Military tactics ( that were never developed or employed )

[CaptainCalvert]

... why tow them and not carry them?

So you can launch them from further out, and not risk a powered aircraft and its crew. The glider will be more lightly constructed and have only one commited (fanatical?) pilot, ideally with a parachute, so they can bail out once confident it's on target.

 

[Hammerbolt]

Can't you tow a larger load than what you can carry?

So you can launch them from further out, and not risk a powered aircraft and its crew. The glider will be more lightly constructed and have only one commited (fanatical?) pilot, ideally with a parachute, so they can bail out once confident it's on target.

Any king of tow is a massive risk for an aircraft, specially a heavy one. And glider bombs have been around for decades. As for "pilot bailing out", for this to be efective the glider would not only have to be reliatively big, it would also have to fly high. Both of which would have it an excelent target.

 

[CaptainCalvert]

Any king of tow is a massive risk for an aircraft, specially a heavy one. And glider bombs have been around for decades. As for "pilot bailing out", for this to be efective the glider would not only have to be reliatively big, it would also have to fly high. Both of which would have it an excelent target.

True. But I didn't think it was a good idea, just one that might sound like a good idea at the time.

 

[Ramontxo]

Large scale of air to air missiles by larger aircraft like strategic bombers , MPA , recon planes and transport planes
Can the IR /SARH missiles be slaved to a IRST / radar aboard the plane perhaps rear facing so it can target attacking fighters esp at a time before all aspect AAMs

And if this is a dumb idea ( I suspect it is ) please elaborate why

Something like a Sea King or Super Frelon with the Saab Viggens radar in the nose (huge antena as it is not as aerodynamically challenged as a fast jet) and some Sky Flash missiles? It will be limited in range compared to being launched from a fast jet but its role would be to provide small ships with airborne protection against sea scamming missiles (the horizon from 3000 meters is far bigger than at 20...).
The question of course is that it is far more useful to provide an container ship with an launching track and some subsonic harriers...