Air defense artillery

Air defense artillery is a specialized military unit or organization that specializes in trying to destroy enemy aircraft from the ground. Equipment used includes radars, missiles and guns. Even small arms and machine guns can be used against aircraft, as the North Vietnamese did during the Vietnam War.

In the Russian Army, Air Defense is a separate armed service, reflecting its extreme importance in Russian doctrine. The United States Army has disdained air defense for ground units, counting on achieving air superiority. This has left a gap in American military equipment between the man-portable Stinger and the theater anti-missile system Patriot.

See also: military, air force, aircraft, artillery

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