The success of Typhoon as an interceptor depends upon early warning radar data from RAF Fylindales and the E-3s. But the early warning radar platforms are vulnerable to electronic attack or kinetic attack, including sapper attacks by sleeper cells. Taking out a single key early warning node can neutralize scores of Typhoons tasked with defending the British Isles.

While this is the Modern Military Aviation forum and posters like to discuss fast jets, killing targets with fast jets isn’t the problem. RAF and Nato have plenty of very capable shooters. The issue is finding threats to shoot at once the key early warning nodes are disrupted. RAF, USAF and Nato need a robust, decentralized source for early warning data which works against stealthy threats using electronic attack, the Russian versions of F-35 and B-21. Spend your money there.

Not quite that simple. Russian bombers must first travel around Scandinavia where there are also tons of radars and fighters. They are tracked and escorted all the way to and from the UK. There would have to be many sleeper cells all co-ordinating an attack without any NATO country’s security services getting wind of it and that is extremely unlikely.

I struggle to understand why the RAF has been singled out in the OP. Notwithstanding that I think the premise is incorrect, especially given that the world is probably the closest its been to a major war in over half a century, surely the same logic (or lack thereof) would apply equally to any European nation and others.

P.S. have to love how several posters are sticking to MBDA quoted range

Even MBDA quote ‘in excess of 250km’, which is technically a true a statement, but could also be validly applied to a Tomahawk or AGM-86. But then, given that China helped NK develop an ICBM, the MTCR is water under the bridge now. And the INF is pretty much defunct also given the numerous breaches.

MTCR says 500 Kgs payload. coma. Rest is pointless

Depends how you interpret that though. ‘Capable’ doesn’t necessarily have to mean its default warhead is 500kg or more.

SCALP is formally rated at 250km by MBDA but a quick analysis of size suggests that’s beyond very conservative and most likely a lie to bypass the MTCR.

eagle – I’d be surprised if AIM-4s even worked in testing.

If I can’t count F-15C and E as one, I guess F-15C and F-111 love missile. In my version of reality however, the MRASM and ASALM both got funded to completion.:cool:

This depends how you mark the introduction of the F-15. Is the F-15E separate because I regard that as a development of the F-15, which entered service in the 1970s and could probably have been ordered by a customer if such a demand existed. I was assuming F-15C and E counted as one type – F-15.