Home > Interceptor aircraft

There are two types of interceptors, emphasizing different aspects of performance. Both types of aircraft sacrifice performance in the air superiority fighter role (ie fighting enemy fighter aircraft). The result is that interceptors often look very impressive on paper, typically outrunning, outclimbing and outgunning less dedicated designs, yet they tend to fare poorly in combat against those same "less capable" designs.

Point defense interceptors, usually of European origin, are designed to defend specific targets. They are designed to take off and climb to altitude as quickly as possible, destroy the incoming bombers, and then land. A particularly extreme example of a point defense interceptor is the rocket-powered Messerschmitt Me 163.

Examples of point defense interceptors:

• Supermarine Spitfire
• Messerschmitt Me 109
• Messerschmitt Me 163
• English Electric Lightning
• Saab Draken
• Saab Viggen (JA 37 variant)

Area defense interceptors usually of North American or Soviet origin, are designed to defend a large area of territory from attack. The design emphasis is on range, missile carrying capacity and radar quality rather than on acceleration and climb rate.

Examples of area defense interceptors:

• F-101B Voodoo
• F-102 Delta Dagger
• F-106 Delta DartF-106 Delta Dart Description RoleAll-weather interceptor, operational trainer (B variant) Crew1 Dimensions Length70. 55 m Wingspan38. 67 m Height20. 18 m Wing area661. 52 m² Weights Empty24,420 lb11,077 kg Loaded34,510 lb15,668 kg Powerplant EnginesOne Pr
• Avro CF-100The Avro CF-100 the "Canuck", was a Canadian fighter jet used during the Cold war. The aircraft's first flight was in January 1950 and entered service into the RCAF as a fighter in 1952. The aircraft operated under the U. Canadian North American Air Defen
• Avro ArrowThe Avro CF-105 ''Arrow was a delta-wing interceptor aircraft, designed and built by Avro Canada during a short period of time in the 1950s. Likely the most advanced interceptor of its day, the design was entering the middle stages of testing when it was
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25The MiG-25 ( NATO reporting name Foxbat was an interceptor produced by the Soviet Union's Mikoyan-Gurevich design bureau in the 1960s. The aircraft, armed solely with AA-6 Air-to-air missiles, was designed to meet the threat of the American XB-70 Valkyrie and MiG-31
• Sukhoi Su-15The Sukhoi Su-15 ( NATO reporting name Flagon was a twin engined interceptor aircraft developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s to replace the Sukhoi Su-11. History Recognizing the limitations of the earlier Su-9 and Su-11, the Sukhoi OKB quickly began t
• Tupolev Tu-28The Tupolev Tu-28 ( NATO reporting name Fiddler was developed by the Soviet Union in the 1960s as a long-range interceptor. It was the world's largest fighter aircraft. History In 1955 the PVO issued a specification for a long-range interceptor aircraft t
• Yakovlev Yak-28The Yakovlev Yak-28 was a swept wing, turbojet-powered combat aircraft used by the Soviet Union. Produced initially as a bomber, it was also manufactured in reconnaissance, electronic warfare, interceptor, and trainer versions were developed, known by the
• F-14 Tomcat

See also: bomber destroyer, night fighter