sortie

An armed attack, especially one made from a place surrounded by enemy forces.

A flight of a combat aircraft on a mission.

To go on a sortie.

A going forth; a sally; specifically, the issuing of a body of troops from a besieged place to attack the besiegers; an outrush of a beleaguered garrison.

Same as postlude.

The sudden issuing of a body of troops, usually small, from a besieged place to attack or harass the besiegers; a sally.

An offensive military mission. Used originally to mean an attack from a fortress, but most commonly used today to describe a single mission by a military aircraft.

To sally.

a military action in which besieged troops burst forth from their position

(military) an operational flight by a single aircraft (as in a military operation)