air superiority
Ruling the skies
Air superiority is dominance of the skies in a military conflict—the condition where one side's aircraft can operate freely while the enemy's cannot.
Achieving air superiority allows ground and naval forces to move without constant threat from above.
Coalition forces established air superiority within the first week.
The term appears in military doctrine and defense policy discussions.
Close combat between aircraft
- fighterOne who engages in combat
- interceptorAircraft that intercepts threats
- missileSelf-guided airborne weapon
- sortieArmed raid outward
engagement · ace · squadron · wingman · bomber · scramble · lock-on · evasion
Banned flight region
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- suppressionForcible prevention or concealment
- combat air patrolDefensive aerial interception mission
- interdictionAuthoritative prohibition or blockade
exclusion zone · air corridor · sweep · escort · sanitize · zone defense
Radio-wave object detection
- surface-to-air missileGround-based antiaircraft weapon
- infraredHeat-bearing electromagnetic waves
- electronic warfareCombat via electromagnetic spectrum
- jammingBlocking or wedging forcefully
countermeasures · datalink · HUD · avionics
US air dominance aircraft
- F-15 EagleAmerican fighter jet
- MiG-29Russian fighter aircraft
- stealth fighterAircraft designed to evade detection
- AWACSAerial radar surveillance acronym
Established body of teachings
- tacticsMethods to achieve goals
- situational awarenessPerception of surroundings
- attritionGradual reduction through loss
- mission planningPreparing how to achieve objectives
dogfight
Close combat between aircraft
- fighterOne who engages in combat
- interceptorAircraft that intercepts threats
- missileSelf-guided airborne weapon
sortie · engagement · ace · squadron · wingman · bomber · scramble · lock-on · evasion · afterburner
no-fly zone
Banned flight region
- denialRefusal to accept reality
- suppressionForcible prevention or concealment
- combat air patrolDefensive aerial interception mission
interdiction · exclusion zone · air corridor · sweep · escort · sanitize · zone defense
radar
Radio-wave object detection
- surface-to-air missileGround-based antiaircraft weapon
- infraredHeat-bearing electromagnetic waves
- electronic warfareCombat via electromagnetic spectrum
jamming · countermeasures · datalink · HUD · avionics
F-22 Raptor
US air dominance aircraft
- F-15 EagleAmerican fighter jet
- MiG-29Russian fighter aircraft
- stealth fighterAircraft designed to evade detection
AWACS · tanker · multirole · supercruise
doctrine
Established body of teachings
- tacticsMethods to achieve goals
- situational awarenessPerception of surroundings
- attritionGradual reduction through loss
- Air Forcesair force, US Air Force, Luftwaffe, RAF, squadrons
- Military Affairsmilitary, defense secretary, War Department, defense strategy, military policy
- strategystrategy, grand strategy, tactics, tactic, tactical
- Air Combatair strike, airstrikes, fighter pilot, bombing run, bomb run
- air patrolpatrol, combat air patrol, routine patrol, coastal patrol, night patrol
- Arab-Israeli WarsSix-Day War, Yom Kippur War, Suez Crisis, war of attrition, Israel
superior, aircraft, aerial, airborne, supremacy, superiority, airspace, aerospace