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An airstrike is a military strike by air forces on either a suspected or a confirmed enemy ground position, which depending on the selected tactics may or may not be followed up by artillery, armor, or infantry units. An airstrike can also be called upon by infantry or other ground forces to soften up or possibly destroy an enemy position; this tactic is commonly used when ground strikes are ineffective, and can also be used in conjunction with Close Air Support. Airstrikes are commonly delivered from aircraft such as bombers, ground attack aircraft, or strike fighters. Weapons used in an airstrike can range from machine gun bullets, to missiles, and to various types of bombs such as nuclear bombs. They are often used in strategic bombing.
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History
On November 1, 1911, the first ever aerial bomb was dropped on Turkish troops in Libya.
"Broken Arrow"
The United States code for calling in all available aircraft for an airstrike was "Broken Arrow", and was used during the movie We Were Soldiers, depicting the battle at Landing Zone X-Ray in the Ia Drang Valley during the Vietnam War.
Collateral damage
In an airstrike, there is a high risk of injuring, killing, or destroying non-combatants, allies or non-military buildings. This is called collateral damage.[1]
Peacetime use
Bombing by aircraft is sometimes used in peacetime to break ice dams that form in big rivers, to prevent disastrous flooding.
See also
References
- ^ Air Force Law Review. Jefferson D. Reynolds (Winter, 2005).
