History of aerial warfare

The history of aerial warfare began in ancient times, with the use of kites in China. In the third century, it progressed to balloon warfare. Airplanes were first put to use for war starting in 1911 by Italy during the Italo-Turkish War, initially for reconnaissance and bombardment. In World War I, the use of airplanes evolved to aerial combat. The concept of “strategic bombing” then emerged during World War II. Also during World War II, Nazi Germany developed many missile and precision-guided munition systems, including the first cruise missile, the first short-range ballistic missile, the first guided surface-to-air missiles, and the first anti-ship missiles. Ballistic missiles became of key importance during the Cold War, were armed with nuclear warheads, and were stockpiled by the superpowers – the United States and the Soviet Union – to deter each other from using them.