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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. In this role, aircraft serve a purpose similar to that of artillery. Military aircraft are airplanes used in warfare. ...
This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...
Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. ...
Close air support is a part of the modern combined arms doctrine. It should be noted that military aircraft can also attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to one's own troops; such attacks deeper in the enemy's rear are now referred to as air interdiction. Combined arms is a military doctrine that calls for several distinct types of soldiers and/or weapon systems to be coordinated operationally and tactically in order to provide maximum flexibility and cooperation during military operations. ...
Air interdiction is the use of aircraft to attack tactical ground targets that are not in close proximity to friendly ground forces. ...
History The Luftwaffe were early pioneers of close air support, integrating it heavily into the doctrine of blitzkrieg used in World War II. Artillery was slow and required time to set up a firing position. Aircraft were better able keep up with the fast advances of the German panzer columns. The aircraft used most famously in this role was the Ju 87 Stuka, famous as much for its psychological effect as for its direct military capabilities. The Luftwaffe (literally, air weapon, pronounced looft-vaaf-feh) is the air force of Germany. ...
Blitzkrieg relied on close cooperation between infantry and panzers (tanks). ...
Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ...
Tiger II, perhaps the most advanced Panzer Panzer is an abbreviation of Panzerkampfwagen, a German compound noun which translates as Armoured Combat Vehicle. It became synonymous with German tanks during the 1930s, and is usually shortened to become PzKpfw. ...
Junkers Ju 87 Dive-Bombers The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was the most famous Sturzkampfflugzeug (German dive bomber) in World War II, instantly recognisable by its inverted gull-wings and fixed undercarriage. ...
Close air support was also important in World War II amphibious operations, where aircraft carriers could provide support for soldiers landing on the beaches. Landing ship Rapière Amphibious warfare is the assault of an objective located on land by a force attacking from ships. ...
An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main role is to deploy and recover aircraft. ...
Aircraft Various aircraft can fill close air support roles. Helicopters are often used for close air support, so closely integrated with ground operations that in the U.S. military they are operated by the Army rather than the Air Force. Fighters and ground attack aircraft like the A-10 Warthog provide close air support using rockets, missiles, small bombs, and strafing runs. A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). ...
The armed forces of the United States of America consist of the United States Army United States Navy United States Air Force United States Marine Corps United States Coast Guard Note: The United States Coast Guard has both military and law enforcement functions. ...
The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ...
Seal of the Air Force. ...
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. ...
The A-10/OA-10 Thunderbolt II, often known as the Warthog, is the first US Air Force aircraft specifically designed for close air support of ground forces. ...
Warfare Strafing (adaptation of German strafen - to punish) is the practice of shooting a machine gun, from an airplane in flight, at objects or people on the ground. ...
In World War II, dive bombers and fighters were used in close air support. Today, close support is typically carried out by fighter-bombers or dedicated ground attack aircraft, but even large high-altitude bombers can occasionally fill close support roles thanks to precision guided munitions. A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. ...
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. ...
In the Vietnam War, the United States introduced fixed-wing gunships, cargo aircraft refitted as gun platforms to serve as close air support and air interdiction aircraft. The first of these was the AC-47 Spooky. Later models include the AC-119 and the AC-130. 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. ...
The AC-47 Spooky was the first in a series of gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. ...
The AC-119 Shadow and Stinger were developed during the Vietnam War. ...
The AC-130 Gunship is an armed variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. ...
See also Tactical bombing uses aircraft to attack troops and military equipment in the battle zone. ...
External link - DOD dictionary (http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict/data/c/00986.html) definition of close air support
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