Preface

This book is a collection of reviewed and relevant research chapters, concerning the developments within the military engineering field of study. The book includes scholarly contributions by various authors and has been edited by a group of experts in physical sciences, engineering and technology. Each contribution comes as a separate chapter, complete in itself but directly related to the book's topics and objectives.

The book includes chapters dealing with the topics: Military Aviation Principles, Scientific Knowledge of Spanish Military Engineers in the Seventeenth Century, Healthcare Military Logistics at Disaster Regions around the World: Insights from Ten Field Hospital Missions over Three Decades, A New Real-Time Flight Simulator for Military Training Using Mechatronics and Cyber-Physical System Methods, Detecting Underground Military Structures Using Field Spectroscopy, and Robust Guidance Algorithm against Hypersonic Targets.

The target audience comprises scholars and specialists in the field.

**George Dekoulis** Aerospace Engineering Institute, Cyprus

**1**

**Chapter 1**

**Abstract**

**1. Introduction**

transfer and military supplies.

(aircraft, helicopters and UAV).

**2. Principles of flight**

and control law

control surfaces)

*Kanchan Biswas*

Military Aviation Principles

Military all over the world uses military aircraft in both offensive and defensive purposes. In offensive role, these aircraft are used in destroying enemy's vital installations, air strips, ordnance depots and supplies. In defensive role, it provides close air support to land-based army and also deters the threats of enemy air strike. In naval warfare, military aircraft plays a significant role to detect and neutralize submarines and warships to keep the seacoast free from enemy attack. Military aircraft also provides logistic supply to forward bases, conducting airlift (cargo and troops), and participates in rescue operations during national disaster. Military aviation includes both transport and warcraft and consisting of fixed wing aircraft, rotary-wing aircraft (RWA) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). From the early days of world war, it has been realized that air power supremacy is vital for winning a war as well as maintaining the sovereignty of any country. This chapter discusses basic flight mechanics, types and roles of aircraft, safety considerations and design and certification procedures.

**Keywords:** military, aviation, combat, aircraft, aerodynamics, helicopter, UAV

It was realized that aviation had a great potential in transporting goods as well as passengers in large distances in minimum possible time. The military also realized the advantages of having an offensive and defensive air power during the war and peace time. Today air power has become the essence of military supremacy of any country for maintaining country sovereignty during peace time and offensive attack capability to win war by destroying enemy vital installations, deterring troop

The aircraft can be broadly categorized as lighter-than-air aircraft (balloons and airships) which generate lift due the buoyancy forces and heavier-than-air aircraft

An aircraft is a complex machine using the application of multidisciplinary engineering sciences. The major engineering groups can be indicated as follows:

a.Aerodynamics and flight mechanics determining aircraft shape, configuration

b.Airframe structure (fuselage, wings, vertical and horizontal tail planes and
