An interdictor is a type of
attack aircraft that operates far behind enemy lines, with the express intent of
air interdiction of the enemy's military targets, most notably those involved in
logistics
Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...
.
Interdiction prevents or delays enemy forces and supplies from reaching the battlefront; the term has generally fallen from use. The
strike fighter is a closely related concept, but puts more emphasis on
air-to-air combat capabilities as a
multirole combat aircraft. Larger versions of the interdictor concept are generally referred to as
"penetrators".
In the post-war era, the
RAF introduced interdictor variants of their
English Electric Canberra jet bomber, as aircraft were released from the
strategic bombing role as they were replaced by the new
V bombers. Desiring a more modern aircraft for this role, development of the
BAC TSR-2 (from "Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance, Mach 2") began, but this program was later cancelled. The US began development of a similar aircraft around the same time, which emerged as the
General Dynamics F-111. The failure of the TSR-2 and a desire by other European nations for a similar design led to the Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) program, although operating over shorter ranges in the European theatre which was realised as the
Panavia Tornado Interdictor/Strike (IDS). The Soviet
Sukhoi Su-24 emerged in the early 1970s.
In order to safely traverse a heavily-defended front line, they flew at very low altitudes (in some cases having to pull up to clear power lines) to use terrain masking to protect them from enemy radar-guided weapons. Flying at low altitude also demands much greater fuel use, and thus interdictor aircraft were generally fairly large.
List of interdictor aircraft
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North American A-5 Vigilante
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General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark
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BAC TSR-2 - did not enter service
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Panavia Tornado
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Sukhoi Su-24
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English Electric Canberra
See also
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Bomber
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Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically for the defensive interception role against an attacking enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Aircraft that are ...
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Air interdiction
References
Further reading
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* Gunston, Bill. ''F-111,'' (Modern Fighting Aircraft, Vol. 3). New York: Salamander Books, 1983. .
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{{Military aircraft types (roles)
Fighter aircraft
Attack aircraft