What is Anti-aircraft warfare?
[[Image:Bofors-aa-gun-algeria.jpg|thumb|270px|right|[[United States|American]] soldiers with an anti-aircraft gun in [[Algeria]] in [[1943]]]] '''Anti-aircraft warfare''', or '''air defence''', is any way of fighting [[military]] [[aircraft]] in combat from the ground. Different [[gun]]s and [[cannon]]s have been used for this since the first military aircraft were used in [[World War I]]. They have become more powerful over the years. After [[World War II]], [[Surface to Air Missile]]<nowiki/>s began to be used too. Today, both are used to fight against aircraft. [[Nickname]]s for anti-aircraft guns include '''AAA''' or '''triple-A''', an [[abbreviation]] for '''''a'''nti-'''a'''ircraft '''a'''rtillery'', and '''flak''' or '''flack''' (from the [[German language|German]] '''''Fl'''ug'''a'''bwehr'''k'''anone'', ''aircraft defence cannon'').<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flak |title=Merriam-Webster dictionary |access-date=2007-08-29 |archive-date=2008-05-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080514025728/http://mw1.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flak |url-status=dead }}</ref> An '''anti-aircraft missile''' is another name for a '''surface-to-air missile''', also said [[Surface-to-air_missile|SAM]] for short. ==References== {{reflist}} ==Other websites== {{commonscat|Air defense}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20030307012925/http://www.maxwell.af.mil/au/aul/aupress/catalog/books/Werrell_B28.htm ''Archie to SAM: A Short Operational History of Ground-Based Air Defense''] by Kenneth P. Werrell (book available for download) *[http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/david_dickson/aa_doctrine.htm Japanese Antiaircraft land/vessel doctrines in 1943-44] {{Military branches | state = expanded}} [[Category:Missiles]] [[Category:Military aviation]]