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Glite Dictionary
air-to-surface

air-to-surface

1 7.2
A weapon or missile a plane uses to hit targets on the ground
  • adjective
  • Specialized
translation icon : aire-superficie
  • During the exercise, the jets successfully launched air-to-surface missiles at designated ground targets.
  • air-to-surface missile

Examples

  • Clear to launch air-to-surface missiles.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • The SRAM-II and the tactical SRAM-T air-to-surface missiles were canceled.

    Academic text (1991)

  • Moain Sadeq, who founded Gaza's Department of Antiquities in 1994, confirms that a wall there dating from the Roman period was damaged in January when an Israeli air-to-surface missile slammed into a nearby target.

    Academic text (2009)

  • The military plans to deploy advanced air-to-surface missiles for the upcoming operation.

  • The new fighter jets are equipped with sophisticated air-to-surface weaponry for ground attacks.

Synonyms

air-to-ground
vsair-to-surface
  • Specialized
2 4.7

Used from a plane to attack or send messages to targets on the ground

focuses only on weapons or missiles launched from aircraft at ground targets

Antonyms

surface-to-air
  • Specialized
26 6.6

A weapon launched from the ground to hit targets in the air

Surface Forms

air-to-surface positive

Morphology

air-to-surface = air + surface (transparent) = to + air + surface

The meaning is a straightforward combination: something involving the air directed toward the surface (ground), which a B1 learner can infer from the components.

Etymology

Air-to-surface comes from simple parts air, to, and surface, and it literally means 'from the air to the ground'. So, an air-to-surface weapon is one made to be launched from an airplane to hit targets on the ground.