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Aviation History
1950
1950 - 1268.PDF
FLIGHT 6 July 1950 Vampire 5s of No. 54 Squadron, Fighter Command. •' .-:• FIGHTER COMMAND . . . - . addition to its regular airfields and squadrons, a certain number of R.Aux.A.F. fighter squadrons, radar stations and R.O.C. posts and operations rooms. As regards its present first-line fighting aircraft, Fighter Command is unique among the operational Commands of the R.A.F. in having had its regular squadrons completely re-equipped since the war. In the Meteor, Vampire and Hornet, the R.A.F. possesses practical fighting aircraft as modern and efficient as those in the service of any other power. But this should not be taken to suggest that there is any feeling of complacency regarding Britain's fighting aircraft. The Venom, which is to replace the Vampire, has a per- formance which exceeds that of the Vampire in all respects, and is due to start coming into squadron service next year. It will have the dual role of interceptor and fighter-bomber. The latest version of the Meteor, which has a better per- formance than the Mk. 4 in several important respects, should be in squadron service this summer. Details of the new types under development are inevitably restricted at this stage, but it can be said that the fighters will be of considerably more advanced design than those now about to go into service, with speeds well over 600 m.p.h., and capable of operating at great heights. For the night fighter force, a twin-jet two-seater is now in production and it is planned to re-equip a substantial number of the Mosquito squadrons during 1951. This aircraft, the Meteor N.F.I 1, has been ordered in sufficient quantity to expand the night fighter force beyond its present size as well as re-equipping all the Mosquito squadrons. Carrying full radar equipment, the new night fighter will also have an all-weather role for operating in conditions which would normally ground the day fighters. The change-over to jet night fighters is not expected to give rise to any major problems, but the more critical endurance of the jet aircraft will necessitate meticulous attention to such matters as aircraft control procedure and landing techniques at the airfields. The plan for the 20 R.Aux.A.F. fighter squadrons, which were transferred to Fighter Command last November, is that they will all have jet aircraft by the end of 1951. At present, nine of the squadrons have either Meteors or Vampires, and eight more will be similarly re-equipped by next spring. As the regular squadrons receive their new Meteors and Venoms, more Meteor 4s and Vampires will become available for the Auxiliaries. In several instances there are difficulties to be overcome in connection with the development of airfields on which Auxiliary squadrons are based—development to standards suitable for the operation of jet aircraft—and it.may be that one or two of the squadrons will have to operate from bases at some distance from the city or town with which they have for many years been linked. Since the transfer of the Auxiliary squadrons from Reserve Command to Fighter Command, much thought has been devoted to the question of their adequate training so that they may be capable, at short notice, of becoming an integral part of Britain's front-line air defences. A great deal has already been achieved in a sho't time by affiliating the Auxiliary squadrons to appropriate regular squadrons, so that the week-end fliers can have frequent opportunities to keep abreast of modern techniques and developments. The regular squadrons have entered into the spirit of this scheme with great enthusiasm, despite the additional work which it inevitably places on their stations at the weekends. The broad aim of Fighter Command is to build up a balanced fighter force, keeping pace with progressive ad- vances in the technique of air warfare. Side by side with the development of new aircraft goes the development of new weapons and ground equipment, but the same security considerations prohibit the publication of detailed informa- tion about progress in this field. As regards weapons, a likely trend is towards higher rates of fire and larger calibres as a first step, with rockets and guided missiles as subsequent developments. It will be recalled that the Secretary of State for Air, in his Air Estimates speech last March, said that work is now being done on an advanced air-to-air guided missile, designed to improve the effectiveness of our fighters against the modern bomber. On the ground side, there is an extensive programme for modernizing and extending the control and reporting sys- tem, including not only the radar stations themselves, but also the communications network and control centres behind them. The new radar equipment will be not only more efficient, but simpler to operate and to maintain than the present apparatus. In Fighter Command's constant development work, the unit which has perhaps the biggest responsibility in ensuring that operational methods are always up to date is the Central Fighter Establishment. This may be described as the Com- mand's research unit for carrying out the various studies of fighter operations. One of its main aims is to visualize as far ahead as is possible the likely trends of future air attack and the defences against them. It is also charged with the task of devising means for increasing the tactical efficiency of fighter aircraft in all offensive and defensive roles which they are likely to be called upon to undertake. Efficient aircraft and equipment are of little value without a sound training policy. As the culmination of the annual squadron training, Fighter Command each year takes part in at least one major air defence exercise. This was the regular practice before the war, and was revived in 1948 with Exercise Dagger. In 1949, the exercise was divided into two distinct sections—Foil, with a fighter bias, and Bulldog, with a bomber bias. This year there will again be one main exercise. These events may be regarded as an annual stocktaking, from which the past year's progress may be assessed, and which also provide indications as to the lines along which the next year's training should be directed. Such exercises are essential if Britain's air defence measures are to progress. Apart from their value to the regular ele- ment of Fighter Command, they are also of incalculable benefit to the vital non-regular elements—the R.O.C., the Auxiliary fighter squadrons and F.C.U.s and to the Terri- torial units of A.A. Command. Apart from these annual air exercises there are others of a minor character throughout the year, which may be to test particular sections of the air defences or to try out new equipment or techniques. The history of Fighter Command is familiar to Flight readers, and it is not necessary to give more than a very
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