Bomber aircraft
Bomber aircraft are military airplanes optimized to deliver large volumes of bombs, missiles, mines, etc., to targets. While they may have a capability to fight other airplanes, that detracts from their mission of attacking a surface target.
Throughout the history of aviation, bombers have changed constantly to meet current military requirements. While a Second World War bomber attacking the heartland of Germany needed considerable defensive armor and armament to survive attack by fighters, modern bombers carry no defensive guns, but extensive electronic warfare systems to defeat or hide from enemy radar.
Bomber sizes
At one time, it was quite routine to speak of bombers as light, medium, or heavy, reflecting both their weight and payload. Their weight would, in turn, define the size of runways they would need, and usually their range.
Current bombers all would qualify as "heavy" by past standards. With air refueling, all have intercontinental range, and can carry large bombloads.
Light bomber
Medium bomber
Heavy bomber
Operational
Under strategic arms limitation agreements, Russia has agreed not to operate the Tu-22M at intercontinental ranges, and the U.S. has agreed not to equip the B-1 with nuclear weapons. Russia has leased several navalized versions of the Tu-22M to India.
- Russia: Tu-160 BLACKJACK, Tu-22M BACKFIRE. While the Tu-95 BEAR still is operational, it is not clear that any are assigned to strategic nuclear missions.
- United States: B-1 Lancer, B-2 Spirit, B-52
Cold War
- Soviet Union: Tu-95 BEAR
- United Kingdom: Avro Vulcan
- United States: B-36
Second World War
- United Kingdom: Avro Lancaster
- United States: B-17, B-24, B-29
Bombing techniques
Before precision-guided munitions, bombers had several ways to attack, and often were designed around the attack mode.