Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!cbnews!military From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) Newsgroups: sci.military Subject: Re: Fighter Classification Message-ID: <13451@cbnews.ATT.COM> Date: 24 Jan 90 03:34:59 GMT Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM Lines: 19 Approved: military@att.att.com From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer) >From: Rob Hounsell > I'd like to know what the general differences are between "interceptor", "air >superiority", "pursuit", and "intruder" aircraft.... Interceptors defend friendly territory against bombing attacks. Air- superiority aircraft maintain control of the air above a battlefield. "Pursuit" is basically a very obsolete synonym for fighters in general and air-superiority aircraft in particular. Intruder aircraft went out over enemy territory at night to hang around airfields and shoot down enemy aircraft returning from missions (when their crews were tired and they were short on fuel and ammunition) (works great as long as you can remain undetected while loitering around hostile airfields; more or less obsoleted by the rise of radar). Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu