The problem here is that we cannot use real-world fighter airplane analogies to apply to the game? Why? Because of the vast difference between offense and defense in the real world and in the game. In the real world, offense is vastly more powerful than defense. You get hit by a single missile or 5 rounds from a cannon, and you're pretty much done for. There are no shields, no armor, and the best way to avoid damage is to evade and toss out countermeasures.
Going by this reality, interceptors make perfect sense. They are fast, faster than most other planes, and their purpose is to destroy bombers. Well, bombers are nice fat easy targets, and a single interceptor is a major threat to three or four bombers (or more, if the fighter pilot is good with his gun). Therefore, this drives the bombers to get escorts in the form of fighters that are designed to kill other fighters. This makes taking on bomber formations much tougher for the interceptors because interceptors are splashed by a single missile too. They gotta stay alive and deliver their payload to the bombers while the enemy makes it tough for them.
However, transfer this to freelancerverse. Defense is so much more powerful that three or four bombers, even if they had maneuverability nerfed so much that they had no chance of hitting the interceptor whatsoever, would still have no reason to bring escorts. Why? Because a single interceptor is no threat, they'll just weather the beating on their shields and hull, and SN the capship into oblivion anyways. The interceptor can't do anything because of the balance of power between offense and defense.
This is why I support raising gun speeds. It will shift the balance more to the side of offense, which promotes an actual response. The stronger defense gets, the less teamwork and combined arms are necessary. The stronger offense gets, escorts and interceptors will actually make sense and have a role in the game.
