
A Supermarine Rapier in flight over the ocean.
The Supermarine Rapier is a fourth generation swing wing interceptor/air superiority fighter utilized by various members of the British Commonwealth that entered service in the mid 1970s. It is being replaced by the Supermarine Typhoon. The Rapier is comparable in capability to the F-14/78b Tomcat. The Rapier carries Red Flash missiles, is equipped with a Raytheon UK F-1991 RDF, and is powered by a pair of Rolls Royce Spey Mk.912 afterburning turbofans each of which generate 17,500 lbf dry and 27,000 lbf on the afterburners. Later variants of the Rapier also gained AtG capabilities, supercruise, and 2D thrust vectoring.
- Its capabilities are described as being comparable to the Grumman F-14B Tomcat.
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See Also[edit | edit source]
- Airplanes
- British Empire
- Chilean Air Force
- Fighters
- Fleet Air Arm (Australia)
- Fleet Air Arm (Britain)
- Fourth-Generation Jet Fighters
- Luftwaffe
- Portuguese Air Force
- Puerto Rican Air Force
- RCN Naval Air Corps
- Royal Air Force
- Royal Australian Air Force
- Royal Canadian Air Force
- Royal Canadian Navy
- Royal Indian Air Force
- Royal Indian Navy
- Royal Navy
- Royal New Zealand Air Force
- Supermarine
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