Added 1-6-16
Updated 6-9-18
The Patrol Interceptor
One of my Canadian readers sent me an article about how flying the F-35s wore down the stealth coating, significantly increasing running costs. Unfortunately I have lost the link to this article. Stealth fighters are sophisticated and expensive pieces of equipment and many military missions that occur outside wartime do not in fact need all of their capabilities. Indeed, in many current military operations air defences are relatively unsophisticated, permitting the operation of simpler aircraft. The expense of operating and maintaining the latest advanced fighter aircraft justifies the adoption and use of alternate simpler aircraft for the more routine day to day operations that will occur outside of wartime. I call this class of military jet a “patrol interceptor”. Originally conceived as a home-defence aircraft it has potential for supersonic training, LIC, COIN and OOTW.
- The “patrol interceptor” would be a Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft designed to be reliable and economical to operate, maintain and repair. To cater for the export market the airframe will have the capability to mount a variety of engines.
- The patrol interceptor is a twin-engine design, giving a greater safety margin for combat or maritime patrol missions.
- For patrol and interception missions it will need to have a useful endurance and cruising performance yet still be capable of high speed interceptions. Systems would be designed so that they can rapidly be readied for fast “scrambles”. An external switch or remote device would allow systems to begin warming-up before the pilot has even entered the cockpit.
- The patrol interceptor would need to be capable of intercepting both slow and fast-moving intruders. It therefore needs to have a useful speed envelope since it may have to deal with anything from supersonic military threats to slow moving aircraft such as Cessna 172s and An-2 Colts. The illustration shows canard control surfaces which would be just one of the design features that allow the patrol interceptor to operate at low speeds and allow low speed passes for investigation.
- The interceptor role requires that the aircraft is capable of supersonic speed and has a high climb rate. Many of the jet training aircraft currently offered for the “light attack” role do not have these capabilities. The patrol interceptor must be capable of Mach 2+ speeds and have a good rate of climb.
- The patrol interceptor can be operated by a single pilot but like the F-15 the basic airframe is designed with a cockpit that has space for a second crew position. If the second crew position is not fitted this space can be used for additional equipment or fuel. In addition to being used for patrols the two-seat variant can be used as supersonic training aircraft.
- The basic armament of the patrol interceptor is relatively light. My first choice would be a 25mm revolver cannon with a rate of fire of 1,100 rpm, fitted on the lower right side of the fuselage. Since a 25mm revolver cannon does not currently exist second choice would be the Oerlikon KBA. A cannon in 27mm or 30mm such as the BK-27, GIAT-30 or recoilless RMK30 might be used. For the interceptor role an internal cannon is useful for firing warning shots or attempting to disable an intruder. The cannon is complimented by SRAAMs. The illustration shows the aircraft fitted with wingtip pods that each contain two missiles. These pods could be replaced with rails for older models of SRAAM such as Sidewinder. Additional SRAAMs will be carried internally to reduce drag and improve fuel economy. Most contacts will need to be visually verified and challenged so beyond visual range (BVR) air to air weapons are unlikely to be often used.
- The aircraft is also fitted with internal “mission bays”. These can carry additional AAMs, extra fuel or air to surface munitions for the ground attack or maritime patrol role. For maritime SAR missions a mission bay can carry an “aid pack”. Carrying the patrol interceptor's armament in pods or internal bays keeps the patrol interceptor aerodynamically “clean” and improves its performance.
- For the patrol role surveillance is often a greater priority than armament. In addition to a radar system the patrol interceptor has a high-powered multi-spectral camera system. A reconnaissance pack can be carried in a mission bay to provide additional sensors and recording systems. A real-time data link transmits all information gathered immediately back to base stations. When operating in an attack role information can be transmitted directly to friendly ground forces.
On this page is an impression of a potential design that draws heavily on the T-38/F-5/F-20. It has the insignia of a hypothetical nation and a simple shape-disruptive colour scheme. The patrol interceptor is not a replacement for stealth fighters and attack aircraft such as the A-10. It provides a cheaper and useful compliment to such platforms and would greatly increase the capability of organisations such as the Air National Guard. It also meets the F-X, A-X and T-X platforms proposed in this article and has considerable export potential.
A comparison of the cost of flight hours of a variety of aircraft including the T-38.
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