Interdictor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- For information about the spacecraft of the Star Wars universe, see Interdictor Cruiser.
An interdictor is a type of attack aircraft that operates far behind enemy lines, with the express intent of interdicting the enemy logistics effort. The term has generally fallen from use. The strike fighter is a closely related concept, but generally refers to adaptations of existing high-performance fighters, as opposed to dedicated attack designs.
The "classic" interdictor is the F-111, an aircraft able to operate at long distances from its base at night, the best time to move up supplies. The F-111 was used during the Vietnam War in the interdictor role, but that was true of almost all United States aircraft during that war. The Panavia Tornado was built to a similar need, although operating over shorter ranges in the European theatre. The aborted British TSR-2 and Soviet Sukhoi Su-24 are similar interdictor designs.
