Close air support (often abbreviated "CAS") is the use of Military aircraft are airplanes used in warfare. General categories include: Fighter aircraft Ground attack aircraft Bomber Tanker Trainer Transport Surveillance aircraft or reconnaissance, or air observation post Lists of military aircraft can be found at: List of military aircraft of the United States List of military aircraft of the Soviet... military aircraft in a ground attack role against targets in close proximity to friendly troops, in support of ground This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. If an article link referred you here, you might want to go back and fix it to point directly to the intended page. Combat is purposeful physical conflict involving violence... combat operations. In this role, aircraft serve a purpose similar to that of Historically, artillery refers to any engine used for the discharge of projectiles during war. The term also describes ground-based troops with the primary function of manning such weapons. Continental Artillery crew from the American Revolution Modern Artillery Modern artillery is distinguished by its large calibre, firing an explosive shell... artillery.

Close air support is a part of the modern 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. Though the lower-echelon units of a combined arms team may be of homogeneous types... 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.

History

The The Luftwaffe (literally, air weapon, prounounced looft-vaaf-fa) is the air force of Germany. World War I The Luftwaffe was founded during the First World War with the emergence of military aircraft. It was the Worlds first air force. During the war, the Luftwaffe utilised a wide variety... Luftwaffe were early pioneers of close air support, integrating it heavily into the doctrine of Blitzkrieg relied on close cooperation between infantry and panzers (tanks). Here, infantry use a panzer for cover as they attack in Russia during September of 1941 Blitzkrieg, from the German for lightning war, was an operational-level military doctrine which employed mobile forces attacking with speed and surprise to prevent... blitzkrieg used in Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. August 9, 1945 World War II was a global conflict that started in 7 July 1937 in Asia and 1 September 1939 in Europe and lasted until 1945, involving the majority of the... 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 The Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. Due to its central location, Germany has more neighbours than any other European country: these are Denmark in the north, Poland and the Czech Republic in the... German 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. Panzers were used in both Waffen-SS and Wehrmacht. Panzer models... panzer columns. The aircraft used most famously in this role was the Ju 87 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. The Stukas design featured some innovative features, including an automatic pull-up system to ensure that... Stuka, famous as much for its psychological effect as for its direct military capabilities.

Close air support was also important in World War II Landing ship Rapière Amphibious warfare is the assault of an objective located on land by a force attacking from ships. It requires landing craft to transport troops to land from the ships which carry them to the area to be assaulted. An amphibious assault is one of the most... amphibious operations, where Two aircraft carriers, USS John C. Stennis (left), and HMS Illustrious (right), showing the difference in size between a supercarrier and a light V/STOL aircraft carrier. USS Harry S. Truman anchors outside Portsmouth, England, while her crew enjoy a port visit. An aircraft carrier is a warship whose main... aircraft carriers could provide support for soldiers landing on the beaches.

Aircraft

Various aircraft can fill close air support roles. A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more large horizontal rotors (propellers). Helicopters are classified as rotary-wing aircraft to distinguish them from conventional fixed-wing aircraft. The word helicopter is derived from the Greek words helix (spiral) and pteron (wing). The engine-driven... Helicopters are often used for close air support, so closely integrated with ground operations that in the 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. Title 14, United States Code, Section 1... U.S. military they are operated by the The Army is the branch of the United States armed forces which has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. As of fiscal year 2002 (FY02), it consisted of 480,000 soldiers on active duty and 555,000 in reserve (350,000 in the Army National Guard (ARNG) and 205... Army rather than the Seal of the Air Force. The United States Air Force (USAF) is the aviation branch of the United States armed forces. The mission of the USAF is to defend the United States and protect its interests through air and space power. It was created as a separate branch on September... 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. Fighters are comparatively small, fast, and highly maneuverable, and have been fitted with increasingly sophisticated tracking and weapons systems to intercept... Fighters and ground attack aircraft like the 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. It is a simple, effective and survivable single_seat, twin_engine jet aircraft designed to attack ground targets, including tanks and other armored vehicles... A-10 Warthog provide close air support using rockets, missiles, small bombs, and 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. It first became possible in the first World War, when a Frenchman set small armor plates on the blades of his propeller... strafing runs.

In World War II, A dive bomber is a bomber aircraft that dives directly at its targets in order to provide greater accuracy. In doing so the aircraft decreases the time it takes for the bomb to reach its target, both through greater speed and shorter distance, thereby making the effects of drag and... dive bombers and 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. Fighters are comparatively small, fast, and highly maneuverable, and have been fitted with increasingly sophisticated tracking and weapons systems to intercept... 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.

In the The Vietnam War was a war fought between 1957 and 1975 on the ground in South Vietnam and bordering areas of Cambodia and Laos (see Secret War) and in the strategic bombing (see Operation Rolling Thunder) of North Vietnam. In Vietnam, the conflict is known as the American War ( Vietnamese... 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 The AC-47 Spooky was the first in a series of gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. It was felt that more firepower than could be provided by light and medium attack aircraft was needed in some situations when ground forces called for close... AC-47 Spooky. Later models include the The AC-119 Shadow and Stinger were developed during the Vietnam War. They replaced the inadequate AC-47 Spooky and supplemented the newer AC-130. The AC-47 had proven to be vulnerable to ground fire, and it was also felt that greater weapons capacity was needed. The Shadow carried... AC-119 and the The AC-130 Gunship is an armed variant of the Lockheed C-130 Hercules. The primary missions of the United States Air Forces AC-130H Spectre and AC-130U Spooky gunships are close air support, air interdiction, and force protection. Missions in close air support are troops in contact... AC-130.

See also

• Tactical bombing

External link

• DOD dictionary (http://www.dtic.mil/doctrine/jel/doddict/data/c/00986.html) definition of close air support