Editing Interdictor

{{Short description|Type of attack aircraft}}
{{About||the spacecraft of the Star Wars universe|Imperial Interdictor Cruiser|the blog inside New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina|Interdictor (blog)}}
{{one source|date=September 2022}}

[[File:RAF Panavia Tornado GR4 (tone).jpg|thumb|An [[RAF]] [[Panavia Tornado|Panavia Tornado GR4]] flying through [[Mach Loop]]]]

An '''interdictor''' is a type of [[attack aircraft]] or [[tactical bomber]] that operates far behind enemy lines, with the express intent of [[air interdiction]]  of the enemy's military targets, most notably those involved in [[logistics]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Newdick |first=Thomas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=buVgDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA220 |title=The World's Most Powerful Military Aircraft |date=2016-12-15 |publisher=[[Rosen Publishing]] |page=220 |isbn=978-1-4994-6591-4 |language=en}}</ref> 

==Interdiction==
Interdiction prevents or delays enemy forces and supplies from reaching the battlefront; the term has generally fallen from use.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}} The [[strike fighter]] is a closely related concept,{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} but puts more emphasis on [[air-to-air combat]] capabilities as a [[multirole combat aircraft]]. Larger versions of the interdictor concept are generally referred to as [[penetrator (aircraft)|"penetrators"]].{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

==Operation==
In the post-war era, the [[RAF]] introduced interdictor variants of their [[English Electric Canberra]] jet bomber, as aircraft were released from the [[strategic bombing]] role as they were replaced by the new [[V bomber]]s. Desiring a more modern aircraft for this role, development of the [[BAC TSR-2]] (from "Tactical Strike and Reconnaissance, Mach 2") began, but this program was later cancelled. The US began development of a similar aircraft around the same time, which emerged as the [[General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark|General Dynamics F-111]]. The failure of the TSR-2 and a desire by other European nations for a similar design led to the Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MRCA) program, although operating over shorter ranges in the European theatre which was realised as the [[Panavia Tornado]] Interdictor/Strike (IDS). The Soviet [[Sukhoi Su-24]] emerged in the early 1970s.

In order to safely traverse a heavily defended front line, they flew at very low altitudes (in some cases having to pull up to clear power lines) to use terrain masking to protect them from enemy radar-guided weapons. Flying at low altitude also demands much greater fuel use, and thus interdictor aircraft were generally fairly large.{{citation needed|date=May 2022}}

== List of interdictor aircraft ==
* {{lwc|North American A-5 Vigilante}}
* {{lwc|Republic F-105 Thunderchief}}
* {{lwc|General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark}}
* {{lwc|BAC TSR-2}} - did not enter service
* {{lwc|Panavia Tornado}}
* {{lwc|Sukhoi Su-24}}
* {{lwc|English Electric Canberra}}
* {{lwc|Xi'an JH-7}}

==See also==
* [[Air interdiction]]
* [[Bomber]]
* [[Interceptor aircraft]]
* [[Schnellbomber]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last1=Davies |first1=Peter |title=General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark |date=2013 |publisher=Osprey Publishing Ltd. |location=Great Britain|isbn=978-1-78096-611-3}}
* {{cite book |last1=Davies |first1=Peter E. |last2=Thornborough |first2=Anthony M. |title=F-111 Aardvark |date=1997 |publisher=The Crowood Press Ltd. |location=Ramsbury, Marlborough Wiltshire. UK|isbn=1-86126-079-2}}
* {{cite book |last=Gunston |first=Bill |title=F-111 | location= New York |publisher=Charles Scribner's Sons|date=1978 |isbn=0-684-15753-5}}
* Gunston, Bill. ''F-111,'' (Modern Fighting Aircraft, Vol. 3). New York: Salamander Books, 1983. {{ISBN|0-668-05904-4}}.
* {{cite book |last1=Thornborough |first1=Anthony M |last2=Davies |first2= Peter E. |title=F-111 Success in Action |date=1989 |publisher=Arms & Armour Press Ltd. |location=London |isbn=0-85368-988-1}}
* {{cite book |last=Thornborough |first=Tony |title=F-111 Aardvark: USAF's Ultimate Strike Aircraft |url=https://archive.org/details/f111aardvark00anth|series=Osprey Military Aircraft |year=1993 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |location=Oxford, UK |isbn=1-85532-259-5 |url-access=registration}}

{{Military aircraft types (roles)}}

[[Category:Fighter aircraft]]
[[Category:Attack aircraft]]