The long range Phoenix has a terrible combat record (at msot 1 combat kill, if that), and it's doubtful that it can reach up to even the 62.5 mile altitude of current *civilian* technology.
The long range Phoenix has a terrible combat record (at msot 1 combat kill, if that), and it's doubtful that it can reach up to even the 62.5 mile altitude of current *civilian* technology.
And why is that? Because most recent conflicts have required fighters to get within visual range in order to make sure they are downing a bandit (can't just lob missiles at a bogey 50 miles away, because it might just be a civilian airliner).
ROE will be different for every conflict, and the question is which fighter solution will allow it to be used under the most varied conditions. The F22 will rule the skies in a close turn-and-burn engagement (the most likely in a limited war engagement) and will be untouchable from BVR (due to its stealth). The only advatages your mythical (yes, they are mythical becuase there's not a single one even on the drawing board) military space-plane has are speed and altitutde... what happens when the ROE say to eyeball a bogey before you can splash it?
Apparently, you haven't checked out "Iran-Iraq: War In The Air" by Tom Cooper and Farzad Bishop, nor have you checked out the website http://www.iiaf.net
The Iranians have been the only successful users of the
AIM-54 Phoenix when flying their F-14 Tomcats against Iraq from 1980 to 1988. With little or no outside help, their fleet of F-4D/E Phantoms, F-5E Tiger IIs, and F-14A Tomcats shot down no fewer than 200-250 Iraqi aircraft. The Iranians have the only Tomcat Aces, at least 3 pilots acheiving that status. In fact, here's a good link showing their air-to-air combat record during the firt ACTUAL Gulf War, before Desert Storm was later known by many by the latter title. http://www.acig.org/artman/publish/article_210.shtml