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One of the most essential conditions successful combat work of aviation is a well-developed network field airfields.

IN war time In the area of ​​combat operations, temporary airfields are organized for flight operations.

Temporary airfields do not have any specially constructed structures.

Airfields are called operational if aviation units are located on them. Otherwise they are inoperative or spare.

Aerodrome; allowing, due to its size, only occasional flight operation of single aircraft or. regardless of size, used only for occasional landings and takeoffs of single aircraft is called a landing pad.

Depending on the character combat use airfields (sites) are divided into forward and rear.

Advanced airfields are called airfields (sites) from which aircraft combat sorties are directly carried out. They are located as close as possible to the front, depending on the situation (type and type of aviation, its combat missions, the nature of the terrain, the presence of communication routes, communications, etc.).

Forward airfields, depending on their importance, are divided into main and auxiliary.

The main airfield is technical base for conducting flight operations of a unit or formation. The unit headquarters and all services are usually located at this airfield.

Auxiliary airfields, to one degree or another, contribute to the combat work of aviation.

Auxiliary airfields include: a) spare airfields, where operations are carried out preparatory work in the event of air units transferring from main airfields in the event of a danger of air attacks (if the enemy establishes the location of this unit), as well as in the destruction of combat airfields; b) false ones, organized to disguise the true ones; False airfields can often serve as alternate airfields.

Rear airfields are called airfields (sites) intended for aviation rest during the period between flight and combat work, for inspection and repair of equipment.

Rear airfields are located at a distance that protects them from enemy fighter aircraft attacks.

Several airfields occupied by an aviation unit or formation, false and alternate airfields, take-off areas (for rapid dispersal in the event of a bomber and chemical attack), a communications and surveillance system, checkpoints, lighting equipment for night operations and air defense systems form an airfield hub.

The distance between airfields should not be less than 10 km.

Basic requirements for the location of airfields

1. Military aviation. According to their location, military aviation airfields must meet the following conditions:

a) be out of range of long-range enemy artillery fire;

b) have more short lines communications with the served military units, and even better - to allow personal communication between military and aviation commanders and their staffs;

c) provide best conditions for placement of material parts and minor repairs;

d) have good routes for transporting everything necessary;

e) provide the most favorable conditions for rest for personnel;

e) have good camouflage;

g) provide the opportunity to organize direct defense from both air and ground enemies.

The commander and headquarters are located at the airfield from which the combat work. Landing sites at division headquarters are intended in case of need for personal communication between the crew and the division commander or his chief

headquarters Near the unit headquarters, for direct communication with them, landing sites are equipped, designed to receive and operate single aircraft.

Communication between airfields and the combined arms headquarters served by the aviation unit is carried out using the latter's means.

The main airfield and the headquarters of the military unit are connected by wire.

2. Army reconnaissance aircraft. The operating conditions of army reconnaissance aviation do not impose special requirements on airfields. In the event of rapid movement of the field headquarters of the serviced operational unit, it will often be necessary to resort to working from a forward airfield, which can be the airfield of any military aviation unit.

3. Fighter aircraft. Army fighter aviation, in addition to its main airfields, must make extensive use of all cash network airfields and army area sites. This ensures a successful fight for air supremacy, allowing fighters to quickly concentrate on various sectors of the front.

The use of fighter aviation requires, first of all, well-established communications, which is why all fighter aviation airfields must have direct wire or radio communication with the command at whose disposal they are located, as well as with aviation headquarters (airfields) for other purposes, with air defense points and nearby main air posts. communications and surveillance.

4. Assault and bomber aircraft located at airfields in accordance with the general tactical situation.

The need for frequent repeated sorties requires that advanced airfields be brought closer to the front line with wide dispersion of squadrons (detachments) across individual airfields.

5. Area of ​​military and light combat aviation airfields. The zone of military aviation airfields covers the strip Front edge which is 10-20 km from the line of contact with the enemy, and the rear edge is 30-50 km. Typically, the main airfields of military aviation units are located at a depth of 1-1% of transitions from the enemy, and the landing sites are moved forward, possibly closer to the parking area of ​​corps and division headquarters.

The front edge of the zone of light combat aviation airfields runs 100 km from the line of contact with the enemy. When forward-based, the location of light combat aviation airfields will be in the zone from 100 to 200 m in depth, and when located at rear airfields, from 200 km and deeper.

Airfield defense from ground enemy

The airfield may be threatened by the following: ground troops enemy: a) motorized units; b) cavalry; c) squads airborne assault; d) sabotage groups.

Considering that the actions of large enemy forces equally threaten both airfields and the entire tactical and operational rear of troops, the defense of airfields cannot be considered in isolation from the general defense of the entire rear area.

Responsible for organizing the defense of a military rear area is the commander of the formation to which the given rear area belongs; The organization of defense within the army rear, according to its division, is directly in charge of the army headquarters or the heads of the relevant rear agencies located in the given area.

When organizing rear defense, they proceed from the importance of a particular object, and the defense is organized in directions leading to a particular object or group of them. In this case, the topographical conditions of the area are widely used and it is practiced to strengthen them with engineering, and sometimes chemicals struggle (construction of rubble, pitfalls, gouges, trenches, minefields and preparation for chemical contamination) using local improvised means and labor.

Aviation formations and rear units located in a given area receive for defense certain areas and areas indicated by the relevant order or order of the commander organizing the general defense, and organize defense in accordance with statutory provisions, and aviation must be ready for action from the air.

Organization of airfield emergency maintenance

In the struggle for air supremacy, the Air Force will strive to destroy enemy aircraft at their airfields during preparation for a combat mission, rest or arrival after completing a mission, inflicting the greatest possible defeat on personnel and rendering the airfield unusable.

The relative vastness of the target allows the use of any type of aircraft from various heights for attack.

Attack aircraft can fulfill all three tasks using: a) machine-gun fire, fragmentation and incendiary bombs to destroy the material part; b) high explosive bombs large caliber with retarders from tenths of a second to several hours to destroy the airfield; c) machine gun fire, small fragmentation bombs and explosive agents for destruction personnel.

Bomber aircraft operate over the entire area of ​​the airfield, destroying the airfield and hitting everything on the airfield. Its main means are bombs of all types and calibers.

Possibility of attack on airfields various types aviation operating at various altitudes and with the use of various weapons makes it necessary to use all means of anti-aircraft defense for defense.

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Aviation. To cover the location of a large formation of various types of aviation at the airfield hub, security of the aviation formation is organized with its own means, and a fighter unit can also be allocated. In the latter case, the airfields of the aviation unit are connected with the airfield of the fighter unit.

Flak. Defense of airfields from enemy aircraft attacking from high altitudes(more than 1,000), can be done using anti-aircraft artillery.

Successful defense of the airfield requires the allocation of at least one anti-aircraft artillery battalion (3-4 batteries). The idea of ​​defense is that enemy aircraft approaching the target, entering the anti-aircraft artillery fire zone, immediately come under two-layer fire (fire from 2 batteries) on probable approaches, and when approaching the center, they are fired upon by three- or four-layer fire (3-4 batteries).

If anti-aircraft artillery is insufficient and it is impossible to cover the entire airfield hub, the main airfield is covered first.

Anti-aircraft machine guns. When defending an airfield, anti-aircraft machine guns are placed in groups of at least two machine guns. Machine gun defense pursues the following objectives: a) to prevent aircraft from approaching the vulnerable part of the airfield and b) to prevent shelling or bombing the target with impunity.

Enemy aircraft can approach the target from any direction, but they are most likely to approach from closed or rough terrain. Therefore, machine gun groups are positioned so as to fire at enemy aircraft, no matter from which direction they appear; in the most likely directions, the fire of machine gun groups should be concentrated through the interaction of at least two groups; above the target itself (vulnerable area), the fire of machine-gun groups should be most dense, since here the machine guns will have the greatest possibility of destruction.

It is most advisable to install machine guns in high places (buildings, trees), eliminating the dead spaces that are inevitable when installing them directly on the ground. To install machine guns on buildings and trees, appropriate sites are prepared to allow all-round firing.

Temporarily inactive turret machine guns of aircraft can be brought into the fight against the enemy, and they are entrusted with the defense of the airfield itself.

Air communication and surveillance posts. Timely warning of airfields about an enemy air attack is provided by a network of air communication and observation posts of combined arms formations and logistics units located along the outer ring from the airfields at a distance of 15-20 km.

Posts of aviation units and formations are included in common system Air defense of this area and serve on a general basis.

If there is anti-aircraft artillery covering the airfield, the service of air communication posts can be assigned to observation posts anti-aircraft batteries. Each battery allocates three observation posts that continuously monitor the air situation. To warn the airfield command post the battalion commander, and, if possible, each battery must have contact with the central post of the airfield.

Airfield warning is also carried out using shots from batteries.

Local remedies

Disguise. The camouflage of airfields is divided into camouflage of: a) the airfield; b) material part; c) personnel; d) signs of life at the airfield.

The camouflage of existing airfields is complemented by the construction of false airfields.

To camouflage the airfield of an airfield, the following are widely used: field decoration and paint camouflage - these means make it possible to give an operating airfield the appearance of an area completely unsuitable for flights (pocked with ditches, holes, with fake, easily portable buildings: haystacks, haystacks, stumps, etc. .); in winter - covering up traces left by airplane skis.

Camouflage of material (aircraft) can be achieved by using natural shelters (trees, bushes, terrain), camouflage painting of aircraft, protective painting to match the terrain (green in a meadow, yellow on sand, white in winter, etc.) and, finally, through special coatings (masknets). It is especially important to cover the shiny parts that give the airplane away the most.

Masking personnel located outside the airfield does not present any particular difficulties, since it is easy to find some natural closures near the airfield. It is much more difficult to disguise personnel at the airfield. To do this, it is necessary to assign each unit a gathering place, if possible covered (by trees, bushes, etc.). If such shelters are not available, they are created artificially.

To disguise the signs of life at the airfield, it is necessary to give it the appearance of an area unsuitable for flights, as indicated above. It is especially important to eliminate traces of crutches at the airfield and mask the access roads to the airfield.

It is also necessary to camouflage air defense firing points, personnel quarters outside the airfield and rear facilities airfield (stocks of fuel, lubricants, bombs, vehicles, etc.). Masking these objects does not present any great difficulties, since they are relatively small?! they can always be placed in sheltered places.

Selection and preparation of field airfields and landing sites

Selection and preparation of field airfields and landing sites for military and light army combat aviation in most cases of interaction between aviation and ground forces are the responsibility of the command of these troops.

The responsible executor for the selection of forward airfields and landing sites will be the headquarters of the combined arms formation, in cooperation with which or as part of which the aviation operates.

The technical executor will be one of the headquarters commanders or the commander engineering troops of this connection.

The preparation of field airfields is carried out by the sapper units of this formation using military and working units or local residents as labor.

Locations for airfields are pre-selected based on military-geographical and aerographic descriptions of the area and large-scale maps. Then the map data and aerial descriptions are clarified by reconnaissance from aircraft, and special reconnaissance groups are sent to make a final decision on the suitability of a given area of ​​terrain for an airfield.

Requirements for the airfield

The following general requirements are imposed on the airfield:

a) sufficient size;

b) sufficient preparation of the airfield surface;

c) the presence of free approaches from the air in the direction of landing or takeoff, i.e. the absence of any vertical obstacles (houses, trees, high factory chimneys, etc.) in the path of the aircraft landing or taking off.

The direction in which an aircraft takes off and lands depends on the direction of the wind. For each area there are prevailing winds (repeating in direction), which must be taken into account when choosing an airfield.

Linear dimensions airfields. The linear dimensions of airfields depend on the number and type of aircraft and the nature of the flight operations of aircraft and units using a given airfield or landing site.

Relief. The surface of the airfield should be as horizontal as possible. Smoothly transitional slopes, without steps or springboards, of 0.01-0.02 with a length of at least 100 m are allowed; more frequent and sudden changes surfaces are dangerous when high speeds aircraft mileage.

Local obstacles (hillocks, depressions, ditches, boundaries, furrows, hummocks, holes, individual stones, bushes, stumps, pillars) must be removed.

It is advisable to avoid lowlands and depressions. airfield location (ground water).

Soil and vegetation cover. The soil should be dense, but elastic and absorb moisture well.

Unsuitable: swampy and very rocky.

Undesirable: sandy and clayey.

Desirable: meadow areas with sandy loam and podzolic soil, with herbaceous, rooty plant cover that protects from erosion, liquefaction and dust formation, but does not interfere with the operation of aircraft due to its density and height. It is possible to use grain fields provided that grains that have reached a height of 30 cm are removed and with appropriate soil density.

Aerodrome rules

The airfield should not be flooded with water or become swampy (atmospheric and groundwater). General state cover ra-<5очей площади полевого аэродрома должно допускать продвижение груженого полуторатонного автомобиля со скоростью 30- 40 км в час. Гусеничный трактор должен проходить без осадки почвы.

In winter, the airfield must have a flat surface, with a slight snow cover for take-off and landing on wheels, or a thicker and more even snow cover without snowdrifts for aircraft to operate on skis. In winter they can also be used for basing aircraft on ski lakes or rivers. In the latter cases, the time that allows such basing is taken into account.

Water sources. At each airfield, water is needed for various needs (water for radiators, for washing aircraft, for household needs, for extinguishing fires). A water supply, well or reservoir is desirable. For a landing site, you can limit yourself to a water source at a distance of no more than 1% of the km from the aircraft parking area.

The quality of the water should be close to rainwater or boiled water (no precipitation or heavy salts).

Access roads and communications. The delivery of air cargo by road requires good access roads from the nearest railway stations, populated areas and marinas. The conditions for basing aviation units at an airfield, combat work in cooperation with troops, the need for constant information about the weather, timely delivery of necessary cargo - all this requires a well-developed communication network (telephone, telegraph and radio), which must be taken into account when choosing an airfield.

Placement of materiel, supplies, material and technical means and personnel. The materiel, stocks of combat and logistical equipment and maintenance equipment at field airfields are located dispersed but using the surrounding terrain, lighting conditions and camouflage means. Aircraft are located dispersed along the border of the airfield using adjacent forest groups or bushes at a distance of 150-200 m from each other. Ammunition and fuel reserves are located sheltered outside the airfield. Flight and technical personnel are located at a distance of 3-6 km from the airfield. Transport, which is mainly intended for internal transportation at the airfield, is located in the airfield stock storage area. During flights at the airport There is a duty ambulance with servicing medical personnel, and the sanitary unit itself is located in the area where the personnel are located.

Layout of the airfield. The airfield (working area) for take-off and landing of an aircraft must correspond in size to the needs of this type of aviation.

The approach strip surrounding the airfield on all sides, or in any case on at least two sides (in the direction of the prevailing winds), must be of appropriate width.

Preparing the working area of ​​the airfield

Without preparing the airfield surface, the operation of the airfield and landing site is impossible.

Preparation consists of leveling (eliminating unevenness) and surface treatment as necessary (ploughing, harrowing, seeding, rolling and other work).

Large irregularities are cut off, depressions are filled in, small irregularities are leveled, sometimes the entire surface is somewhat loosened, bushes, stumps and individual trees are uprooted, stones are removed, and the entire area is often rolled, and if there is time and need, it is sown and strengthened with grass.

In addition, some airfields will require drainage to combat groundwater.

Description of sites. When searching for airfields, the following questions must be answered:

1) name of the nearest populated area (distance in kilometers);

2) the nearest railway station or pier (in which direction in relation to the cardinal points, how many kilometers, on which road or river);

3) communication routes leading to the railway station (or pier) and the nearest populated area; their condition;

4) the dimensions of the site and its outline (linear dimensions - in meters, areal dimensions - in hectares);

6) the nature of the surface (soil, hilliness);

7) obstacles on the territory of the site and approaches to it (trees, bushes, stones, stumps, ditches, hummocks, buildings, telegraph poles, etc.);

8) the presence of reservoirs (natural and artificial), the quality and quantity of water in them;

9) the nature of the surrounding area (vegetation, surface features, water spaces);

10) availability and capacity of nearby settlements for the needs of the Air Force;

11) dependence of the site on rains, river floods and snow melting and for what period;

12) constant communication (radio, postal and telegraph office, railway, telegraph, telephone); distance from the site to the nearest communication point;

13) presence of enterprises and workshops in the area of ​​the site (within a radius of up to 5 km);

14) availability of labor and construction materials in the surrounding area;

15) availability and condition of vehicles among the local population;

16) local medical and veterinary points;

17) a list of works necessary to adapt the site for an airfield;

18) other information (political, sanitary).

Military aviation has always attracted a lot of public attention. And, if at the time of its inception it delighted with its efficiency, today it surprises with its capabilities and the presence of a mass of high-tech solutions. We live in a very unstable world, in which local conflicts occur every now and then, but perhaps the only advantage of this is the opportunity to observe the best works of engineering in action. We have combined them into a rating the best military fighters in the world, which can not only surprise you with the technical progress of the defense industry, but also make you proud of your own country, because most of the leading positions belong to Russian aircraft. As they say, “First things first, the planes...”

10. Dassault “Mirage” 2000 (France)

French aviation has noticeably improved since the Second World War, when it was completely destroyed by the German army. Attempts to conduct an independent foreign policy required a strong army, so 30 years ago the Mirage military aircraft appeared, which immediately became the main fighter of the French Air Force and did not give up this position for two decades, because it performed excellently in peacekeeping operations in North Africa, as a result of which began to be purchased en masse by India. It was in this region that he found himself: the successful destruction of enemy aircraft and headquarters, as well as guided missile attacks, broke the rebel resistance in a couple of days. According to some reports, despite being discontinued in 2006, Dassault 2000 participated in the Libyan War, where it caused stunning damage to the military equipment of Gaddafi's army.

9.

Just a couple of years ago, the Falcon, ranked ninth in the ranking of the best fighters in the world, was the most common combat aircraft in the world. Low cost and quality indicators made it the main export product of the American Air Force. As of today, there are 4,750 F-16 fighters worldwide. The modernized version will be produced at least until the end of 2017. Pictures of this aircraft were repeatedly captured by military reporters; it managed to take part in 100 conflicts, the most famous of which are the NATO Operation against Yugoslav troops and the Iraq War. The Israeli Army's F-16 Fighting Falcons are the most capable combat fighters. According to official data, they have forty air victories.

8.

Although prototypes have not yet taken part in combat operations, and its commissioning is planned for 2018, it has already incorporated the leading developments of domestic engineers. Compared to its predecessor, it will become more economical in terms of fuel consumption, but at the same time, it will create more conditions for pilot comfort: from automated flight control during aiming to an increased volume of air created by an autonomous oxygen station. The only fly in the ointment, in our opinion, is the too early attempts of the Russian Ministry of Defense to involve it in international tenders, because the radar and some equipment are still not brought to ideal condition. A positive feature of this model is the cost of production; for example, the French produce aircraft with similar characteristics at two to three times the price.

7.

The most successful American project of the last forty years ranks seventh in the top ten best combat fighters in the world. The F-15 Eagle is guaranteed to remain in service until 2025, which means it will have time to celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. Amazingly, over such a long period, the Eagle was defeated in an air battle only once, while destroying about a hundred enemy aircraft. This fighter is connected with the story of an Israeli Air Force pilot named Peled, who during the military conflict in Syria was able to destroy six enemy aircraft and cause significant damage to four more. Currently, six hundred F-15s are in service with various countries, and they are not going to be written off, because on average problems occur only once every 50 thousand flight hours.

6.

The crown of thought of French aircraft designers in the context of fourth generation fighters. The only drawback is the high cost of production, which requires the involvement of a lot of precision engineering objects. Having started its journey with the war in Afghanistan 15 years ago, the Rafale has proven its effectiveness in the fight against the Libyan army. It is worth noting that the “victims” of the Rafale were most often domestic fighters and helicopters in service with the Libyan Air Force. Speaking of modern times, Dassault is mostly involved in training exercises and has only carried out strikes against Islamic State forces in Iraq on a few occasions. It is also associated with a lot of incidents when the plane crashed or exploded in the air, but the manufacturer has proven that the cause of such situations is most often the human factor.

5.

The most reliable domestic aircraft is located at the equator of the ranking of the best military fighters in the world. He repeatedly proved his superiority during the exercises. Forming the backbone of the Indian Air Force, the Su-30 defeated American and British competitors in training battles, and in most cases, dryly. Also, it was Sukhoi that ensured the success of the operation of the Russian military space forces in Syria, and played a decisive role in the liberation of Palmyra. Over a quarter of a century, only 9 incidents were recorded, most of which were caused by an engine fire or insufficient fuel; fortunately, there were no military casualties, with the exception of a Vietnamese Air Force plane crashing into the sea.

4.

The only fighter created by the joint efforts of the countries of the European Union and proven its effectiveness during real combat operations (coalition operations in Syria and Iraq). Its undoubted advantage is the ability to interfere with enemy radars and, thereby, correct the direction of flight of guided missiles, so the absence of losses should not be a surprise. Another advantage is the maximum firing range; according to this indicator, the Typhoon surpasses its closest competitors by as much as one hundred kilometers. Today, the countries of Europe and the Middle East are armed with about half a thousand fighters, each of which has a unique modification and production technology.

3.

The aircraft, which opens the top three among the best military fighters in the world, requires special attention, because it will form the backbone of the aviation wing of our country’s permanent military base in Syria. The secrecy of production for a long time forced potential buyers to avoid investing in a risky project, but participation in combat operations, where the Su-35 covered the main attack forces of the Russian Aerospace Forces, attracted a lot of attention to it. Considering that the aircraft is an extremely thorough modernization of the Su-27 (this is evidenced by the identical airframe), the fighter serves as proof of the durability of domestic military equipment, and also speaks of following traditions in aviation. Unfortunately, information about participation in exercises or battles with the enemy was not presented to the public.

2.

Multifunctional, economical, effective - in general, this is the best fighter produced in the United States. From 2014 to today, he has formed the backbone of the Air Force in Syria, where, having begun the fight against radical Islamists, he continues to create significant problems for IS troops. A noteworthy case is when the pilot, in one combat mission, not only completed a combat mission, but also remained in a certain area for another six hours, without being noticed by enemy forces and transmitting the coordinates of the positions of the enemy who was trying to evacuate the base. Over the past two years, the F-22 has successfully completed approximately 210 combat missions. The entire operational period includes only two cases of loss during conflict, which indicates the high quality and reliability of the Raptor.

1. Sukhoi T-50 (Russia)

Palm in the ranking and title the best military fighter in the world receives the Sukhoi T-50 - the first domestic fifth-generation aircraft capable of simultaneous combat with several opponents located both in the sky and on the ground. This was made possible thanks to increased maneuverability and advanced technology. Even Western experts praised the first steps of Russian engineers in creating fighters with stealth reduction technology, but in practice it is not possible to draw any solid conclusions: all tests are carried out behind closed doors, and the final configuration of the prototype will be presented only in a year and a half.

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We could not ignore the best Soviet fighter, which is still in service both in post-Soviet countries and among allies in the communist camp, because he is in the top ten. It is noteworthy that the Su 27 becomes a participant in any computer flight simulator. Also, this aircraft is the only domestically produced fighter that participated in hostilities in Central Africa, where it neutralized 3 enemy aircraft without loss, and the only identified disadvantage is the rather high fuel consumption during afterburner.

Russian supersonic strategic bomber Tu-160. Armed with cruise missiles capable of hitting targets at a distance of more than five thousand kilometers

The idea of ​​using aircraft on the battlefield arose long before the first airplanes designed by the Wright brothers took to the air. The subsequent development of military aviation was unusually rapid, and to this day airplanes and helicopters have become a formidable weapon in the hands of commanders, second in power only to nuclear missile forces. Without dominance in the sky, achieving victory on earth is incredibly difficult, and often impossible. Aviation is capable of detecting and destroying any target; it is difficult to hide from it and even more difficult to defend against.

What is military aviation?

Modern air forces include special troops and services, as well as a rather complex set of technical means, varied in their intended purpose, which can be used to solve strike, reconnaissance, transport and some other tasks.

The main part of this complex is the following types of aviation:

1. Strategic;
2. Frontline;
3. Sanitary;
4. Transport.

Additional aviation units are also included in the air defense forces, navy and ground forces.

History of the creation of military aviation

Sikorsky's Ilya Muromets aircraft is the world's first four-engine bomber

The first airplanes were used for a long time almost exclusively for entertainment and sporting purposes. But already in 1911, during the armed conflict between Italy and Turkey, aircraft were used in the interests of the army. At first these were reconnaissance flights, the first of which took place on October 23, and already on November 1, the Italian pilot Gavoti used weapons on ground targets, dropping several ordinary hand grenades on them.

By the beginning of the First World War, the great powers managed to acquire air fleets. They consisted mainly of reconnaissance airplanes. There were no fighters at all, and only Russia had bombers - these were the famous Ilya Muromets aircraft. Unfortunately, it was never possible to establish a full-fledged serial production of these machines, so their total number did not exceed 80 copies. Meanwhile, Germany produced hundreds of its own bombers in the second half of the war.

In February 1915, the world's first fighter aircraft, created by the French pilot Roland Garros, appeared on the Western Front. The device he invented for firing through a propeller was quite primitive, although it worked; however, already in May of the same year, the Germans commissioned their own fighters equipped with a full-fledged synchronizer. From this point on, air battles became increasingly common.

German fighter Fokker Dr.I. One of these aircraft was used by the best ace of the First World War, Manfred von Richthofen.

After the end of World War I, aircraft continued to develop rapidly, increasing their speed, range and payload. At the same time, the so-called “Douay Doctrine” appeared, named after its author, an Italian general, who believed that victory in the war could only be achieved through aerial bombing, methodically destroying the enemy’s defense and industrial potential, undermining his morale and will. to resistance.

As subsequent events showed, this theory does not always justify itself, but it was it that largely determined the subsequent directions of development of military aviation throughout the world. The most notable attempt to put the Douay Doctrine into practice was the strategic bombing of Germany during World War II. As a result, military aviation made a huge contribution to the subsequent defeat of the “Third Reich”, however, it was still not possible to do without the active actions of the ground forces.

Armadas of long-range bombers were considered the main strike instrument in the post-war period. It was in those years that jet aircraft appeared, which largely changed the very idea of ​​​​military aviation. Huge “flying fortresses” became just a convenient target for the Soviet high-speed and well-armed MiGs.

B-29 - American strategic bomber of the 40s, the first carrier of nuclear weapons

This meant that bombers also had to become jet-powered, which soon happened. During these years, aircraft became increasingly complex. If during World War II only one aircraft technician was involved in servicing the fighter, then in subsequent years it was necessary to attract a whole team of specialists.

During the Vietnam War, multi-role aircraft, capable of striking ground targets as well as air combat, came to the fore. This was the American F-4 Phantom, which to some extent became a source of inspiration for the Soviet designers who developed the MiG-23. At the same time, the conflict in Vietnam once again showed that bombing alone, even the most intense, is not enough for victory: combat aviation, without the help of ground forces, is capable of forcing surrender only to a morally broken enemy, prepared in advance for defeat.

In the 70-80s of the last century, fourth-generation fighters appeared in the skies. They differed from their predecessors not only in flight characteristics, but also in the composition of their weapons. The use of high-precision weapons has once again changed the face of air warfare: there has been a transition from massive airstrikes to “targeted” ones.

Su-27 (left) and F-15 are the best fighters of the 80s of the last century

Today, the main direction of development of military aviation has become the intensive use of drones, both reconnaissance and strike, as well as the creation of stealth multi-purpose aircraft, such as the American F-35 or Russian Su-57.

Purpose of military aviation

List of main tasks that are solved with the help of military aircraft and helicopters:

1. Conducting all types of aerial reconnaissance;
2. Artillery fire adjustment;
3. Destruction of ground, sea, air and space targets, small and large, stationary and mobile, area and point;
4. Mining of areas;
5. Protection of airspace and ground forces;
6. Transportation and landing of troops;
7. Delivery of various military cargo and equipment;
8. Evacuation of the wounded and sick;
9. Conducting campaign events;
10. Inspection of the area, detection of radiation, chemical and bacteriological contamination.

Thus, military aviation can bring enormous benefits, of course, provided that it is used correctly.

Military aviation equipment

During the First World War, attack airships (Zeppelins) were actively used, however, today there is nothing like this in the Air Force. All equipment used is airplanes (airplanes) and helicopters.

Aircraft

The breadth of the range of tasks solved with the help of aviation forces the Air Force to include several different types of vehicles. Each of them has its own purpose.

F-111 - American front-line bomber with variable sweep wings

Combat aircraft

This type of aviation includes:

1. Fighters. Their main purpose is to destroy enemy aircraft and gain air superiority, local or complete. All other tasks are secondary. Armament – ​​guided air-to-air missiles, automatic cannons;
2. Bombers. Can be front-line or strategic. They are used mainly for attacks on ground targets. Armament - air-to-surface missiles (including unguided ones), free-falling, gliding and guided bombs, as well as torpedoes (for anti-submarine aircraft);
3. Stormtroopers. Used primarily for direct support of troops on the battlefield;
4. Fighter-bombers are aircraft capable of striking ground targets and conducting air combat. All modern fighters are like this to some extent.

Strategic bombers differ significantly from other combat aircraft in their weapons system, which includes long-range cruise missiles.

Reconnaissance and air surveillance aircraft

In principle, “regular” fighters or bombers equipped with the necessary equipment can be used to solve reconnaissance tasks. An example is the MiG-25R. But there is also specialized equipment. These are, in particular, the American U-2 and SR-71, and the Soviet An-30.

High-speed reconnaissance aircraft SR-71 Blackbird

Long-range radar detection aircraft - the Russian A-50 (created on the basis of the Il-76), and the American E-3 Sentry - also fall into this category. Such machines are capable of conducting deep radio reconnaissance, however, they are not stealthy, since they are a source of powerful electromagnetic radiation. Such reconnaissance aircraft as the Il-20, which are mainly engaged in radio interception, behave much more “modestly”.

Transport aircraft

This type of aircraft is used to transport troops and equipment. Some models of vehicles that are part of transport aviation are adapted for landing - both conventional and parachuteless, carried out from extremely low altitudes.

The most commonly used military transport aircraft in the Russian army are the Il-76 and An-26. If it is necessary to deliver cargo of significant weight or volume, heavy An-124s can be used. Of the American military aircraft for a similar purpose, the most famous are the C-5 Galaxy and C-130 Hercules.

Il-76 is the main aircraft of Russian military transport aviation

Training aircraft

Becoming a military pilot is quite difficult. The hardest thing is to gain real skills that cannot be replaced by virtual flights on a simulator or deep study of theory. To solve this problem, training aviation is used. Such aircraft can be either specialized machines or variants of combat aircraft.

For example, the Su-27UB, although used for pilot training, can be used as a full-fledged fighter. At the same time, the Yak-130 or the British BAE Hawk are specialized training aircraft. In some cases, even such models can be used as light attack aircraft to strike ground targets. This usually happens “due to poverty”, in the absence of full-fledged combat aircraft.

Helicopters

Although rotary-wing aircraft were used to a limited extent already during the Second World War, after the end of hostilities, interest in “helicopters” noticeably decreased. It soon became clear that this was a mistake, and today helicopters are used in the armies of various countries around the world.

Transport helicopters

Conventional airplanes cannot take off and land vertically, which somewhat narrows their scope of application. Helicopters initially had this property, which made them a very attractive means for delivering goods and transporting people. The first full-fledged “debut” of such machines took place during the Korean War. The US Army, using helicopters, evacuated the wounded directly from the battlefield, delivered ammunition and equipment to the soldiers, and created problems for the enemy by landing small armed detachments in his rear.

V-22 Osprey is one of the most unusual examples of rotorcraft

Today the most typical transport helicopter in the Russian army is the Mi-8. The huge heavy Mi-26 is also used. The US military operates the UH-60 Blackhawk, CH-47 Chinook, and the V-22 Osprey.

Attack helicopters

The first rotary-wing vehicle, created specifically to engage ground targets and provide direct fire support to its own troops, appeared in the United States in the 60s. It was a UH-1 Cobra helicopter, some modifications of which are still used by the US military today. The functions of these machines to some extent overlap with the tasks of attack aircraft.

In the 70s, attack helicopters were considered perhaps the most effective anti-tank weapon. This became possible thanks to new types of guided aircraft missiles, such as the American TOW and Hellfire, as well as the Soviet Phalanx, Attack and Vikhryam. A little later, combat helicopters were additionally equipped with air-to-air missiles.

The most “brutal” combat helicopter in the world - the Mi-24 - is capable of not only striking ground targets, but also transporting paratroopers

The most famous vehicles of this class are the Mi-24, Ka-52, AH-64 Apache.

Reconnaissance helicopters

In Soviet and then Russian army aviation, reconnaissance tasks were usually assigned not to specialized, but to ordinary combat or transport helicopters. The USA took a different path and developed the OH-58 Kiowa. The equipment placed on board this vehicle allows you to confidently detect and recognize various targets at long distances. The weakness of the helicopter is its poor security, which sometimes led to losses.

Of the Russian models, the Ka-52 has the most advanced reconnaissance equipment, which allows this vehicle to be used as a kind of “gunner”.

UAV

Over the past decades, the importance of unmanned aerial vehicles has grown significantly. Drones make it possible to conduct reconnaissance and even launch surprise attacks on targets while remaining invulnerable. They are not only difficult to shoot down, but even easy to detect.

Drones are likely to become a priority in aviation development for the foreseeable future. Such vehicles will, in particular, be used as assistants for the most modern tanks and fifth-generation fighters. Over time, they may completely replace manned combat aircraft.

Promising Russian UAV "Okhotnik"

Air defense

To solve air defense tasks, both conventional front-line fighters and specialized interceptors can be used. Particular attention was paid to such aircraft in the USSR, since American strategic bombers had long been considered the No. 1 threat.

The most famous air defense aircraft were the Soviet MiG-25 and MiG-31 interceptors. These are relatively low-maneuverable aircraft, but they are capable of quickly accelerating to speeds of more than 3,000 kilometers per hour.

Of the American fighters with a similar purpose, the F-14 Tomcat is the most famous. This carrier-based aircraft was the sole carrier of the long-range AIM-54 Phoenix missile and was used to protect carrier strike groups from air attack.

MiG-25 interceptor on takeoff. Taking advantage of their record speed, such aircraft successfully evaded dozens of air-to-air missiles fired at them.

In recent decades, aviation technology has not been developing as rapidly as it was previously. Fighters such as the F-15, F-16, F/A-18 and Su-27 still dominate the air forces of various countries, although these machines first took to the air back in the 70-80s of the last century . Of course, this does not mean that progress has stopped. The composition of weapons is changing, on-board electronics are being updated, and most importantly, the tactics and strategy for using aviation are being revised, which in the future may become largely unmanned. One thing is clear - whatever the technical composition of the Air Force, airplanes and helicopters will remain one of the most powerful means of achieving victory in any military conflict.

The newest best military aircraft of the Russian Air Force and the world photos, pictures, videos about the value of a fighter aircraft as a combat weapon capable of ensuring “superiority in the air” was recognized by the military circles of all states by the spring of 1916. This required the creation of a special combat aircraft superior to all others in speed, maneuverability, altitude and the use of offensive small arms. In November 1915, Nieuport II Webe biplanes arrived at the front. This was the first aircraft built in France that was intended for air combat.

The most modern domestic military aircraft in Russia and the world owe their appearance to the popularization and development of aviation in Russia, which was facilitated by the flights of Russian pilots M. Efimov, N. Popov, G. Alekhnovich, A. Shiukov, B. Rossiysky, S. Utochkin. The first domestic cars of designers J. Gakkel, I. Sikorsky, D. Grigorovich, V. Slesarev, I. Steglau began to appear. In 1913, the Russian Knight heavy aircraft made its first flight. But one cannot help but recall the first creator of the aircraft in the world - Captain 1st Rank Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky.

Soviet military aircraft of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War sought to hit enemy troops, their communications and other targets in the rear with air strikes, which led to the creation of bomber aircraft capable of carrying a large bomb load over considerable distances. The variety of combat missions to bomb enemy forces in the tactical and operational depth of the fronts led to the understanding of the fact that their implementation must be commensurate with the tactical and technical capabilities of a particular aircraft. Therefore, the design teams had to resolve the issue of specialization of bomber aircraft, which led to the emergence of several classes of these machines.

Types and classification, latest models of military aircraft in Russia and the world. It was obvious that it would take time to create a specialized fighter aircraft, so the first step in this direction was an attempt to arm existing aircraft with small offensive weapons. Mobile machine gun mounts, which began to be equipped with aircraft, required excessive efforts from pilots, since controlling the machine in maneuverable combat and simultaneously firing from unstable weapons reduced the effectiveness of shooting. The use of a two-seater aircraft as a fighter, where one of the crew members served as a gunner, also created certain problems, because the increase in weight and drag of the machine led to a decrease in its flight qualities.

What types of planes are there? In our years, aviation has made a big qualitative leap, expressed in a significant increase in flight speed. This was facilitated by progress in the field of aerodynamics, the creation of new, more powerful engines, structural materials, and electronic equipment. computerization of calculation methods, etc. Supersonic speeds have become the main flight modes of fighter aircraft. However, the race for speed also had its negative sides - the takeoff and landing characteristics and maneuverability of the aircraft sharply deteriorated. During these years, the level of aircraft construction reached such a level that it became possible to begin creating aircraft with variable sweep wings.

For Russian combat aircraft, in order to further increase the flight speeds of jet fighters exceeding the speed of sound, it was necessary to increase their power supply, increase the specific characteristics of turbojet engines, and also improve the aerodynamic shape of the aircraft. For this purpose, engines with an axial compressor were developed, which had smaller frontal dimensions, higher efficiency and better weight characteristics. To significantly increase thrust, and therefore flight speed, afterburners were introduced into the engine design. Improving the aerodynamic shapes of aircraft consisted of using wings and tail surfaces with large sweep angles (in the transition to thin delta wings), as well as supersonic air intakes.