THE FAST ET LE FURIEUX
ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE- STRATEGIC AIR DEFENCE COMMAND
In the early years of the cold war, with the growing tensions between the West and the Soviet Union and the rapid pace of technological and military development (namely the strategic bombers and nuclear weapons), Canada was faced with a major challenge: to protect its vast territory from soviet aerial incursions.
This would result in the joint defence initiate with the US, called NORAD (North American Aerospace Defence Command).
To fulfil its part, the RCAF set up a new command, the Strategic Air Defence Command (SADC).
This, in turn presented another challenge: what kind of aircraft would be fielded? Aircraft would need to have two apparently contradictory requirements: to have an exceptional performance, both in speed and rate of climb (to be able to rapidly take-off and met the incoming threat as fast and as far from the home territory as possible) but also to have long endurance to perform long combat air patrols over vast distances; in top of these there was also the need to have as many air-to-air weapons as possible to deal with the expected massive number of aerial opponents; this could possible be resolved with fielding a vast fleet of highly performance interceptors; but his would be beyond the economic possibilities of the force.
Another solution had to exist.
In late 1957, the solution was found by two pilot officers of the RCAF, B. O'Conner and D. Toretto; they proposed a two-part solution for the aircraft fleet: a smaller number of high performance interceptors, backed by a larger fleet of inferior performance aircraft but with more carrying capabilities; the first aircraft would rapidly approach the incoming threat, identify it, and then, if necessary, would make the first strikes; the second aircraft would carry as many air-to-air missiles as possible and would then deliver the secondary and more massive strike; this latter aircraft could also take on longer combat air patrols.
This solution was met with enthusiasm by the higher ranks of the RCAF and work would soon start on selecting each aircraft.
The two-aircraft interceptor solution would get a nickname and, as in many Canadian things, a bilingual one: it was known as The Fast et le Furieux.
For the higher performance aircraft a modified variant of the B-58 bomber was selected, the CF-58 Dynamo; for the second aircraft, another tailored variant of an existing aircraft, this time the CF-52A Boreal Fortress (derived from the Boeing B-52C bomber).
On the first image, we see both aircraft, each accompanied with its main weapons: IR and radar guided variants of the AIM-4 Falcon for the CF-58; the AIR-2 Genie unguided air-to-air rocket with nuclear head and the AIM-23, a radar guided variant of the MIM-23 Hawk.
This first alignment would see service from 1960 until 1967.
When it was time to replace the aircraft, the choice was made to succeed the fast one with the CF-12 Raven, a variant of the YF-12 still in development in the US; le Furieux could only be replaced with another variant of the B-52, this time B-52D; the aircraft was designated as CF-52B Arctic Fortress. Both aircraft used the AIM-47 long-range radar guided AAM.
Slighter later, but still during this period, it was also felt the need to complement the ground base net of radars, with an aerial component, in the form of an AWACS aircraft; given the excellent service the variants of the B-52 were displaying and to increasing ease of maintenance, another variant of this aircraft was chosen for this role; this was the CE-52 Chypher, based on the B-52H.
Another support aircraft was the aerial refueller; this took the form of another B-52 variant, the CK-52 Gas Bar.
A comprehensive, a family, of different aircraft was thus formed and provided Canada with a defensive northern wall.
Again in the late 1970s, studies were initiated to replace the fleet for service entry in the next decade.
The third instalment was composed of the fast CF-71 Merlin, a variant of the SR-71; the second, le furieux, aircraft was (you guessed it) another variant of the B-52 (this time the B-52H), the CF-52C Glacial Fortress.
The AWACS and tanker fleet fleet were thoroughly modernized, with the replacement of the engine and many other systems, resulting in the CE-52B variant and the CK-52B; the CF-52C also receive some of these modifications, including the engines.
Both interceptors used the AIM-54 Phoenix long-range active radar guided AAM and the AIM-7 Sparrow semi-active radar guided AAM. This fleet was used from 1982 until 2000.
With the dissolution of the USSR and the end of the cold war, the SADC went through a period of restructuring and downsizing.
Maintaining such a large and expensive fleet of aircraft, was no longer justifiable and both the CF-71 and the CF-52 were retired.
Although the major thread seemingly evaporated almost overnight, there was still the need for a long range and endurance aerial defence interceptor fleet.
The use of the then current fighter fleet of fighter aircraft (like the CF-118), with the aid of aerial refuelling and the AWACS, was deemed as sufficient and that was was the solution in use from the mid 2000 until the mid 2010s.
However with the resurgence of Russian aggressive posture and the rise of China as a major adversary, the full mission and structure of the SADC was in need of revival.
Advancements in technology meant that a single aircraft could fulfil the roles of the previous two-members teams; this new aircraft would have advanced radars and other detection systems, carry precise air-to-air weapons (thus in need of lesser quantity) and have engines with performance to allow for rapid response but also longer endurance; the assistance of more advanced ground and aerial based radar would boost the capabilities of the interceptor.
These requirements would materialised in the form of the CF-111 Grey Ghost, a variant of the B-1B bomber.
The CF-111 is seen with both AAMs it uses, the MBDA Meteor and the AIM-120 AMRAAM.
