Most Devastating Military Aircraft? (Modern Warfare)?

Question

After the recent press coverage of the A10 Thunderbolt, I would just like to know what in you opinion is the most devastating modern military aircraft.

Like which is the most accurate at high speed, Carries the most ammunition, has the capacity to stay in the air the longest, which is the fastest?

All Views Welcome.

Answer 1

That depends on capability you're looking for:

All around air to air and light air to ground combat: the F-22 wins hands down. Low radar profile (stealth) and versatile weapons payloads combined with massive manueverability will make this the replacement for the F-15, which has ruled as king of the skies for decades now. As to the ability to "lock on" to targets, the F-15 air to ground model is one of the most effective current planes at eliminating SAMs and other ground targets.

Anti personnel/equipment: the AC-130 gunship, which is perhaps one of the most feared planes in our inventory. It is capable of spraying 6,000 bullets per minute and mounts an artillery cannon. Although used mostly in night missions, with proper support is also effective during the day. other C-130 models, when threatened by shoulder mounted SAMs units, sometimes mock up AC-130 flight behaviors to scare the SAM units away (such as rocking up on the left side as though it's preparing to fire a cannon burst)

Anti armor/tank: the A-10, it's what it was made to do.

Sheer magnitude of bombing: the B-52, which can carry the largest payloads of unguided and/or precision guided munitions. Requires coordination, though, since it's not stealth.

Nuclear warfare: the B-1B, capable of carrying nukes and can outrun an F-15 if they F-15 doesn't use it's afterburners to keep up. Also carries a fairly large payload.

General bombing: the B-2 stealth bomber (shaped like a giant wing). Large payloads of conventional or Precision guided bombs, capable of getting in or out unseen.

Command and Control: the AWACS or JSTARS which are both capable of commanding air and ground units, respectively, like a mobile command center.

Ultimately, the question of most accurate at any speed is obsolete with the invention PGMs, I've included ammo analysis, all can aerial refuel and hence have range only limited on the pilot, and fastest is no longer an issue since stealth and long range missiles have made dog fighting obsolete.

Answer 2

Every military aircraft has its area of specialty. You cannot make a blanket claim of one being better than all the rest.

Some aircraft are better at bombing and sneaking in low and fast to hit well defended targets. But it may not do well in a dogfight against another aircraft.

Others may "OWN THE SKY" when it comes to dogfighting but cannot hit an open field let alone a target on the ground.

While not the absolute best in each category. the Plane I feel is the best "overall" aircraft is the F/A-18E Superhornet.
Not only is it Carrier capable, but it can fight both air to air and air to mud simultaneously. it has a huge variety of weapons systems for nearly every conceivable mission. and they have improved upon the one real shortcoming of it's predecessor. And that is it's short legs. The new Superhornet Variant of the F/A-18 carries more gas and has a much greater range than the earlier Hornet.
In Specific roles I would have to go with the following planes

Strategic Bomber:
B-2A Spirit, STEALTH ! 'nuff said

Ground Attack/ CAS:
A-10 Thunderbolt II, While slow and not equiped with the most advanced Avionics it is however the most devestating when it comes to putting hurt to the enemy on the ground. It can carry a HUGE amount of AGM-65 Mavericks and other ordinance. And there is just something awe inspiring about putting a gun in the nose bigger than a VW Beetle and capable of acting as an airbrake to the plane when it fires
The A-10 in action:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1701556964058578733

Fighter/Intercepter:
F-15 Eagle, best air superiority fighter.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6m8IFY_dSsI
this may only be a game capture but it does demonstrate the Eagles ability.

Anything you ever wanted to know about US Military planes. both current and future
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/index.html

Answer 3

B-52 Bomber

F-22 Raptor

F-18 Hornet

F-15 Eagle

F-16 Falcon

F-117 Nighthawk

These are the most advanced aircraft in the world.

Answer 4

All of our warplanes are devastating, some just more than others.

AC-130: For all intents and purposes, a flying battleship. Unfortunately. that's not a good thing. While it can easily deliver a lethal blow, and can hover around it's target, it's only effective at night, because during the day it's too big, and too slow, and a choice target for a SAM or AAM.

F-15/F-16/F-18: Great planes all of them, but just the opposite of the AC-130. Too fast to hover, really can't lock in on the target. Also very light and nimble, also a prime target for missiles.

B52: Still hanging in, and the advancement in smart bombs and JDAMS make it more effective today than during it's carpet bombing heyday in Vietnam. But without ground controllers pinpointing their targets, its effectiveness is rendered useless five miles above it's target.

A-10: The best. Heavily armored, resistant to some missiles and almost all small arms fire, therefore can fly low enough for the pilot to eyeball it's target . Can hover around it's target while destroying it with that excellent 30mm cannon. Not supersonic, but fast enough to get out of the way when it needs to.

Answer 5

Well aircraft have to sacrifice one thing for another. You cant have high payload capacity and be fast. But as far as CAS(close air support) in fixed wing aircraft A-10 is the best. Slow but can punish as well as take one. Rotary wing aircraft i would have to say the Apache longbow. Advanced avionics, stable platform and can have a huge stand off from target and still can perform CAS

Answer 6

The AC-130 Gunship it just orbits the target and pounds it with thousands of rounds of 25mm,40mm and 105mm. that is one big OUCH!!!! It can stay until it is sure the target is dead. The next best is the B-52 this bomb truck can make a parking lot out of whole towns in a few seconds and what is so scary is that it flies so high you don't hear it all you see is the bomb blasts getting closer and closer to you and then it's lights out.

Answer 7

B-52 baby... love that aircraft (see movie "By Dawn's Early Light" Powers Booth, Rebecca Demornay) It can carry anything in the US arsenal for aircraft including multiple nuclear armed cruise missiles.

Answer 8

well, i was going to say the A10. so, i'll give you my other choice. the F/A-18 Hornet is just as nasty. it can hold its own in air to air combat as well as take out targets on the ground. it has terrific speed (obviously depending on its payload) and it can carry a variety of missles and laser-guided bombs. not to mention the Navy uses them on their carriers. it's a very diverse and balanced aircraft. but, it's hard to ignore the A10. there's a reason why we've kept it in use for as long as we have. it has been known to fly with only one engine and part of its wing missing. it only flys at about 500 mph, so it takes alot of ground fire. they had to make it tough.

Answer 9

The most devastating military aircraft is the long range bomber. While not the most accurate it is the most feared.

Answer 10

Well i'd say the Shukoi SU-22 Flanker.
It doesn't have the high-tech stealth cloath, but i can tell you this was you don't want to see.
I've seen movies of these things in airshows, I mean man these things are flexibel.
More flexibel than i missille, Realy check it out on the internet.
You'l see what i mean

The shukoi is russian-chinees I think, but it does kick a.S.s .
And its extremely fast.