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Aviation History
1964
1964 - 1169.PDF
660 FLIGHT International, 23 April 1964 "The anti-submarine aircraft is equipped to detect, track, locate and destroy enemy submarines": NATO's answer is the Br.l 150 Atlantic AIRCRAFT FOR NATO... with tactical atomic weapons need have only a limited range. (25) It is important to note that the need of employing atomic weapons is smaller when the number of conventional missions is greater. In other words, the availability of many conventional missions permits us to hold the enemy longer by using only con- ventional weapons, thus avoiding the danger of atomic warfare for a longer period of time. This longer period is vital in order to reach a truce and start a diplomatic settlement of the war. (2) TREND OF NATO AIRCRAFT REQUIRED FEATURES (26) Present trends are valid for medium air force, i.e., all Euro- pean air forces. (27) The warfare in which manned aircraft may be called to operate are the following: (a) limited war with conventional weapons; (b) limited war with tactical atomic weapons; (c) atomic war, which may be either a necessary integration of the deterrent in a general war or a higher step in a limited war which is danger- ously expanding into a general conflict. (28) The most important roles in which manned aircraft are to be employed in case of war are: attack, defence, anti-submarine, transport, reconnaissance. (£) Limited Conventional War (29) Attack: The fighter-bomber represents the main strike ele- ment of those mobile forces which are essential to limited conflicts and which have been dealt with in paras 18-21. This fighter- bomber must meet the following requirements: (a) a great number of actions concentrated in time and space (this calls for cheap, rugged aircraft, easy to maintain, with a high combat readiness and able to use small-sized grass strips in order to facilitate redeploy- ment when and where necessary); (b) high reaction capability after a possible surprise attack by the enemy (this calls for aircraft able to use small-sized grass strips in order to facilitate dispersal, conceal- ment, and redeployment); (c) flight and instrumentation charac- teristics sufficient to ensure limited penetration of enemy territory (in the order of 100-150 n.m.) (30) In the future, the above-mentioned features should improve with the state of the art, but ruggedness, easy maintenance, high efficiency and low cost must remain the basic features. Particularly, take-off should be shortened as much as possible, but the above features must remain unchanged; therefore, vertical take-off is excluded, because it would introduce unacceptable construction and maintenance problems, while a short take-off" is desirable. If the wing's normal lift function and control by aerodynamic reaction are retained, the present state of art suggests that it will be possible to take off in 150m to 200m. (31) Defence: The limited depth involved in this type of war and the consequent possibility of low-altitude missions performed by enemy aircraft makes necessary the employment of ground-to-air missiles (especially small types) issued to operational army units, and some aircraft in defensive flight. The characteristics of these aircraft will be better examined in section (G). (32) The anti-submarine aircraft is equipped to detect, track, locate, and destroy enemy submarines. The functions of such air- craft are practically independent from the type of war, and require, in principle, sufficient range capability in relation to the naval area in which they must be employed. In naval areas exposed to the enemy's threat, a self-defence capability is required. The major problems related to anti-submarine aircraft are determined by the equipment and not by the aircraft itself. The helicopter has a very important role in anti-submarine warfare. (33) Transport: The transport aircraft is the basic element which ensures mobility to the mobile forces mentioned in paras 18-21 and logistic support in any geographic location in which war may start. In principle, transport may be divided into two categories, depending on its different characteristics:— (a) Logistic support transport for the transportation of men and material from their usual stations to the marshalling point allowing for their further relocation to the battlefield. The required features of logistic transport aircraft are: high range, payload and speed; need of runways as short as possible. (b) Tactical transport for the transportation of men and materiel from marshalling points directly to the battlefield and vice versa. The required features of tactical transport aircraft are: need of unprepared or semi-prepared strips having the same length as those for tactical fighter-bombers; medium speed, range and payload; ruggedness and easy maintenance; low cost. In the tactical transportation role, the helicopter can also be used; however, its vulnerability, speed, range and payload are not always suitable for the possible limited-war theatres. Therefore, tactical transportation requirements necessitate a combination of helicopters and aircraft. (34) Reconnaissance. The same considerations as mentioned for the fighter-bombers are valid. Moreover, it will be more and more necessary to perform armed reconnaissance in order to imme- diately attack targets before they disappear by dispersal. In conclusion, attack and reconnaissance are developing towards a single type of fighter-bomber possessing photographic equipment which will not significantly limit its strike capability. (F) Limited Atomic War (35) As stated in Section D, this type of war may remain geo- graphically limited or expanded, and represents the actual beginning of a general war. If the war remains limited, atomic weapons shall have to be used by the same tactical fighter-bomber employed in limited conventional wars. If the war expands geographically, aircraft having higher capabilities will be required (Section G). (G) Atomic War (36) Strike. The fighter-bomber will have to use atomic weapons either to integrate and complete the deterrent, or because the limited war is expanding in scope, armament and theatre so that it will soon degenerate into a general war. The fighter-bomber weapon system, coupled with atomic weapons, is therefore so vital as to require: (a) that it possess the highest probability of accomplishing its mission successfully; (b) that it possess a penetration capability compatible with the radius of other atomic weapon systems; (c) that it be not employed at all in short-range atomic or conventional missions. (37) In the future, the mission will remain unchanged and aircraft development will require the following: (a) for defence, hardening and/or VTOL for a scattered deployment, only if compatible with the required radius of action; (b) for strike, radius of action which would reach the shorter MRBM range; speed, altitude and instru- mentation so as to allow the maximum rate of success for all- weather atomic missions against enemy defence, either with high altitude and electronic countermeasures or low-level raids. (38) Defence. Since the enemy continues his efforts in order to improve his own fighter-bombers and light bombers, it is necessary that an integrated missile-aircraft defence system be developed. (39) In the future, the importance of defence using manned aircraft depends on the development of manned raiders. Defence aircraft development requires: (a) suitable operational readiness, climb and horizontal speed, altitude and range that can cope with the enemy's manned offensive aircraft; (b) STOL to facilitate eventual redeployment and concentration during the climactic phase of an atomic war. VTOL is not mandatory. (40) Reconnaissance. Intelligence about the enemy must be acquired for the deterrent's use before the outbreak of hostilities; reconnaissance by manned aircraft is not required in a short war. During the first stage of an atomic war the targets are either fixed and well known, or extremely mobile in time and space. (41) In any case, it is not economic to employ aircraft possessing very high performances in the reconnaissance role only. Strike aircraft could be employed in reconnaissance-strike missions. It will be useful to instal on such aircraft internal photographic equipment, provided it does not reduce their atomic capability. (42) Transport and anti-submarine roles do not change when the type of war changes, so para 32 and 33 remain valid.
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