We present our readers another list of the Military Aircraft That Are Flying Right Now (Part 2). Many of these aircraft are the state of the art that act as the fighter jets as well as one of them are sued in either bombing runs or just for reconnaissance.
Still, these aircraft are not to be taken lightly. So, without further ado, we present this list of the Military Aircraft That Are Flying Right Now (Part 2).
Northrop B-2 Spirit
The Northrop B-2 Spirit is the stealth bomber fighter of the USAF which was designed back in 19976 and is still one of the most versatile aircraft in the service of USAF.
Back in the time when World War II was coming to an end, Nazi Germany designed an aircraft by the name Horten Ho 229. This was a special aircraft that was made entirely out of wood and was a precursor to the jet fighter technology. The aircraft at that time had a top speed of 662 mph with an ability to carry a payload of nearly 1000 pounds. Despite there being many decades in the manufacturing of the Horten Ho and the Northrop B-2 Spirit, both of these aircraft share some of the most striking resemblances in their designs.
The Northrop B-2 Spirit was developed by the USAF back in the 90s and was an improvement on the USA’s nuclear strike capabilities. The aircraft had the ability to remain undetected at a ceiling height of nearly 50000 feet and make the precision target drop strikes.
The program of this aircraft was one of the most secretive in the USAF’s history. There are plans by the USAF to upgrade the Northrop B-2 Spirit into a B-21 but now it is still flying as the original Northrop B-2 Spirit.
Saab Gripen aka “Griffin”
The Saab Gripen is the fighter jet that is currently serving the Swedish Air Force. The aircraft was developed back in 1997 and is one of the most iconic fighter jets to be ever developed by Sweden.
The aircraft is so iconic and important in the military aviation of Sweden that this aircraft nearly took the effort of 20 years for completion. The aircraft being so important has become the main attack force of the Swedish Air Force as well as many of the other European countries, where it has been exported.
The aircraft has the ability to maintain the Mach 2 speeds for a combat radius of nearly 497 miles. The aircraft underwent many design modification since its creation and was finally available for service back in 1997. The aircraft since being entered in the service has seen the combat action in nearly 650 missions for Sweden and is also one of the versatile and efficient fighters for Sweden’s neighboring allied countries.
Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon aka “Firebird”
The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon which is also known by the nickname of Firebird is the jet fighter of the Chinese Air Force and was introduced in service back in 2005.
The design of the Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon is heavily inspired from the designs of the Saab Gripen as well as the Russian jet fighter MiG-29. The aircraft is currently serving as the backbone of the Chinese Liberation Army Air Force as well as their Naval Air Force. The aircraft has the ability to reach the top speed of Mach 2 with a combat radius of 342 miles.
The aircraft is a lightweight attack jet fighter is heavily favored by Chinese pilots, especially for its fast and efficient missions for the naval forces in the South China Sea. The Chengdu J-10 Vigorous Dragon was developed by Chain as a means to be the balance of power for their fleet of F-16 and the F/A-18 and since its manufacturing has been exported to many of its allied countries. The aircraft is still waiting for this combat action but so far, it has a perfect test record.
Lockheed AC-130 Spectre
The Lockheed AC-130 Spectre is the fixed wing ground attack aircraft that is serving the UDS military since 1968.
The original purpose of the Lockheed AC-130 Spectre before being a gunship was that of a prop transport carrier aircraft. The aircraft was excellent in its role of dropping both cargo and soldiers back in the50s. However, all of it changed when the Vietnam War came and the US military realized the importance of having an armored aircraft that would have the ability to hover low on the battlefield to deliver a massive striking blow to the enemies in close air support missions.
This was when the Lockheed was commissioned to take the Hercules C-130 and turn it into a beefed up aircraft for close air support missions. Now these days, Lockheed AC-130 Spectre is one of the most feared aircraft on the battlefields. The aircraft has the ability to be equipped with the M61 Vulcan Machineguns as well as the Howitzer and the Bofors 0 mm cannon.
The one voice that enemy of the US military does not want to hear, is the sound of the encroaching Lockheed AC-130 Spectre over their heads.
Sukhoi Su-35 aka “Flanker-E”
The Sukhoi Su-35 also known as the Flanker is the multirole fighter jet that is currently serving the Russian military air force since 2008.
The Sukhoi Su-35 is known to be a menace flying in the skies. The aircraft has the ability to produce daft maneuvers in flight while maintaining Mach 2+ speeds. All of this is made more terrible by the wide array of the weapons system and its long-range combat radius. The aircraft was built to give the Russian Air force a multirole attack fighter for air superiority and to compete with other jet fighters of its class.
The aircraft is better able to conduct the close air-to-ground strikes as compared to its predecessor aircraft Su-27. The aircraft is a fine amalgamation of the technology that is incorporated in the fourth and fifth generation jet fighters.
As of now, the combat ability of the Sukhoi Su-35amkes it able to compete toe-to-toe against the F/A-18 Hornets as well as the Eurofighter Typhoon which are in service of NATO forces.
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