The New Breed

The intense U. S. research and development programs on high-angle – of-attack technology of the 1970s and 1980s ushered in a new era of carefree maneuvering for tactical aircraft. New options for close-in combat were now available to military pilots, and more importantly, departure/spin accidents were dramatically reduced. Design tools had been sharpened, and the widespread introduction of sophisticated dig­ital flight control systems finally permitted the implementation of auto­matic departure and spin prevention systems. These advances did not go unnoticed by foreign designers, and emerging threat aircraft were rapidly developed and exhibited with comparable high-angle-of-attack capabilities.[1321] As the Air Force and Navy prepared for the next genera­tion of fighters to replace the F-15 and F-14, the integration of superior maneuverability at high angles of attack and other performance – and signature-related capabilities became the new challenge.