How would an F-16 fare against a YF-12A?

Given your the aggressor in your Block 52 F-16, being assigned as escort for the strike package. This assuming the YF-12A is operating in it's natural SAGE environment, and receiving significant e-support from ground and local AWAC's in theater. How would the F-16C fare in keeping those massive AIM-47's from making devastating snap down shots at 100 miles off? How could that be defended? What would your tactics be?

The F-12 was designed to be a bomber intercepter. Killing the bombers over the North Pole, versus over Canada or the Northern US.

My estimate is that they would have devastated bomber formations in the first wave of an intercept mission; whatever got through them would have dealt with the other intercepters or SAMs over Canada and the US, or a second wave of Blackbirds.

Against a conventional strike package, I'm not sure how they would have faired. The best bet would be to stay VERY low and hope that ground clutter affected their ability to track/lock/fire/home on you. A few jammer aircraft would help, but the YF-12s massive radar would have proven difficult to jam, not sure about the missiles, but home-on-jam defeats that whole tactic. The thing to NOT do is try to climb and attack them. In clear air, below and ahead of them you'd be missile fodder.

Then again try not attacking a country who can actually design and build a functional MACH 3+ interceptor that could carry neuclear tipped anything.... If the US had pursued that warhead option a pair of YF-12s could destroy your strike package by putting missile or two anywhere within a mile of it. Like playing horseshoes, 'close counts'

It would go something like this:
Eat breakfast with the wife/kids, go to work, fly out to your CAP 2000nm away near the 'unfriendly guys', vector towards a strike package as AWACs detects aircraft massing as they launch, intercept and blast 30 aircraft with a single 2Kt tipped AIM-47 75nm out (over their houses), fly back to hit the tanker, fly home at the end of your shift, land that afternoon, help the kids with their homework, then have a little fun with the wife.... after all you're a 6 time ace with a single shot!

...but who knows the budget (and politics) all killed that idea before it ever took off!

Keep 'em flyin'
TEG

That's a great answer really. If anything, a formation strike package would be the last thing you'd want to do. I'd have everything spread out and timed to coincide on the target area. Don't offer the F-12 the chance to target a flock. Make those big AIM-47's work hard for single kills. They do not carry many of them. A few misses or broken tracks, and they'd be numerically compromised soon.

That's okay... Here is how I would keep you in your airspace and deny you exit.

Place F-12s near your borders working in a CAP, have them in pairs, working in groups of 8 in a 'wagon-wheel' fashion too maintain a advantageous cruising speed. Keeping at least 2 per border in a firing position. With a couple squadrons of Blackbirds I could run a 24 hour CAP. Given this type of 'air siege' when AWACS detected anything breaking ground in your territory it would be immediately intercepted by the pair of F-12 in the best position well within your borders. If you did make it out, you wouldn't get far before being run down by F-12 doing 'clean-up'...

F-12s flying around you at MACH 3 would have covered a LOT of territory, and attack targets before they'd have know it.

Better hope I run out of JP7... and that the AIM-47s I'm toting aren't neuks

TEG

Okay, maybe 4 squadrons... 2 wings?... depending on the size of your territory.

I'm a beer short! TEG

Funtional, nuclear tipper, F-12s.... I think I need to clean my shorts.

Well the AIM-47 never had the special warhead fitted, but it was proposed. Kinda like the F-12 was proposed, as was the AIM-47...

Enemy aircraft approaching? what aircraft...
All I saw was a real bright flash...
then that funny lookin' cloud.

I hope someone our side is working on a 'kinder gentler' EMP that could do the same thing without all that residual radiation...

Keep 'em flyin'
TEG

......Great pic. If I recall, dear old Dad was there that day. But managed to weasel his presence far away from the group of folks directly under the Genie blast.....Actually they were officer volunteers. Brave souls!:




...I'm not sure looking up was a good thing!.....If dad was there, he was probably most assuredly wrestling the fire control in the F-89 that day....

...wow...