An illustrative warning-time comparison starts with an aircraft detected 80 miles away at 400 mph, giving the fleet roughly twelve minutes to react. Raising the approach speed to 1,200 mph cuts that interval to only a few minutes. The longer warning may allow fighters to scramble or an existing combat air patrol to turn toward the threat. In the faster case, the attacker may pass a patrol positioned over the carrier or radar picket before it can intercept. Fighter speed is only part of the problem because the geometry of the whole defensive system must change. Radar coverage, pickets, and combat air patrols all have to move outward to restore useful decision and interception time.
Notable Point · 25:33-27:31
Jet speed collapses radar warning time
A simple warning-time comparison explains why fleets had to push radar coverage and combat air patrols farther from the carrier.