A common theme within aircraft classification is the notion that many aircraft do not fall neatly into one category.
We spend a lot of time discussing various types of aircraft here at The National Interest—often referring to classifications like multi-role fighter, air superiority fighter, strategic bomber, attack aircraft, and so on, in reference to a specific airframe. Today, let’s slow down, scope out, and take a more careful consideration of the aircraft classification—specifically examining the “attack aircraft,” explaining what exactly it is and is not.
The term “attack aircraft” is often thrown around casually, in reference to widely disparate types of aircraft. This is because many different types of aircraft are capable of conducting an “attack” of some form. Air-to-air, air-to-ground, strategic, or tactical—all of these are “attacks,” and every aircraft from the B-52 to the F-35 to the A-4 includes some variety of attack abilities within the mission profile.
But a true attack aircraft is tasked primarily with conducting airstrikes at the tactical level, with greater precision than bombers. This often comes with the expectation of encountering and countering air defenses at low altitudes. True attack aircraft are thus built to provide close air support—that is, airstrikes against enemy ground forces who are operating in close proximity to friendly forces.
Of course, different classifications of aircraft can—and do—execute the very sort of operations described above. F-16s, for example, conduct close air support missions; F-15Es conduct tactical bombing runs. But neither the F-16 nor the F-15E is an attack aircraft, because neither is dedicated solely to the attack mission profile. In this case, both example/hypothetical aircraft, the F-16 and F-15E, a multi-role fighter and a strike fighter, respectively, fulfill a much broader range of missions profiles than simply attack and are designated accordingly. The dedicated attack aircraft offers a very specific mission parameter.
Sowing further confusion, the oft-used “A” designation—standing for “attack”—is sometimes used for aircraft that are not true attack aircraft. During World War II, the A-designation was used interchangeably between attack aircraft and light bombers (a specialty designation that essentially disappeared after the war). The A-designation is also used for aircraft that are not limited to attack functions; take the A-4 Skyhawk and the A-7 Corsair II, both of which offer air-to-air capabilities.
A common theme within aircraft classification is the notion that many aircraft do not fall neatly into one category. Many, such as the F-15 Eagle and F-35 Lightning II, are multirole craft designed for a range of missions without specializing in any of them. But here’s a simpler fact: only two true attack aircraft have been introduced since the 1960s. The first is America’s A-10 Thunderbolt II (better known as the “Warthog”). The second is Russia’s Su-25 Frogfoot. That’s it.
And given that no true attack aircraft has been developed in the fifty years since the A-10 and Su-25 made their debuts, and given that no true attack aircraft is currently in development, one can assume that the classification is trending towards extinction, with other, more versatile aircraft absorbing the attack responsibility.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the U.S. Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / w_p_o.
