patrol bomber

Patrol bomber is a US military designation for a type of aircraft designed to combine long-range maritime surveillance with offensive strike capability — essentially a warplane that could fly out over vast stretches of ocean, hunt enemy submarines or ships, and attack them directly. The term was especially prominent during World War II, where patrol bombers like the PBY Catalina played a critical role in the Battle of the Atlantic. It's an older classification largely replaced by modern maritime patrol aircraft.