Mediterranean fighter protection and layered air defence

French fleets in the Mediterranean needed organic fighter protection even when friendly shore bases were available. Before radar, the Royal Navy placed observers high in aircraft such as the Blackburn Blackburn to watch for incoming raids and signal the fleet. Fighters could break a coordinated air wing into smaller formations before heavy and medium anti-aircraft fire fragmented those groups further. Individual aircraft then had to evade or face light weapons. This layered defence worked partly by imposing fear, confusion, and coordination costs on human aircrews. Missile defence later required greater emphasis on physically destroying targets that could not feel fear.