[Marcov]

I'm just tired of mentioning the word "fighters and bombers". Is there any word that can shortcut this?

[Hades]

strikecraft, duh

[Dilmah G]

What Hades said, also, you've got spacecraft, aircraft, military vehicles, carrier air wing, the squadron names, a whole bunch of stuff.

[sigtau]

You could always have the name depend on the type of work the fighters and bombers are doing.  Assault craft would work in many cases, as an example.

Strikecraft, as Hades said, would also fit well, but to me sounds like something you'd use when you have bombers and a fighter escort making a run against some kind of capital ship.

[MT]

Smallcraft.

[Angelus]

planes, strikecraft.

or



The small noisy metal things, that fly around and shoot occasionally on other noisy metal things that fly around and shoot occasionally on other noisy metal things.

or short:

T.S.N.M.T.T.F.A.A.S.O.O.O.N.M.T.T.F.A.A.S.O.O.O.N.M.T. 

[Qent]

combat spacecraft

[Shivan Hunter]

In a universe I'm setting up that hopefully doesn't suck but probably does, two other species don't differentiate much between fighters and bombers and simply call anything piloted by a single person a "unit".

That probably doesn't fit in well with most Terran military jargon, though, and from a linguistic standpoint "unit" is probably the result of attempting to translate something that doesn't have a precise translation.

Strikecraft may also work well, depending on specialization. I wouldn't use it for recon craft or interceptors, though.

[headdie]

In a universe I'm setting up that hopefully doesn't suck but probably does, two other species don't differentiate much between fighters and bombers and simply call anything piloted by a single person a "unit".

That probably doesn't fit in well with most Terran military jargon, though, and from a linguistic standpoint "unit" is probably the result of attempting to translate something that doesn't have a precise translation.

Strikecraft may also work well, depending on specialization. I wouldn't use it for recon craft or interceptors, though.

what perspective is the player looking from, if it is these two species then probably light craft or perhaps single seater.

If the player is Terran and Terrans still make the distinction then aside from background information it is irrelevant.

[Mobius]

"Combat spacecraft" is used in FreeSpace.

[Hades]

Except the term is silly because it literally applies to almost every single ship in FreeSpace.

The Orion is built for combat and is a space craft, etc

[headdie]

Tactical craft (as opposed to capital ships being referred to Strategic craft)
Strike Craft http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strike_fighter
Attack Craft
Fighter craft (as a generic for both)
Recon Craft (if for example fighter type craft evolved from a specific role like recon they might still be referred to that role despite evolution and divergence of roles)

[Qent]

Except the term is silly because it literally applies to almost every single ship in FreeSpace.

The Orion is built for combat and is a space craft, etc

True, if you interpret the terms literally; however, it's not called that in FreeSpace.

[Mobius]

I did not know the Aquitaine was able to carry 150 Orions.

[Qent]

So that's why Hecates are "more heavily armed."

[TopAce]

I've always treated fighter as a superordinate category. Ideally, it's clear from the context (the given wing's objectives) whether they are meant to be interception/space superiority or bombers. If not, then I propose one-seater.

[Scotty]

Lt. Ash's Apollo had a co-pilot...

[Marcov]

I'm specifically referring to a term that includes both fighters and bombers.

You know, the small little ones that go pew pew at each other and blow up turrets of big ships, travel in wings, and are between 12 and 40 meters long.

[IronBeer]

"Strike craft". People will know what you're talking about, then use "Fighter" or "Bomber" if you need to be specific.

Example: "Capital ships of Destroyer class or larger almost always carry a contingent of strike craft, usually brought along to foil strike craft operations of opposing forces."

Just my 2cents, of course.

[karajorma]

I've always used strike craft myself.