Air-defence range is a time problem rather than a prestige figure. An aircraft approaching at 100 miles per hour covers roughly a mile and a half each minute, so engaging around five miles out can provide about three minutes. At 300 miles per hour, the example pushes a comparable engagement window toward roughly 18 to 20 miles. Faster aircraft therefore demand earlier detection and longer-ranged defensive fire even before combat proves the best technical solution. The calculation shows why fleet air defence must expand outward as aircraft performance rises.
Notable Point · 2:08:31-2:09:51
Aircraft speed pushes naval air defence farther outward
Faster aircraft force ships to engage farther away if crews are to retain the same few minutes for tracking and fire.