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An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent successful missions by enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. There are two general classes of interceptor: relatively lightweight aircraft built for high performance, and heavier aircraft designed to fly at night or in adverse weather and operate over longer ranges. For daytime operations, conventional fighters normally fill the interceptor role, as well as many other missions. Daytime interceptors have been used in a defensive role since the World War I era, but are perhaps best known from several major actions during World War II, notably the Battle of Britain where the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane developed a good reputation. Few aircraft can be considered ''dedicated'' daytime interceptors, with the obvious exception for example of the Messerschmitt Me 163, and to a lesser degree designs like the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 which had heavy armament specifically intended for anti-bomber missions. Night fighters and bomber destroyers are, by definition, interceptors of the heavy type, although initially they were rarely referred to as such. In the early Cold War era the combination of jet-powered bombers and nuclear weapons created air forces' demand for highly capable interceptors; it is during this period that the term is perhaps most recognized and used. Examples of classic interceptors of this era include the F-106 Delta Dart, Sukhoi Su-15 and English Electric Lightning. Through the 1960s rapid improvements in design led to most fighters having the performance to take on the interceptor role, and the strategic threat moved from bombers to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Dedicated interceptor designs became rare, with the only widely used examples designed after the 1960s being the F-14 Tomcat, Tornado F3 and Mikoyan MiG-31. ==History== The first dedicated interceptor squadrons were formed up during World War I in order to defend London against attacks by Zeppelins, and later against early fixed-wing long-range bombers. Early units generally used aircraft withdrawn from front-line service, notably the Sopwith Pup. They were told about their target's location prior to take-off from a centralized command center in the Horse Guards building. The Pup proved to have too low performance to easily intercept the Gotha G.IV bombers, and the much higher performance Sopwith Camels supplanted them. Before Second World War started, offensive bomber speeds had improved so much that it appeared that the interceptor mission would be effectively impossible. The visual and acoustic detection had a short range on the order of a few miles, and would not give interceptor enough time to climb to altitude before the bombers were already on their targets. This could be addressed through the use of a standing cover of aircraft, but only at enormous cost. The conclusion at the time was that "the bomber will always get through." The introduction of radar upset this equation. In the 1950s, during the Cold War, a strong interceptor force was crucial for the great powers, as the best means to defend against threat of the unexpected nuclear strike by strategic bombers. Hence for a brief period of time they faced rapid development. At the end of the 1960s, the nuclear threat became unstoppable with the addition of various ballistic missiles which could not be intercepted approaching from outside the atmosphere at speeds as high as 5–7 km/s. Thus, the doctrine of mutually assured destruction replaced the trend of defense strengthening, and left interceptors with much less strategic justification. Their utility waned as the role became blurred into the role of the heavy air superiority fighters dominant in military thinking at the time. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Interceptor even though that redirects to the same page. See WP:INTDAB. -->An interceptor aircraft, or simply interceptor, is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent successful missions by enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. There are two general classes of interceptor: relatively lightweight aircraft built for high performance, and heavier aircraft designed to fly at night or in adverse weather and operate over longer ranges.For daytime operations, conventional fighters normally fill the interceptor role, as well as many other missions. Daytime interceptors have been used in a defensive role since the World War I era, but are perhaps best known from several major actions during World War II, notably the Battle of Britain where the Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane developed a good reputation. Few aircraft can be considered ''dedicated'' daytime interceptors, with the obvious exception for example of the Messerschmitt Me 163, and to a lesser degree designs like the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 which had heavy armament specifically intended for anti-bomber missions.Night fighters and bomber destroyers are, by definition, interceptors of the heavy type, although initially they were rarely referred to as such. In the early Cold War era the combination of jet-powered bombers and nuclear weapons created air forces' demand for highly capable interceptors; it is during this period that the term is perhaps most recognized and used. Examples of classic interceptors of this era include the F-106 Delta Dart, Sukhoi Su-15 and English Electric Lightning. Through the 1960s rapid improvements in design led to most fighters having the performance to take on the interceptor role, and the strategic threat moved from bombers to intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). Dedicated interceptor designs became rare, with the only widely used examples designed after the 1960s being the F-14 Tomcat, Tornado F3 and Mikoyan MiG-31.==History==The first dedicated interceptor squadrons were formed up during World War I in order to defend London against attacks by Zeppelins, and later against early fixed-wing long-range bombers. Early units generally used aircraft withdrawn from front-line service, notably the Sopwith Pup. They were told about their target's location prior to take-off from a centralized command center in the Horse Guards building. The Pup proved to have too low performance to easily intercept the Gotha G.IV bombers, and the much higher performance Sopwith Camels supplanted them.Before Second World War started, offensive bomber speeds had improved so much that it appeared that the interceptor mission would be effectively impossible. The visual and acoustic detection had a short range on the order of a few miles, and would not give interceptor enough time to climb to altitude before the bombers were already on their targets. This could be addressed through the use of a standing cover of aircraft, but only at enormous cost. The conclusion at the time was that "the bomber will always get through." The introduction of radar upset this equation.In the 1950s, during the Cold War, a strong interceptor force was crucial for the great powers, as the best means to defend against threat of the unexpected nuclear strike by strategic bombers. Hence for a brief period of time they faced rapid development. At the end of the 1960s, the nuclear threat became unstoppable with the addition of various ballistic missiles which could not be intercepted approaching from outside the atmosphere at speeds as high as 5–7 km/s. Thus, the doctrine of mutually assured destruction replaced the trend of defense strengthening, and left interceptors with much less strategic justification. Their utility waned as the role became blurred into the role of the heavy air superiority fighters dominant in military thinking at the time.」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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