Aerial combat technology has developed rapidly and definitively. War planes were just as vital over the trenches of France in 1914 as they were over the deserts of the Middle East in 2003.
As the military importance of warplanes grew during WWII, so did demand on its bomb delivery capacity. Dramatically improved aerodynamics led to more sophisticated weapons and communication systems.
The jet engine was a defining piece of mid 20th century technology that blurred the distinction between the roles of fighters, bombers, and attack helicopters. Warfare would never be the same again.
The latest warplane, the F-22 Raptor, can fly for long periods, break the speed of sound, strike and be gone in a second. Almost invisible to radar, it promises a stealthy victory without casualties.
