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night fighter
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Northrop P-61
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Northrop P-61
Northrop P-61 U.S. Army Air Forces Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighter, c. 1944. The Black Widow, one of the first airplanes to be built with radar, saw action in both the European and Pacific theatres during World War II.

night fighter

aircraft
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History

night fighter, in military aviation, a fighter aircraft with special sighting, sensing, and navigating equipment enabling it to function at night. Since the 1970s, most frontline fighters have had at least basic night-fighting capabilities and have been known as all-weather fighters.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.