fighter aircraft
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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.
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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.