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fighter aircraft

Also known as F, pursuit aircraft, scout aircraft, hunter aircraft, fighter plane, aircraft, fighter, military aircraft, fighter, fighter airplane

airplane intended to attack aerial targets

AI overview

A fighter aircraft is an airplane designed primarily to shoot down other aircraft in combat. It matters because air superiority—controlling the skies during military conflicts—has become a crucial part of modern warfare.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Wikidata facts

Image: Formation of a Legacy, Heritage flight merges aviation past and present 86-16-51-22.jpg

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Commons category: Fighter aircraft
military designation: P

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Article

An F-16 Fighting Falcon (left), P-51D Mustang (bottom), F-86 Sabre (top), and F-22 Raptor (right) represent four generations of American fighters.

Fighter aircraft (early on also pursuit aircraft) are military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat. In military conflict, the role of fighter aircraft is to establish air superiority of the battlespace. Domination of the airspace above a battlefield permits bombers and attack aircraft to engage in tactical and strategic bombing of enemy targets, and helps prevent the enemy from doing the same.