missiles)
RBS 70 is a Swedish MANPAD system designed for combat in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. ...
The AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range, Air-to-Air Missile, or AMRAAM (pronounced am-ram), commonly known to air crews as the Slammer, is a new generation air-to-air missile, developed as the result of an agreement between the United States and other NATO countries (see below). ...
Pakistan
People's Republic of China - Hongqi-1
- Hongqi-2
- Hongnu-5
- Hongqi-7
- Hongqi-9
- Hongqi-10
- Hongqi-15
- Hongqi-17
- Hongqi-18
- Hongqi-61
- Kaishan-1
- Lieying-60
- PenLung-9
- Qianwei-1
- Qianwei-2
An S-75 missile on camoflaged launcher An S-75 missile in elevated position An North Vietnamese S-75 site An S-75 missile in transit A Fan Song radar (left) and what looks like a Low Blow to the right The SA-2 Guideline is the NATO reporting name...
An S-75 missile on camoflaged launcher An S-75 missile in elevated position An North Vietnamese S-75 site An S-75 missile in transit A Fan Song radar (left) and what looks like a Low Blow to the right The SA-2 Guideline is the NATO reporting name...
A soldier posing with a Strela launcher. ...
A single S-300-PM missile TEL ready to fire. ...
A single S-300-PM missile TEL ready to fire. ...
A 9K38 TELAR. Photo by GulfLINK. The 9K38 Buk-M1-2 (Russian Бук - beech, NATO reporting name SA-17 Grizzly) is the continuation of the series of Russian surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) which started with the 3M9 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) and 9K37 Buk SA-11 Gadfly. ...
A close-up of a 9M82 TEL with missiles stowed. ...
Russia/USSR
Gun systems - ZU-23-2
- ZSU-57-2
- ZSU-23-4 Shilka
A ZU-23-2 towed anti-aircraft gun. ...
A ZSU-57-2 SPAAG. Photo by GulfLINK. The ZSU-57-2 (Zenitnaya Samokhodnaya Ustanovka) is a lightly armoured, self propelled Soviet air defence cannon ( SPAAG). ...
General Characteristics (ZSU-23-4 Shilka) Length: 6. ...
Missile systems - SA-1 Guild
- SA-2 Guideline
- SA-3 Goa
- SA-4 Ganef
- SA-5 Gammon
- SA-6 Gainful
- SA-7 Grail
- SA-8 Gecko
- SA-9 Gaskin
- SA-10 Grumble
- SA-11 Gadfly
- SA-12 Gladiator/Giant
- SA-13 Gopher
- SA-14 Gremlin
- SA-15 Gauntlet
- SA-16 Gimlet
- SA-17 Grizzly
- SA-18 Grouse
- SA-20 Gargoyle
- SA-X-21 "Triumf"
The SA-1 Guild is the NATO reporting name for the S-25 Berkut (Russian С-25 Беркут - golden eagle) surface-to-air guided missile, the first operational SAM deployed by the Soviet Union. ...
An S-75 missile on camoflaged launcher An S-75 missile in elevated position An North Vietnamese S-75 site An S-75 missile in transit A Fan Song radar (left) and what looks like a Low Blow to the right The SA-2 Guideline is the NATO reporting name...
Two S-125 dual missile launcher trailers. ...
A 2K11 TEL in transit. ...
An S-200 missile on its launcher. ...
A 3M9 TEL in desert camoflage. ...
A soldier posing with a Strela launcher. ...
An SA-8 9K33M3 TELAR w/Land Roll radars. ...
A 9K31 transporter erector launcher. ...
A single S-300-PM missile TEL ready to fire. ...
A 9K37M TEL. Photo by Field Artillery Magazine. ...
A close-up of a 9M82 TEL with missiles stowed. ...
An SA-13 TELAR. Photo by GulfLINK. The ZRK-BD 9K35 Strela-10 ( Russian 9К35 Стрела-10 - arrow, NATO reporting name SA-13 Gopher) is a highly mobile, visually aimed, optical/infra-red guided, low-altitude, short-range surface to air missile system. ...
The 9K34 Strela-3 (Russian 9К34 Стрела-3 - arrow, NATO reporting name SA-14 Gremlin) man-portable air defence missile system ( MANPADS) was developed in Soviet Union as a response to the poor performance of the earlier 9K32 Strela-2 (NATO reporting name SA-7 Grail) system. ...
A 9K330 TELAR. Photo from Field Artillery Magazine. ...
9K38 Igla The 9K38 Igla (Russian 9К38 Игла́ - needle) is a Russian/ Soviet man-portable infra-red homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. ...
A 9K38 TELAR. Photo by GulfLINK. The 9K38 Buk-M1-2 (Russian Бук - beech, NATO reporting name SA-17 Grizzly) is the continuation of the series of Russian surface-to-air missiles (SAMs) which started with the 3M9 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) and 9K37 Buk SA-11 Gadfly. ...
9K38 Igla The 9K38 Igla (Russian 9К38 Игла́ - needle) is a Russian/ Soviet man-portable infra-red homing surface-to-air missile (SAM) system. ...
A single S-300-PM missile TEL ready to fire. ...
Combined systems - SA-19 Grisom (2S6 Tunguska)
The Tunguska Integrated Air Defence System. ...
Sweden 40 mm Bofors Polish-made Bofors gun after the Battle of Bzura The Bofors 40 mm gun is a famous autocannon designed by the Swedish firm of Bofors. ...
RBS 70 is a Swedish MANPAD system designed for combat in all climate zones and with little to no support from other forces. ...
Switzerland
UK Bloodhound. ...
Blowpipe is a man-portable surface-to-air missile which was in use with the British Army. ...
Javelin is a British man-portable surface-to-air missile, used by the British Army. ...
The Rapier surface-to-air missile began development in the 1960s as the ET316 Sightline project, to combat supersonic, low level, high manoeuvrability craft. ...
Sea Slug was a Royal Navy surface-to-air missile system built by Hawker Siddeley which came into service in the 1950s and was still in use at the time of the Falklands War. ...
The Sea Wolf is a naval missile, MBDA is the prime contractor. ...
USA - MGM-1 Matador
- RIM-2 Terrier
- MIM-3 Nike-Ajax
- RIM-8 Talos
- MIM-14 Nike-Hercules
- MIM-23 Hawk
- RIM-24 Tartar
- FIM-43 Redeye
- MIM-46 Mauler
- LIM-49 Nike Zeus
- RIM-55 Typhon MR
- RIM-66 Standard Missile-1
- RIM-66 Standard Missile-2
- MIM-72 Chaparral
- RIM-85
- FIM-92 Stinger
- RIM-101
- MIM-104 Patriot
- RIM-113
- MIM-115 Roland
- RIM-116 RAM
- MIM-146 ADATS
- RIM-156 Standard Missile-2ER Block IV
- RIM-161 Standard Missile-3|
- RIM-162 ESSM
- M-163 SPAA "Vulcan"
Matador cruise missile launch The Matador was the first operational surface-to-surface cruise missile of the U.S. armed forces. ...
The RIM-2 Terrier was one of the earliest surface to air missiles to equip United States Navy ships. ...
Launch of a Nike Zeus missile Project Nike was a US Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Labs, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. ...
Launch of a Nike Zeus missile Project Nike was a US Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Labs, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. ...
The Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK (HAWK is an acronym for homing all the way killer) is a surface-to-air missile. ...
A Tartar missile on its launcher on the Cassard frigate The US-built Tartar missile is an important element of zone defence (here, launched from a US destroyer of the Perry class) The US-built Tartar SM1 is a medium-range anti-air system. ...
The FIM-43 Redeye was a man-portable surface-to-air missile system. ...
Launch of a Nike Zeus missile Project Nike was a US Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Labs, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. ...
The Standard Missile is a type of surface-to-air missile (SAM) originally developed for the United States Navy. ...
The Standard Missile is a type of surface-to-air missile (SAM) originally developed for the United States Navy. ...
Two soldiers preparing to fire a shoulder-mounted Stinger missile launcher Light to carry and easy to operate, the FIM-92 Stinger is a passive infrared homing/seek surface-to-air missile, shoulder-fired by a single operator and designed to attack aircraft at a range of up to 15...
Four Patriot missiles like the one shown here can be fired from this mobile launcher between loadings. ...
The Air Defense Anti-Tank System (ADATS) is a dual-purpose short range surface-to-air and anti-tank missile system. ...
The Standard Missile is a type of surface-to-air missile (SAM) originally developed for the United States Navy. ...
The Standard Missile is a type of surface-to-air missile (SAM) originally developed for the United States Navy. ...
Japan -Imperial Japanese Army and Navy Land Forces(World War Two)
-Light antiaircraft
-Medium & heavy antiaircraft -Type 99 Rifle Introduced Year : 1939 Caliber : 7. ...
Type 3 Heavy Machine Gun Introduced Year : 1914 Caliber : 6. ...
Type 4 Heavy Machine Gun Type 4 was heavy machine gun with Drum. ...
20mm Twin AA Machine Cannon 20mm Twin AA Machine Cannon was equipped with two guns of Type 2 20mm AA. Categories: Weapon stubs | Anti-aircraft guns ...
Type 4 20 m Twin AA Machine Cannon Type 4 20 mm Twin AA Machine Cannon was equipped with two guns of Type 98 20 mm AA. It was introduced in 1944 and approx. ...
Model 96 25 mm Dual Purpose Anti-Tank/Anti-Aircraft Gun(single or Triple cannon) this if pincipal type of 1 heavy machine gun with one muzzle. ...
AA Mine Discharger This is an infanty AA weapon similar to infantry mortar. ...
-Mobile AA vehicles Model 96 25 mm Dual Purpose Anti-Tank/Anti-Aircraft Gun(single or Triple cannon) this if pincipal type of 1 heavy machine gun with one muzzle. ...
Vickers Type 40 mm Dual Purpose Anti-Tank/Anti-Aircraft Gun Another nasty weapon. ...
-Japan Ground Self Defence Force anti-aircraft equipment Experimental Type 98 SPAAG projects The Type 98 20 mm AAG Ho-Ki is a well-known Japanese AAG. During the process of Ho-Kis development and improvement, the Japanese Army produced some SPAAG types experimentally. ...
Anti-Aircraft Tank Ta-Se -Ta-Se regular single AA cannon -Ta-Se Twin AA Gun Tank The development of the AA tank by the IJA started in 1941. ...
Type 96 AA Gun Prime Mover Introduced Year : 1937 Weight : 4 ton Dimensions: 5. ...
Type 98 20 mm AA Half-Track Vehicle: if reffering at Experimental AA mobile SPAAG vehicle why are one Type 98 AA 20mm Gun With Single Cannon,mounted a load carring Platform Bed in Type 98 four Ton Prime Mover. ...
-Antiaircraft land fixed/mobile Cannons
- M42 40 mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun "Duster"
- Type 87 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun(Prototype)
- 75 mm M51 Anti-Aircraft Gun
-Land-to-air missiles M42 40 mm Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun Duster Length : 6. ...
Type87 Self-Propelled Anti-Aircraft Gun (Prototype) Length : 7. ...
75mm M51 Anti-Aircraft Gun Caliber : 75 mm Barrel Length : 4500 mm Max Range : 13. ...
-Japan Air Self Defense Force anti-aircraft equipment This article is in need of attention. ...
Type93 Surface to Air Missile Missile Specification : Length : 1. ...
The Raytheon MIM-23 HAWK (HAWK is an acronym for homing all the way killer) is a surface-to-air missile. ...
-Anti-air missile
-Antiaircraft land cannons NIKE-J Ground to Air Large-Sized Missile Length : 12. ...
Four Patriot missiles like the one shown here can be fired from this mobile launcher between loadings. ...
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