29 Aircraft That Were Only Effective When Air Superiority Was Assured

"Air superiority doesn't just enable victory on the modern battlefield, in an indirect sense it determines which aircraft can even enter the fight. Many platforms are only capable of delivering their full value only in permissive airspace, where enemy fighters and air defenses have been neutralized. Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the aircraft that need air superiority to operate."

"To determine the aircraft that only worked with air superiority, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed various historical and military sources. We included supplemental information regarding each aircraft, the type, when it was introduced to service, its primary mission, and why it required air superiority to function effectively. Here is a look at the aircraft that only worked with air superiority: Why Are We Covering This? Aircraft that depend on guaranteed air superiority show how some assumptions shape modern military design and doctrine."

Air superiority determines which aircraft can operate effectively because many platforms require permissive airspace where enemy fighters and air defenses are neutralized. Several combat aircraft were designed assuming friendly control of the skies, trading stealth, speed, or self-defense for loiter time, firepower, sensors, or endurance. Those platforms produce decisive effects only after other forces secure control of the air and become increasingly vulnerable when threats remain. Maintaining air superiority is a condition that must be earned and sustained rather than a constant. Information for each affected aircraft includes type, service entry, primary mission, and why dependence on air superiority limits operational usefulness.

Read at 24/7 Wall St.