combat air patrol
Airborne protective mission
Combat air patrol is a military aviation mission in which fighter aircraft fly defensive patterns to protect a designated area from enemy aircraft.
Often abbreviated CAP.
Aircraft on combat air patrol typically loiter at altitude, ready to intercept threats: Two F-15s maintained combat air patrol over the carrier group.
The term extends to the aircraft performing such duty: We scrambled the combat air patrol when radar detected incoming bogeys.
Armed military aircraft
- interceptorAircraft that intercepts threats
- sortieArmed raid outward
- wingmanSupportive second in formation
- cockpitPilot's control compartment
pilot · aviator · squadron · afterburner · airspeed · altitude · takeoff · landing
Seizing something in transit
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- dogfightClose combat between aircraft
- maneuverDeliberate tactical movement
- formationCreation or arrangement
escort · reconnaissance · air superiority · suppression · vectoring · rules of engagement · weapons free · splash
Regulated overhead flight zone
- radarRadio-wave object detection
- missileSelf-guided airborne weapon
- antiaircraftGround-to-sky weaponry
- early warningAlert before event occurs
no-fly zone · exclusion zone · perimeter · AWACS · ground control · threat assessment · quick reaction · deterrence
Systematic visual examination
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
- trackingMonitoring location over time
- detectionAct of finding something
- overwatchProtective surveillance position
patrolling · observation · identification · contact · situational awareness · loitering
fighter jet
Armed military aircraft
- interceptorAircraft that intercepts threats
- sortieArmed raid outward
- wingmanSupportive second in formation
cockpit · pilot · aviator · squadron · afterburner · airspeed · altitude · takeoff · landing · airbase
interception
Seizing something in transit
- engagementCommitment to wed or attend
- dogfightClose combat between aircraft
- maneuverDeliberate tactical movement
formation · escort · reconnaissance · air superiority · suppression · vectoring · rules of engagement · weapons free · splash · bandit
airspace
Regulated overhead flight zone
- radarRadio-wave object detection
- missileSelf-guided airborne weapon
- antiaircraftGround-to-sky weaponry
early warning · no-fly zone · exclusion zone · perimeter · AWACS · ground control · threat assessment · quick reaction · deterrence
scanning
Systematic visual examination
- monitoringOngoing observation of something
- trackingMonitoring location over time
- detectionAct of finding something
overwatch · patrolling · observation · identification · contact · situational awareness · loitering
- naval warfarenaval battles, naval battle, battleship, destroyer, sea battles
- Air Combatair strike, airstrikes, fighter pilot, bombing run, bomb run
- air patrolfighter jets, squadron, pilots, intercept, interception
- fighter pilot termsfighter jets, interceptors, dogfighting, scramble, target lock
- Naval Aviationnaval aviation, naval aviator, flight deck, fighter squadrons, air wing
- aviationaircraft, airports, flying, flight, airplane
combat air patrolclose air support
Aircraft fire aiding troops
strategic bombing · bombing run · carpet bombing · attack run · precision strike
combat, patrol, combative, combatant, combativeness, combatively, combatants, noncombatant, noncombatants