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This is a list of United States-used attack aircraft.
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Name | Role | Manufacturer | Image | Notes | Year of first flight | Introduction | Number built |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Curtiss Falcon | |||||||
Fokker XA-7 | |||||||
Curtiss A-8 | |||||||
Y1A-9 | Detroit Lockheed | A version of the Lockheed YP-24 that specialized in ground attack. | |||||
Douglas A-26 Invader | Ground attack | Douglas Aircraft Company | Originally designed A-26, then designated B-26 between 1948 and 1965 after the Martin B-26 Marauder was retired, then redesignated to A-26. | 1942 [1] [2] [3] | 1944 [1] [2] [3] | 2,503 [2] [3] [4] | |
Douglas A-1 (AD) Skyraider | Attack aircraft | Douglas Aircraft Company | Formerly designated AD before the 1962 unification of Navy and Air Force designations); served during the Korean War and Vietnam War; had an unusually long career. [5] [6] | 1945 [5] [6] | 1946 [6] | 3,180 [5] [6] |
Name | Role | Manufacturer | Image | Notes | Year of first flight | Introduction | Number built |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Douglas AC-47 Spooky | Ground-attack aircraft and close air support gunship | Douglas Aircraft Company | Developed from the Douglas C-47 Skytrain, and that was developed from the acclaimed Douglas DC-3. Succeeded by the Fairchild AC-119 & the Lockheed AC-130. [7] First deployed over Vietnam in 1964. [8] [9] | 1964 [9] | 1965 | 53 | |
Bell AH-1 Cobra | Attack helicopter [10] | Bell Helicopter | Developed from the UH-1 Iroquois/ "Huey". World's first dedicated armed attack helicopter. [10] | 1965 [10] | 1967 [10] | 1,116 [10] | |
Lockheed AC-130 | Ground-attack aircraft and close air support gunship for SOF teams | Modified C-130 Hercules. | 1967 (AC-130A) [11] [12] | 1968 (AC-130A) [12] | ??? | ||
Bell AH-1 SeaCobra / SuperCobra | Attack helicopter | Bell Helicopter | 1969 | 1971 | 1,271+ | ||
Bell 309 KingCobra | Attack helicopter prototype | Bell Helicopter | 1971 [13] /1972 [14] | Never | 2 [14] | ||
Northrop YA-9 | Attack aircraft | Northrop Corporation | Developed for the United States Air Force A-X program. However, the YA-9 was dropped in favor of the A-10. [15] | 1972 [15] | Never | 2 | |
Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II | Close air support attack aircraft | Fairchild Republic | ![]() | Known for its 30mm GAU-8/A Avenger. [16] [17] First production version was delivered in October 1975. [16] | 1972 [17] | October 1977 [17] | 716 [18] |
Bell AH-1Z Viper | Attack helicopter | Bell Helicopter | 2000 | 2011 (IOC) [19] | 195 [19] | ||
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet | Multirole fighter | McDonnell Douglas (1974–1997) Northrop (1974–1994) Boeing (1997–2000) | Used extensively by the U.S Navy | 1978 | 1983 | 1,480 | |
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | Carrier-based multirole fighter | McDonnell Douglas(1995–1997) Boeing Defense, Space & Security(1997–present) | Upgraded version of the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. | 1995 | 1999 2001 (IOC) | ≥632 as of April 2020 | |
Boeing EA-18G Growler | Electronic warfare aircraft | Boeing | Developed from the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | 2006 | 2009 | 172 as of October 2021 | |
F/A-XX | Program/project | None | Built for as part of Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program | Not yet | Not yet | Not yet |
The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily armed, long-endurance, ground-attack variant of the C-130 Hercules transport, fixed-wing aircraft. It carries a wide array of ground-attack weapons that are integrated with sophisticated sensors, navigation, and fire-control systems. Unlike other modern military fixed-wing aircraft, the AC-130 relies on visual targeting. Since its large profile and low operating altitudes around 7,000 feet make it an easy target, its close air support missions are usually flown at night.
The Bell AH-1 Cobra is a single-engined attack helicopter developed and manufactured by the American rotorcraft manufacturer Bell Helicopter. A member of the prolific Huey family, the AH-1 is also referred to as the HueyCobra or Snake.
A gunship is a military aircraft armed with heavy aircraft guns, primarily intended for attacking ground targets either as airstrike or as close air support.
The Army Air Corps (AAC) is the aviation arm of the British Army, first formed in 1942 during the Second World War by grouping the various airborne units of the British Army. Today, there are eight regiments of the AAC, as well as two independent flights and two independent squadrons deployed in support of British Army operations around the world. Regiments and flights are located in the United Kingdom, Kenya, and Canada. Some AAC squadrons provide the air assault elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team, through Joint Aviation Command.
The Douglas AC-47 was the first in a series of fixed-wing gunships developed by the United States Air Force during the Vietnam War. It was designed to provide more firepower than light and medium ground-attack aircraft in certain situations when ground forces called for close air support.
The Bell AH-1 SuperCobra is a twin-engined attack helicopter that was developed on behalf of, and primarily operated by, the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The twin Cobra family, itself part of the larger Huey family, includes the AH-1J SeaCobra, the AH-1T Improved SeaCobra, and the AH-1W SuperCobra.
In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as aerial warfare actions—often air-to-ground actions such as strafes or airstrikes—by military aircraft against hostile targets in close proximity to friendly forces. A form of fire support, CAS requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of all forces involved. CAS may be conducted using aerial bombs, glide bombs, missiles, rockets, autocannons, machine guns, and even directed-energy weapons such as lasers.
Hurlburt Field is a United States Air Force installation located in Okaloosa County, Florida, immediately west of the town of Mary Esther. It is part of the greater Eglin Air Force Base reservation and is home to Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the 1st Special Operations Wing (1 SOW), the USAF Special Operations School (USAFSOS) and the Air Combat Command's (ACC) 505th Command and Control Wing. It was named for First Lieutenant Donald Wilson Hurlburt, who died in a crash at Eglin. The installation is nearly 6,700 acres (27 km2) and employs nearly 8,000 military personnel.
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), headquartered at Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the special operations component of the United States Air Force. An Air Force major command (MAJCOM), AFSOC is also the U.S. Air Force component command to United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), a unified combatant command located at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. AFSOC provides all Air Force Special Operations Forces (SOF) for worldwide deployment and assignment to regional unified combatant commands.
The Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne is an attack helicopter developed by Lockheed for the United States Army. It rose from the Army's Advanced Aerial Fire Support System (AAFSS) program to field the service's first dedicated attack helicopter. Lockheed designed the Cheyenne using a four-blade rigid-rotor system and configured the aircraft as a compound helicopter with low-mounted wings and a tail-mounted thrusting propeller driven by a General Electric T64 turboshaft engine. The Cheyenne was to have a high-speed dash capability to provide armed escort for the Army's transport helicopters, such as the Bell UH-1 Iroquois.
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 (HMLA-267) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and Bell UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. Nicknamed the "Stingers", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 775 (HMLA-775) is a reserve United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of Bell AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and Bell UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The squadron was reactivated from cadre status on 1 Oct 2016 and is based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41 (MAG-41) and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.
Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169 (HMLA-169) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters and UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39 (MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The Bell UH-1Y Venom is a twin-engine, 4-blade, medium-sized utility helicopter built by Bell Helicopter under the H-1 upgrade program of the United States Marine Corps. One of the latest members of the numerous Huey family, the UH-1Y is also called "Yankee" for the NATO phonetic alphabet pronunciation of its variant letter. Bell was originally to produce UH-1Ys by rebuilding UH-1Ns, but ultimately used new built airframes. In 2008, the UH-1Y entered service with the Marine Corps and also began full-rate production. The new UH-1 variant replaced the USMC's UH-1N Twin Huey light utility helicopters, introduced in the early 1970s. The helicopter were ordered by the Czech Republic and the helicopter is in production in the early 2020s.
The United States Army Aviation Branch is the aviation branch of the United States Army and the administrative organization that is responsible for doctrine, manning and configuration for all army aviation units. This branch was formerly considered to be one of the combat arms branches, but is today included within the "Maneuver, Fires and Effects" (MFE) classification, in accordance with current U.S. Army organizational doctrine.
The Bell AH-1Z Viper is a twin-engine attack helicopter, based on the AH-1W SuperCobra, designed and produced by the American aerospace manufacturer Bell Helicopter. It is one of the latest members of the prolific Bell Huey family. It is often called "Zulu Cobra", based on the military phonetic alphabet pronunciation of its variant letter.
The Advanced Attack Helicopter (AAH) was a United States Army program to develop an advanced ground attack helicopter beginning in 1972. The Advanced Attack Helicopter program followed cancellation of the Lockheed AH-56 Cheyenne. After evaluating industry proposals, the AAH competition was reduced to offerings from Bell and Hughes. Following a flight test evaluation of prototypes, Hughes' YAH-64 was selected in December 1976.
The 6th Special Operations Squadron is part of the 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. The squadron operates MC-130J Commando II aircraft in support of special operations. The 6th SOS specializes in the use of night vision goggles and formation tactics to refuel large helicopter and tilt-rotor formations.
Counter-insurgency aircraft or COIN aircraft are a specialized variety of military light attack aircraft, designed for counter-insurgency operations, armed reconnaissance, air escort of ground forces, and ground support against "low-intensity engagements"; usually irregular groups of insurgents armed with aircraft artillery and/or portable rockets.