- Tactical bombing
Tactical bombing uses
aircraft to attack troops and military equipment in the battle zone. This is in contrast tostrategic bombing , which attacks an enemy's cities and factories to debilitate the enemy's capacity to wage war as well as the civilian population's will to continue the war. [cite web
url=http://www.foreignaffairs.org/20030701faessay15404-p50/max-boot/the-new-american-way-of-war.html
title=Foreign Affairs - The New American Way of War - Max Boot
publisher=www.foreignaffairs.org
accessdate=2008-05-06
last=
first=]Tactical bombing began in
World War I when pilots dropped smallbomb s over the side of their open cockpits onto enemy troops below. One of the first examples of this was at theBattle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915 when the RFC dropped bombs on German rail communications. ByWorld War II , a number of specialized aircraft were developed to fulfill the role, but oftenstrike fighter s andfighter-bomber s were used. For instance, in theKorean War , tactical missions were carried out by WWII-era fighters such as theF4U Corsair . In Vietnam, tactical missions were often directed by forward air controllers (FACs) flying small propeller planes. The FAC would mark targets with smoke, often in coordination with infantry on the ground. The bombers orbiting overhead would then roll in to hit the target.In the modern era,
precision-guided munitions or "smart bombs" can be directed with extreme accuracy.There are two basic roles for tactical bombing. Aircraft providing
close air support attack targets in proximity to friendly ground forces, acting in direct support of the ground operations.Air interdiction attacks, by contrast, attack tactical targets that are not in contact with friendly units.ee also
*
Strategic bombing
*Tactical bomber
*Carpet bombing
*Close air support
*Forward air control
*Wild Weasel
*Gunship
*Air interdiction
*Tank plinking References
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