Fighter Jets Speech or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fighter Jets - Speech or Presentation Example The role of the air force could be divided into the following tasks: interdiction, close support, bombing, reconnaissance and air superiority. Interdiction is the task in which the air force intercepts an aerial target as it is moving towards its destined objective. Close support means the air force will provide lead aerial fire support against opposing ground or sea targets. Reconnaissance is the observation and gathering of enemy presence and movement from a safe distance. Air superiority is the task of securing the airspace of a battle-zone to ensure control of aerial advantages. In the case of air superiority, victory lies in the side that have the better skills and an even a near equal measure of equipment. The only way of getting rid of opposing air superiority is by either having the better pilots and planes, or by having the ground forces have a superior anti-air defense system and weaponry. Fighter jets could make use of either auto-cannons or different kinds of missiles to destroy aerial targets. Auto-cannons are used when aerial combat has become a close ranged dogfight. Missiles are used differently, depending on its kind and size. Some missiles are heat-seeking types which home into any heat signature found in the radar sight. Radar-guided missiles are missiles that are guided to a target based on the direction the radar bore-sight is aimed on. In combat, pilots of fighter jets would either have to maneuver their way from getting shot down, or make use of different countermeasures like flares, chaff or jamming systems, to avert any enemy weapons from hitting them. It should be remembered that the introduction of jet aircrafts, despite being a scientific and engineering endeavor, is a co-related to the arms race of military powers in gaining advantages of air power and superiority. During the First World War, the concept of air warfare was born and put into its early stages of application. While most critics in the military circles that time express ed that aircrafts in warfare will just be relegated to a purely reconnaissance role, a handful of visionary and forward thinking military officers and theorists saw the great potential of aircraft in more combative roles in future wars to come. The latter among the two sides were very much correct. Come the Second World War, the world’s powerful military nations already developed a formal and fundamental doctrine for their air forces. It became apparent to military leaders in the world’s leading nations that control of the air would limit the role of enemy ground and maritime forces since aircrafts literally have the sky as the limits unlike the armies and navies. Germany and Russia developed their air force doctrine to play a close combat support in tandem with their ground forces with respect to combined arms tactics and strategy. The British pursued a more active air superiority and defense role for its aircraft, while developing long range strategic bombing strateg ies with the Americans later on. The Americans and Japanese developed the basis for naval aviation as they produced aircrafts designed to operate on naval aircraft carriers. As the war dragged on, Germany’s air force also developed into air superiority roles as they switched into a more defensive strategy. As the war prolonged during the Second World War, the nations at war would pour a great deal of effort in trying to get the advantage over their adversary by