Topic summary
Patrol bomber

Extracted from the Wikipedia article Maritime patrol aircraft.
A Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA), also known as a patrol aircraft, maritime reconnaissance aircraft, maritime surveillance aircraft, or by the older American term patrol bomber, is a fixed-wing aircraft designed to operate for long durations over water in maritime patrol roles — in particular Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface Warfare (ASuW or ASUW), and Search and Rescue (SAR).