Military aircraft, as instruments of war and invasion deterrent, continue to fascinate many history and aircraft buffs. Some get chills at the sight of an F-16 arrowing through the sky. Military documentaries, showing giant bombers delivering unbelievably huge bomb payloads, can frighten and amaze at the same time.

Military aircraft technology has evolved rapidly through its brief history. For instance, picture the plane of the infamous Red Baron next to a modern F-117 stealth bomber. Although both are state of the art military aircraft of their times, the differences extend far beyond propellers and red paint. Today's military aircraft possess the range, accuracy, firepower, and sophistication to obliterate squadrons of Red Barons.

The first of three interesting examples of modern military aircraft to be discussed is the GBU-28 "Bunker Buster." This fearsome plane was produced for the U.S. Air Force's rapid response program. The goal of this program is the design, or redesign, of military aircraft as quickly as possible. Design took only weeks during the 1991 Gulf War. The Bunker Buster was designed to buried Iraqi weapons bunkers that were previously inaccessible to existing bombers. This plan relied on a laser guided bomb weighing a massive 4700 lb (2.35 tons!) to crack the bunkers like peanut shells.



The AH-64 Apache helicopter is the most sophisticated yet flexible military helicopter weapons platform used by the U.S. Army. Its twin T700-GE-701C power plants give it speed and staying power during combat. This mobile weapons platform also sports wave fire control radar, radar guided HellFire missiles, and a radar frequency interferometer. It is a deadly hunter-killer of troops and tanks.

The final example is the Aurora, which represents thinking far "outside the box." One might think of it more as a spy plane than a military aircraft, although that too represents a military use. The plane is still a bit of a mystery, built to replace Lockheed's equally invisible SR-71 Blackbird (the world's fastest airplane). Unconfirmed reports hint at the Aurora traveling at an astonishing Mach 6, twice the Blackbird's speed. It may also be able to travel to the very edge of space.



If the Aurora is real, speculation says that is triangular, similar to the current stealth bomber. Reports also hint at wings with a 75-degree sweep on the leading edges, and fore-wings that can retract. Likely engines are regenerative air-turbo ramjets using static thrust to carry the ordnance and crew of two. Hydrogen is one fuel candidate, but methane may be substituted because it can be compressed more than hydrogen.

These reports and specifications about the Aurora are theoretical and have not been confirmed. An artist's rendition of the plane even appeared on the cover of Popular Mechanics magazine. For security reasons, the government has no comment. The future of military aircraft is with us, even if it is not visible (to us, or to our enemies).



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