Project Aerie

[Archibald]

Why bother with tomcats when you can mount Phoenix on hawkeyes ?

[elmayerle]

Well, you can't mount that many and the Hawkeye is really crowded now with the personnel and equipment it does carry.  At most, it could carry a few Sidewinders or other IRAAM for last-ditch defense.  Personally, if I was going to strike a CVBG, the leading edge of my strike would carry AAARMs to take out the E-2s and supersonic anti-ship ARMs to take out the Aegis ships; destroying most of the major command, control, and warning nodes of the network protecting the fleet.  I rather suspect that may have been/may be the purpose behind the ARM version of the air-launched "Moskito" developed by the USSR.

[retro_seventies]

The Tupolev Tu-22 Blinder was also used as a long range interceptor (according to at least 2 of my beloved tomes on soviet aircraft).

Never seen pictures of one though, and can only imagine how wonderful they may have looked, especially had they continued in service (libyan examples with foxhound avionics and alamo missiles anyone?).  Might have given the Tomcats a Sidran suprise.

[Archibald]

Well, you can't mount that many and the Hawkeye is really crowded now with the personnel and equipment it does carry.  At most, it could carry a few Sidewinders or other IRAAM for last-ditch defense.  Personally, if I was going to strike a CVBG, the leading edge of my strike would carry AAARMs to take out the E-2s and supersonic anti-ship ARMs to take out the Aegis ships; destroying most of the major command, control, and warning nodes of the network protecting the fleet.  I rather suspect that may have been/may be the purpose behind the ARM version of the air-launched "Moskito" developed by the USSR.

Or launch a fake raid of Tu-16s (in fact old ASM changed into Tu-16-like decoys) Add to this powerfull ECM, and a second, hidden raid of Tu-26 with Kingfishs.
Attract the Tomcat away from the Tu-26 with the fake Tu-16 raid, then launch enough AS-6 to overflow Aegis systems... this is Red storm rising scenario, but will it work or is it just a Clancy fantasy ?  

[elmayerle]

Considering that "Moskito" is the air-launched version of the SS-N-22, a mach-3+ rocket/ramjet antiship missile with the range and warhead to do the job, I figured a wave of those accompanied by a wave of similarly-powered AAARMs would do a pretty good job of reducing the CVBG's air defense network.  If you add a decoy raid on top of that, well ...