[2021] I've finally done it... I've gone CV

So Bearn fighters are special. They have a 100 second run time. Other Fighters only have 60 seconds.

So this is a help, and a hindrance...

Help) Having longer run time means being able to drop a Fighter and go do something else. You do't have to "babysit" the same spot in 60 seconds from now... you have time before returning.
Hindrance) The additional time means the Fighter stays there past when the Friendly that was using it leaves the area and prevents you from dropping the next :\ So that can suck.

Let's talk about Fighter Skills:

First, Interceptor. Yes or No? Answer: Yes. -- Why? Bearn Fighters only have 2km "vision", so if they're aren't on top of something, they aren't spotting it. Taking Interceptor removes that 2km vision and gives you a 10% increase in Patrol Radius. Also, you only kill Player Planes, not Fighter consumables. That's how you de-plane a CV (if you force them to take action).

Next, Enhanced Reactions. Yes or No? Answer: Maybe. -- You make the Fighters last 25% longer, so 125 seconds. That's great if they matter for the duration, but sucks if your team leaves them behind and you can't lay another. As for the instant latching after the longer windup, it's loooovely. So, plus and minus

Next, "Patrol Group Leader" Yes or No? Nooooooo -- You have 16 Fighter consumables. Don't blow 2 points on 2 more Fighters you won't be able to use (because the match will have ended, probably)

Lastly, "Search and Destroy" Yes or Yes? Yes. -- More Patrol range ftw. Plus, lower tier makes smaller map means the patrol size is more oppressive.

There are two ways to look at Fighters. Most people will think only in terms of the first because it's the most straightforward.

1) Fighters kill Planes.
a) This is nice when it works, but as you point out above a CV player can simply recall when they've been tagged by fighters and avoid the plane loss. So this isn't a guaranteed situation.
b) As a result of A being uncertain, many folks decry Fighters are worthless. They cannot "enforce plane loss". Time is burned forcing the recall and flight back out, however.

2) Fighters Block Attack Lines.
a) If you were to make a "heatmap" of the Aerial Space. You could see hard red for high continuous and other colors representing lesser Continuous damage or flak saturation. On this "heat map" you can see a Fighter as an island or "hard terrain" which has a health loss penalty to move/strike through. In this way, you can reinterpret Fighters as "Islands" for the sky. While CVs can move/strike through them, there is a health loss penalty incurred for doing so which can make the strike unuseful.
b) Denying attack lines can be critically effective against Attack Line Dependent strikes. Russian CVs require Broadside strikes, so having Fighters positioned to deny attack lines forces the CV to a different target, or to accept a low-result attack that is coming in from a bad line.
c) Denying attack lines also results in lost time/efficiency as the enemy CV must re-route to find a way in/different target.

I'll leave a video which is intended as a Counter Russian CV lesson primer, but the last few minutes discuss attack lines and using Fighters to break routes needed for strikes:

Raw Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGZpEBEl6gI&t=23s