W.I F-12B in USAF service

[Blue cat]

IDK - the whole concept strikes me as being a manhood measuring contest.

The bomber killer wasn't the airframe but the missile - do you really need a Mach 3 interceptor carrying three or four Eagles / AIM-47/.AIM54 when you can have a larger number of AWACS and low cost Missileer style planes loitering to break up the bomber formations. With far more bang for your buck.

Well my understanding is that the 1960's era AWACS type air craft left a lot to be desired and in that era NORAD / ADCOM was heavily reliant on ground based radar systems.. I also suspect NORAD / ADCOM in that era also liked having interceptors that could likely get close enough to their targets to be able to employ an unguided rocket with a nuclear war head in case the bombers had effective ECM, Chaff etc that could counter a long range AAM.

 

[Bougnas]

I thought the early aircraft only carried 3 AIM-47's ? Edit to add plus the F106 could also carry the Genie nuclear armed air to air rocket and I believe nuclear armed versions of the Falcons as well... I suspect the Genie provided a certain degree of hedging against Soviet ECM.

As I said before, YF-12A. The F-12B was supposed to house the fire control system in the fuselage to free a slot for a fourth weapon, and folding-fin missiles to save even more space.

 

[alspug]

To be fair the Ideal Air Defence aircraft for a Norad role would actually be a 747 with AWG-9 radar backing up an E-2C style AWACS system and with an internal magazine and missile launch system. If the Boeing 747 CMCA is used as an example i would assume 50 to 60 AIM-54C possibly even a longer ranged variant with booster and midcourse guidance. Each 747 would be able to patrol for several hours at long distances from base and kill bomber sized aircraft from long range. The radar coverage would work well and help with the task. Conventional interceptors would be needed for QRA and gap coverage. As an aside the 747 thus configured would make a great GIUK Gap fighter.

Speed is sexy but for the kind of operation needed to cover NORAD airspace lots of missiles, great radar and massive endurance would be hard to beat. I would also guess costs for the 747 fleet would be lower. Missile upgrades easier due to space etc.