CAP flights and integration with Cyclic Ops?

[norman99]

Hi all, not sure if this is the best place to ask it, but as it has to do with cyclic ops, hopefully someone here can help.

I'm curious how CAP flights would be scheduled in a hypothetical scenario where constant coverage is required, and how that integrates with the cyclic ops of the carrier.

Given an example CAP flight of F-14s 100nm from the carrier, average 450kts TAS for transiting aircraft, gives a 12-14min transit time. When swapping flights at the completion of the desired station time, this means 24-28min from the launch of the replacement flight, to the arrival at the carrier of the airborne CAP flight, if constant coverage is desired.

Assuming an 'average' carrier cycle event is 10-15min for launching aircraft and similar for landing, is it as simple as launching the relief CAP flight first, with the returning CAP flight arriving at the carrier just as recovery is finishing, being the last aircraft to land? I ask this because most references make mention of arriving aircraft ensuring they are already in the marshall stack at recovery time (ideally 10min early), and that late arrivals should be avoided.

Alternatively, would CAP aircraft be launched early, prior to the cyclic event actually starting, in a similar fashion to E2s and tankers? This would allow the returning CAP flight to arrive back at the carrier earlier, though most likely still after recoveries have commenced. They'd therefore again have to join the top of the stack and would be last to land.

Lastly, am I just overthinking things completely? Do all flights just stick to the scheduled event times, and small gaps in CAP coverage whilst flights are inbound/outbound are accepted to ensure the rest of the system runs to plan?

Any details would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

[Huilque151]

Hello, can you shared the book where you read about FORCAP? i did read bout capts at 150 NM and more, even 500 NM. i thing that subject its really secret 

 

[Yoda967]

One way to do it would be to fly the Tomcats on double cycles, with a CAP launch every cycle so that they overlap.

For example, let's say that the carrier is on 1+20 cycles. 

It's a time/distance problem: since the Tomcats are double-cycled, each pair can fly half of a cycle (40 minutes) out to the CAP station, and half of the next cycle (40 minutes) to return, leaving a full cycle (1+20) on station. Assuming that they fly at max conserve (250 knots), the CAP station can be 160-170NM out.

What does that look like, schedule-wise? 

0530 Cycle 1 Launch

0610 Cycle 1 CAP on station at 160-170NM

0650 Cycle 2 Launch

0730 Cycle 2 CAP relieves Cycle 1 CAP on station

0810 Cycle 3 Launch as Cycle 1 CAP arrives overhead for recovery

0850 Cycle 3 CAP relieves Cycle 2 CAP on station

0930 Cycle 4 Launch as Cycle 2 CAP arrives overhead for recovery

For a 24 hour flying day, that works out to 36 sorties (18 cycles, 2 Tomcats in each flight).

Longer cycles means the CAP station can be farther out, but that uses more gas and may mean they need a tanker. Shorter cycles means the CAP station has to be closer or the Tomcats have to fly faster to get on station (which means using more gas and increasing the possible need for a tanker).  

Edited February 1, 2022 by Yoda967