Editing Fighter aircraft (section)

== Classification ==
A fighter aircraft is primarily designed for [[air-to-air combat]].<ref>{{cite web |date=22 September 2011 |title=Fighter —Definition and More from the Free Merriam Webster Dictionary. |url=http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fighter |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109080608/http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fighter |archive-date=9 November 2011 |access-date=25 September 2011 |work=Merriam Webster Dictionary |publisher=Encyclopædia Britannica}}</ref> A given type may be designed for specific combat conditions, and in some cases for additional roles such as air-to-ground fighting. Historically the British [[Royal Flying Corps]] and [[Royal Air Force]] referred to them as "[[Scout (aircraft)|scouts]]" until the early 1920s, while the [[U.S. Army]] called them "pursuit" aircraft until the late 1940s (using the designation P, as in [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk]], [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt]] and [[Bell P-63 Kingcobra]]). The UK changed to calling them fighters in the 1920s{{citation needed|date=January 2022}}, while the US Army did so in the 1940s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Knaack |first1=Marcelle Size |url=https://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330287/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-027.pdf |title=Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems: Volume 1 |date=1978 |publisher=Office of Air Force History |location=Washington, D.C. |page=1 |access-date=24 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161220182928/http://media.defense.gov/2010/May/26/2001330287/-1/-1/0/AFD-100526-027.pdf |archive-date=20 December 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> A short-range fighter designed to defend against incoming enemy aircraft is known as an [[Interceptor aircraft|interceptor]].

Recognized classes of fighter include:

* [[Air superiority fighter]]
* [[Fighter-bomber]]
* [[Heavy fighter]]
* [[Interceptor aircraft|Interceptor]]
* [[Light fighter]]
* [[All-weather fighter]] (including the [[night fighter]])
* [[Reconnaissance fighter]]
* [[Strategic fighter]] (including the [[escort fighter]] and [[strike fighter]])

Of these, the [[Fighter-bomber]], [[reconnaissance fighter]] and [[strike fighter]] classes are dual-role, possessing qualities of the fighter alongside some other battlefield role. Some fighter designs may be developed in variants performing other roles entirely, such as [[Ground-attack aircraft|ground attack]] or unarmed [[Reconnaissance aircraft|reconnaissance]]. This may be for political or national security reasons, for advertising purposes, or other reasons.<ref>{{cite web |author=Andreas Parsch |date=22 September 2011 |title=Non-Standard DOD Aircraft Designations |url=http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/nonstandard-mds.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927004151/http://www.designation-systems.net/usmilav/nonstandard-mds.html |archive-date=27 September 2011 |access-date=25 September 2011}}</ref>

The [[Sopwith Camel]] and other "fighting scouts" of World War I performed a great deal of ground-attack work. In World War II, the [[USAAF]] and [[Royal Air Force|RAF]] often favored fighters over dedicated light bombers or [[dive bombers]], and types such as the [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt]] and [[Hawker Hurricane]] that were no longer competitive as aerial combat fighters were relegated to ground attack. Several aircraft, such as the F-111 and F-117, have received fighter designations though they had no fighter capability due to political or other reasons. The F-111B variant was originally intended for a fighter role with the [[U.S. Navy]], but it was canceled. This blurring follows the use of fighters from their earliest days for "attack" or "strike" operations against ground targets by means of [[strafing]] or dropping small bombs and incendiaries. Versatile multi role fighter-bombers such as the [[McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet]] are a less expensive option than having a range of specialized aircraft types.

Some of the most expensive fighters such as the US [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat]], [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle]], [[Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor]] and Russian [[Sukhoi Su-27]] were employed as all-weather [[Interceptor aircraft|interceptors]] as well as [[air superiority fighter]] aircraft, while commonly developing air-to-ground roles late in their careers. An interceptor is generally an aircraft intended to target (or intercept) bombers and so often trades maneuverability for climb rate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Military Aircraft Terminology |url=http://www.northcentralwis.net/wimuzikman/airterms.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180727014559/http://www.northcentralwis.net/wimuzikman/airterms.html |archive-date=27 July 2018 |access-date=18 August 2018 |website=www.northcentralwis.net}}</ref>

As a part of military nomenclature, a letter is often assigned to various types of aircraft to indicate their use, along with a number to indicate the specific aircraft. The letters used to designate a fighter differ in various countries. In the English-speaking world, "F" is often now used to indicate a fighter (e.g. [[Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II]] or [[Supermarine Spitfire|Supermarine Spitfire F.22]]), though "P" used to be used in the US for pursuit (e.g. [[Curtiss P-40 Warhawk]]), a translation of the French "C" ([[Dewoitine D.520|Dewoitine D.520 C.1]]) for ''Chasseur'' while in Russia "I" was used for ''Istrebitel'', or exterminator ([[Polikarpov I-16]]).

=== Air superiority fighter ===
{{Main|Air superiority fighter}}

As fighter types have proliferated, the air superiority fighter emerged as a specific role at the pinnacle of speed, maneuverability, and air-to-air weapon systems – able to hold its own against all other fighters and establish its dominance in the skies above the battlefield.

===Interceptor===
{{Main|Interceptor aircraft}}

The interceptor is a fighter designed specifically to intercept and engage approaching enemy aircraft. There are two general classes of interceptor: relatively [[Light fighter|lightweight]] aircraft in the point-defence role, built for fast reaction, high performance and with a short range, and heavier aircraft with more comprehensive avionics and designed to fly at night or in all weathers and to operate over longer [[Range (aeronautics)|ranges]]. Originating during World War I, by 1929 this class of fighters had become known as the interceptor.<ref>[https://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1929/1929-1%20-%201764.html The Gloster S.S.8], ''Flight'', 6 December 1929, Page 1273: "the type of single-seater fighter known as an "Interceptor" is a class of aircraft designed, as the title suggests, for intercepting hostile aircraft."</ref>

=== Night and all-weather fighters ===
{{Main|Night fighter}}

The equipment necessary for daytime flight is inadequate when flying at night or in poor visibility. The night fighter was developed during World War I with additional equipment to aid the pilot in flying straight, navigating and finding the target. From modified variants of the [[Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c]] in 1915, the night fighter has evolved into the highly capable all-weather fighter.<ref>Gunston, Bill (1976), ''Night Fighters: A Development and Combat History', Patrick Stephens.[[iarchive:nightfightersdev0000guns|<!-- quote="first night fighter". -->]]''</ref>

===Strategic fighters===
{{Main|Strategic fighter}}

The strategic fighter is a fast, heavily armed and long-range type, able to act as an [[escort fighter]] protecting [[Bomber aircraft|bombers]], to carry out offensive sorties of its own as a [[penetration fighter]] and maintain standing patrols at significant distance from its home base.<ref>Gunston, Bill (1970), ''Warplanes of the Third Reich'', Macdonald and Jane's. p.573.</ref>

[[Bomber aircraft|Bombers]] are vulnerable due to their low speed, large size and poor maneuvrability. The escort fighter was developed during World War II to come between the bombers and enemy attackers as a protective shield. The primary requirement was for long range, with several [[heavy fighter]]s given the role. However they too proved unwieldy and vulnerable, so as the war progressed techniques such as [[drop tank]]s were developed to extend the range of more nimble conventional fighters.

The [[penetration fighter]] is typically also fitted for the [[Ground-attack aircraft|ground-attack]] role, and so is able to defend itself while conducting attack sorties.
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