Revival of the Air Superiority Fighter

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Revival of the Air Superiority Fighter is a Rand monograph report chapter on the history of US fighter aircraft.

It contains much information about the evolution of requirements and designs that led to the teen-series of day and primary air superiority fighters, the F-14 Tomcat, F-15 Eagle, F-16 Falcon and F/A-18 Hornet, along with the reasons for the cancellation of the Navy's F-111B fighter program, and the emergence of the importance of maneuvering air combat which was not appreciated until 1965.

"escalation of the air war over Vietnam soon convinced many officials in the Air Force and the Pentagon that a new, specialized air-defense fighter was needed, as antiquated North Vietnamese MiG-17s began registering victories over much larger, more complex and expensive, but less maneuverable U.S. fighters. On April 4, 1965, several North Vietnamese Korean War vintage MiG-17s equipped only with guns shot down two sophisticated F-105s on a bombing run against the Than Hoa Bridge. This incident shocked the U.S. tactical fighter community and galvanized sentiment in the Air Force for a new air-superiority fighter."