"Charles Talleyrand" wrote in message ...
Can someone comment on the best aircraft for this job? My gut suggests that among the
planes a nation might be able to buy the best might be something like a Mig-21 or Q-5
Fantan with western radar or an F-5 (if they are available).

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WHAT IS A SOVERIGNTY PROTECTION FIGHTER?

It's sole purpose would seem to be the interception and shooting down
of airliners that have been hijacked and are about to dive into the
whitehouse. Clearly there is a need thousands of these fighters to
carry out millions of interceptions. They will need to be shipped in
pork barells 6 at a time to have maximim effect.

Alternatively a Sopwith camel could be used to patrol the Rio Grande.
Opperation wet back II anyone?

"Soverignty Protection Fighter" is worth less than one world war I
string bag if the "administration" is the real threat to Soveringty
and isn't interested in stopping illegal immigration or denying those
illegal all manner of benefits from education, medical care and
subsidised housing or deportation.





It's a fighter that is available to political leaders to contest challenges to
the nations borders. They are not expected to engage in combat in the normal
course of operations.

WHAT ARE EXAMPLES?

During the cold war when Russian Bears would come close to Alaska, we
would send up fighters not to shoot them down, but just to remind them that
we protect Alaskan airspace.

The Bear rear gunner used to laugh at Torando pilots: with its drop
tanks on the Tornado a Bear could out accelerate a Tornado and roll
away while the Tornado pilot had to light up his afterburners to keep
up.

A "SPF" would be a similar laughing stock if confronted with a
Backfire or Blackjack.



Sometimes the pricipal purpose of the fighter is sovergnity protection. No
one expectsBrazil, Switzerland, or New Zealand's fighters to engage in air-air
combat. Instead we expect them to be available to political leaders and to
enforce border security and sometimes anti-drug operations.

WHAT ARE THE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS

They should be able to catch opposing aircraft, typically at high-subsonic
speed and high altitude. At minimum there are lots of business aircraft that
can do Mach 0.9 at 50,000 feet.

They should be able to find the target aircraft. A radar with moderate range is
needed. Typically this radar will not face enemy jamming.

They should have reasonable endurance. Escorting an target aircraft
might require a half-hour or more beyond the flight to and from the
intercept point.

They should have a weapons system. Short range weapons systems are fine.
Guns are fine.

And ABOVE ALL ELSE, they should be low in total systems cost.