Bomber

A bomber is a combat air/space craft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping air-to-ground weaponry on them, firing torpedoes at them, or, more recently, by launching missiles at them.

Strategic bombing is done by heavy bombers primarily designed for long-range bombing missions against strategic targets such as supply bases, bridges, factories, shipyards, and cities themselves, in order to diminish the enemy's ability to wage war by limiting access to resources through crippling infrastructure or reducing industrial output.

Tactical bombing, aimed at countering enemy military activity and in supporting offensive operations, is typically assigned to smaller aircraft operating at shorter ranges, typically near the troops on the ground or against enemy shipping. This role is filled bythe  tactical bomber class, which crosses and blurs with various other aircraft categories.

The first Terran use of an air-dropped bomb (actually a hand grenade) was carried out by Italian Lieutenant Giulio Gavotti during Terra's 1911 Italo-Turkish war in Libya, although his plane was not designed for the task of bombing, and his improvised attack had little impact.

Most Union members made little use of planetary bombing pre Terran Ascent. This changed in the UE / Xunx war, with the Terran's use of AM bombs in Operations Sledgehammer and Steamroller.

Other than Sun Bombers and Planet Bombers, the Union Fleet makes little use of bombers. However, the Union Marine Corps makes extensive use of the OA-Bomber in planetary warfare, as does the Union Army with their “Grunt” class of non-FTL orbital/planetary bomber.