Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:22:20-2:23:13

Did Fleet Air Arm fighters use RAF vic formations?

Carrier fighters more often operated in pairs because combat air patrols had to disperse scarce aircraft and disrupt incoming attacks across a wider area.

Air DefenceCarrier Air PatrolFighter TacticsFleet Air ArmRoyal Navy
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Question

Did Fleet Air Arm fighters use the same vic formation and formation shooting as the Royal Air Force?

Short answer

Rarely; they usually worked in pairs so limited combat air patrols could cover more positions and disrupt incoming attacks.

Notes

The audience asks whether Fleet Air Arm fighters used the same vic formation associated with the Royal Air Force. They did so only rarely and more often split into pairs. Carrier combat air patrols had limited numbers of fighters and needed to break up incoming attacks rather than keep several aircraft concentrated in one rigid group. A vic consumed at least three aircraft at a time and reduced the number of separate interception positions available. The formation choice followed the fleet-defense mission and the scarcity of airborne fighters rather than simple institutional imitation.