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Tactical bombing isaerial bombing aimed at targets of immediate military value, such ascombatants,military installations, ormilitary equipment. This is in contrast tostrategic bombing, or attackingenemy cities and factories to cripple future military production and enemy civilians' will to support thewar effort, to debilitate the enemy's long-term capacity to wage war.[1] The term "tactical bomber" only refers to abomberaircraft designed specifically for the primary role of tactical bombing, even though many other types of aircraft ranging from strategic bombers to fighters, interceptors, and helicopters have been used in tactical bombing operations.
Tactical bombing is employed for two primary assignments. Aircraft providingclose air support attack targets in nearby proximity to friendlyground forces, acting in direct support of the ground operations (as a "flyingartillery").Air interdiction, by contrast, attacks tactical targets that are distant from or otherwise not in contact with friendly units.
Tactical bombing was the first type of aerial bombing mission. It began in theItalo-Turkish War when pilots dropped smallbombs over the side of their open cockpits onto enemy troops below. One of the earliest examples of tactical bombing was at theBattle of Neuve Chapelle in 1915 when theRoyal Flying Corps dropped bombs onGerman rail communications. By the time ofWorld War II a number of specializedaircraft were developed to fulfill this role, including variousfighter-bombers. During theKorean War tactical bombing missions were sometimes carried out by olderpiston-poweredfighters such as theVought F4U Corsair. In theVietnam War, missions were frequently directed byForward air controllers (FACs) flying smallpropeller-driven planes. TheFAC would mark targets with smoke, often in coordination withinfantry on the ground.Bombersorbiting overhead would then fly in to hit the target.
In the modern era,precision-guided munitions ("smart bombs") can be directed with extreme accuracy. Dedicated tactical bomber aircraft types have largely been supplanted by fighter-bombers andstrike aircraft.
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