Editing Night fighter (section)

===Postwar===
Even while the war raged, the [[jet engine]] so seriously upset aircraft design that the need for dedicated jet-powered night fighters became clear. Both the British and Germans spent some effort on the topic, but as the Germans were on the defensive, their work was given a much higher priority. The [[Messerschmitt Me 262]], the first operational jet fighter in the world, was adapted to the role, such as the installation of on-board [[Neptun radar|FuG 218 ''Neptun'']] high-VHF band radar and ''Hirschgeweih'' ("stag's antlers") antennae; intercepts were generally or entirely made using ''[[Wilde Sau]]'' methods, rather than AI radar-controlled interception.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.456fis.org/ME-262.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090716153355/http://www.456fis.org/ME-262.htm |url-status=usurped |archive-date=16 July 2009 |title=The World's First Turbojet Fighter - Messerschmitt Me 262 |last=Hecht |first=Heinrich |year=1990 |publisher=Schiffer |isbn=9780887402340}}</ref> Several Me 262 pilots were able to attain a high number of kills in the type such as Oberleutnant [[Kurt Welter]], who claimed a total of 25 Mosquitos downed during nighttime missions.{{CN|date=September 2020}}

Other forces did not have the pressing need to move to the jet engine; Britain and the US were facing enemies with aircraft of even lower performance than their existing night fighters.{{CN|date=September 2020}} However, the need for new designs was evident, and some low-level work started in the closing stages of the war, including the US contract for the [[Northrop F-89 Scorpion]].<ref>Blazer and Dorio 1993, pp. 1–3.</ref> When the Soviet plans to build an atomic bomb became known in the west in 1948, this project was still long from being ready to produce even a prototype, and in March 1949, they started development of both the [[North American F-86D Sabre]] and [[Lockheed F-94 Starfire]] as stop-gap measures.<ref>{{cite web | title=William F. Barns Archives | website=This Day in Aviation | date=February 21, 2019 | url=https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/tag/william-f-barns/ | access-date=May 14, 2019}}</ref><ref name=AMI>Coniglio, Serigio. "F-94 Starfire (Monopama Special File)." ''Aviation and Marine International'', Issue 34, June 1976.</ref> All of these fighters entered service during the early 1950s. 

[[File:F3D-2 Landing at K6 Airbase, Korea 1952.jpg|thumb|right|An F3D from VC-4 DET44(N) landing at K-6 airbase in Korea]]
In the Korean War, after the Starfire proved to be ineffective against the latest Soviet-supplied aircraft, Marine Corps [[Douglas F3D Skyknight]]s shot down six aircraft, including five [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15]]s without loss, as the MiG-15s lacked radar to shoot down individual fighters, though they were effective against bomber formations at night.<ref name="Yefim_Gordon">Gordon, Yefim. ''Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15''. Leicester, UK: Midland Publishing, 2001. {{ISBN|1-85780-105-9}}.{{page needed|date=November 2013}}</ref>

During the immediate postwar era, the RAF launched studies into new fighter designs, but gave these projects relatively low priority.<ref>Buttler 2004, p. 193.</ref> By the time of the Soviet bomb test, the night-fighter design was still strictly a paper project, and the existing Mosquito fleet was generally unable to intercept the [[Tupolev Tu-4]] bomber it was expected to face. This led to rushed programs to introduce new, interim night-fighter designs; these efforts led to several night-fighter versions of the ubiquitous [[Gloster Meteor]] to replace the Mosquitos during the early 1950s.<ref name="Williams aero 1 p6-7">Williams ''[[Aeroplane Monthly]]'' April 1995, p. 6–7.</ref> A similar conversion of the [[de Havilland Vampire]] was also introduced; this was originally developed by the company as a private venture and initially ordered by Egypt, instead the RAF took over the order to serve an interim measure between the retirement of the Mosquito night fighter and the Meteor night fighter's introduction.<ref>Jackson, 1987, p. 484</ref> These types were also widely exported; Meteor night fighters were acquired by France, Syria, Egypt and Israel amongst others.<ref name="Williams aero p3 p12">Williams ''Aeroplane Monthly'' June 1995, p. 12.</ref>

Both the Meteor and Vampire conversions were rapidly followed by a more capable night fighter in the form of the [[de Havilland Venom]], the first model of which having been introduced during 1953.<ref name = "birt 72">Birtles 1999, p. 72.</ref> More advanced night fighter models of the Venom would follow, as well as of the navalised [[de Havilland Sea Venom]], which served with the [[Royal Navy]] and other operators.<ref name = "birt 75 76">Birtles 1999, pp. 75–76.</ref><ref>Gunston 1981, p. 56.</ref> An advanced night-fighter design was eventually introduced to RAF service in 1956 in the form of the [[Gloster Javelin]], a [[delta wing]] aircraft capable of performing rapid ascents and attaining an altitude of 45,000 feet.<ref>Allward 1983, p. 6.</ref> Due to rapid advances in aircraft capabilities, the Javelin quickly became considered to be outdated and the type was retired during 1968.<ref name="Wixley 2 p422">Wixley ''Aircraft Illustrated'' September 1984, p. 422.</ref> In [[Canada]], [[Avro Canada]] developed its own night fighter, the [[Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck|CF-100 Canuck]], which entered service with the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF) during 1952.<ref name = "dow 72">Dow 1997, p. 72.</ref>

Into the 1960s, night fighters still existed as a separate class of aircraft. As they continued to grow in capability, radar-equipped [[interceptor aircraft|interceptors]] could take on the role of night fighters, thus the class went into decline. Examples of these latter-day interceptor/night-fighters include the [[Avro Arrow]],<ref name = "Fall of an Arrow">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bGcTQY3rKUoC |title=Fall of an Arrow |first=Murray |last=Peden |date=April 1, 2003 |publisher=Dundurn |isbn=9781459717749 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name = 'campagna66-67'>Campagna 1998, pp.&nbsp;66–67.</ref> [[F-106 Delta Dart|Convair F-106 Delta Dart]],<ref name="Winchester 2006, p. 55">Winchester 2006, p. 55.</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Converse III |first1=Elliott V. |title=Rearming for the Cold War 1945 -- 1960 |publisher=Defense Dept (U.S.) |location=Washington D.C. |isbn=9780160911323 |page=241 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jf5uwY7_7dYC&pg=PA241 |date=12 June 2012}}</ref> and [[English Electric Lightning]].<ref name="Pilot's Notes, F.1">''Pilot's Notes, Lightning F Mk.1 and F Mk.1A''. Warton Aerodrome, UK: English Electric Technical Services, February 1962.</ref>{{sfnp|Beamont|1996|pp=51–52}}

During this transition period, the [[McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II]] was offered to the US Navy; at the time, the [[Vought F-8 Crusader]] had already been accepted as a "day" dogfighter, while the subsonic [[McDonnell F3H Demon]] was the Navy's all-weather fighter. The Phantom was developed as the Navy's first supersonic, all-weather, radar-equipped fighter armed with radar-guided missiles.<ref name="swan navyp301">Swanborough and Bowers 1976, p. 301.</ref><ref name="boeing phirsts">{{Citation |url = http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/f4/firsts.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110629074601/http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/f4/firsts.htm |url-status = dead |archive-date = 29 June 2011 |work = Phabulous 40th |title = Phantom 'Phirsts' |publisher = Boeing |access-date = 27 November 2012}}.</ref> Compared to early air-superiority designs such as the F-100 or F-8, the massive Phantom had enough power from its twin J79 engines to prove adaptable as the preferred platform for fighting agile [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17|MiG-17]] and [[Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21|MiG-21]] fighters over the skies of Vietnam,<ref name="dorr p48-49">Dorr and Bishop 1996, pp. 48–49.</ref><ref name="Knaackp274">Knaack 1974, p. 274.</ref> as well as replacing the US Air Force [[Convair F-102 Delta Dagger]] and [[Convair F-106 Delta Dart]] for continental interception duties and the [[Republic F-105 Thunderchief]] as a medium fighter-bomber. The need for dogfighting spelled the end for the specialised [[General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B|Grumman F-111B]], which was armed only with long-range [[AIM-54 Phoenix]] missiles for fleet defense against bombers.<ref name=Gunston_p8-15>Gunston 1978, pp. 8, 10–15.</ref> The Navy instead developed the [[Grumman F-14 Tomcat]], which on top of the heavy Phoenix, retained the Phantom's versatility and improved agility for dogfighting.<ref>Spick 2000, pp. 72–74, 112.</ref><ref>Gunston and Spick 1983, p. 112.</ref> The [[McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle]] was also an interceptor with enhanced agility, but did not carry the Phoenix in preference to the role of an air-superiority fighter.{{sfn|Neufeld|2007|p=49}}

The reduced size and costs of [[avionics]] have allowed even smaller modern fighters to have night-interception capability. In the US Air Force's [[lightweight fighter]] program, the [[General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16]] was originally envisaged as inexpensive [[day fighter]], but quickly converted to an all-weather role. The similar [[McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet]] in its [[McDonnell Douglas CF-18 Hornet|CF-18]] variant for the [[RCAF]], was ordered with a 0.6 [[candela|Mcd]] night-identification light to enhance its night-interception capabilities.