Which type of mission is designed to achieve air superiority?

The mission designed specifically to achieve air superiority is the counterair mission. This type of operation focuses on gaining and maintaining control of the airspace, ensuring that friendly forces can operate unhindered by enemy aircraft. Achieving air superiority is crucial for the success of other military operations, as it allows for effective protection of ground forces, the freedom to conduct offensive air operations, and the ability to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions without the threat of enemy interruption.

Counterair missions involve a combination of offensive and defensive actions. Offensive counterair seeks to destroy or neutralize enemy air power before it can be effectively employed against friendly forces, while defensive counterair focuses on protecting friendly forces from enemy attacks. The overall goal is to establish dominance in the air, which is vital for the success of broader combat operations.

In contrast, other options, such as strategic attack and counterland missions, have different objectives. Strategic attack focuses on degrading an enemy's ability to wage war by targeting their infrastructure, while counterland missions primarily deal with attacking and defending land forces rather than directly achieving air superiority. Airborne early warning, meanwhile, involves surveillance and detection capabilities, which support air operations but do not directly aim to achieve air superiority.