Hemispherical range and combat degradation

The free world's AB‐IB offensive/defensive aircraft costs $200m and, armed with an appropriate missile, a range and reach of 5,400nm. This means the world could be covered from two bases. Such envelopment holds fascinating possibilities for the containment of aggression, by forcing a continental power, with the biggest land mass, to defend itself against an all round threat. Further, in such a situation, the very size of the power is turned against itself: what was an asset (the absorption of land invaders in depth) now becomes a burden. Such tangible hemispherical range emanating from a new level of utilitarian sources, cannot be studied in isolation. Before it can be accepted as feasible and embraced within a strategy, the potential enemy's reaction must be calculated and allowed for. Even so, the AB‐IB concept looks gilt‐edged: no one relishes giving up land mass; that said, should hostilities commence, the envisaged opponent will fight in the hope of inflicting combat degradation on a $200m aeroplane.