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How do bombers differ from ground-support aircraft?

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Bombings in World War II: The first war decided from the air — air warfare Overview of aerial bombardment in Europe during World War II, with a detailed discussion of the Battle of Britain.

In the context of air warfare, bombers and ground-support aircraft (often called attack aircraft) differ primarily in their strategic purpose, operational altitude, and design focus.

Bombers: These are military aircraft designed to deliver ordnance against surface targets, often at long ranges. Historically, they have been used for strategic missions—such as attacking factories, infrastructure, or cities—to degrade an enemy's overall war-fighting capacity. While early bombers operated at high altitudes to avoid defenses, modern strategic bombers utilize stealth technology or low-level penetration tactics to evade radar and deliver large payloads of conventional or nuclear weapons.12
Ground-Support Aircraft: These are specialized to support ground troops directly by engaging enemy forces, tanks, and armored vehicles at close range. Unlike bombers, they are typically slower and less maneuverable than air-combat fighters, but they are built for survivability in high-threat environments. They often feature heavy armor to protect the pilot from ground fire and carry a diverse array of weapons, such as automatic cannons and guided missiles, to perform strafing and low-level attacks.3