F-8 already had head-on capabilities with AIM-9C. It was just as formidable as Su-15 with R-98/AA-3. Not much for dogfights, but perfect for air policing duties. F-8 was actually okay in dogfights, it just wasn’t as good as an F-4 where you had two sets of eyes through a nice canopy. Most of your options had mediocre visibility for pilots.

XF8U demonstrated what was arguably a cross between F-8 and F-106 in a Mach 2.5+ package. And it had Sparrow much like MiG-23P had R-23/AA-7.

You do realize patent rights are largely meaningless and null when it comes to national security grounds. China may lose some imports from Russia, but they’re moving towards their creations being independent and no longer representative of the original Russian products. I give China five years to equal Russia is every modern aspect of fighter design.

Little Rock AFB, Ark. 72099-4940; 17 mi. NE of Little Rock (Jacksonville). Phone: 501-987-1110; DSN 731-1110. Majcom: AETC. Host: 314th Airlift Wing. Mission: largest C-130 training base in DoD; trains crew members from all branches of military service and 27 foreign countries. Major tenants: 463rd Airlift Gp. (AMC), C-130s; 189th Airlift Wing (ANG), C-130s; Air Mobility Warfare Center Combat Aerial Delivery School (AMC); Hq. Arkansas ANG. History: activated Oct. 9, 1955. Area: 6,130 acres. Runway: 12,000 ft. Altitude: 310 ft. Personnel: permanent party military, 4,670; DoD civilians, 504. Housing: single family, officer, 185, enlisted, 1,350; unaccompanied, UAQ/UEQ, 11 single-occupancy dorms housing 764; visiting, VOQ, 197, VAQ/VEQ, 207. Clinic.

Little Rock has an airport, but the base uses federally subsidized auxiliary airstrips in all four cardinal directions for emergencies. When Clinton came in and out of Little Rock he avoided Jacksonville and used the airport. Not secure and a major inconvenience to our guys. He could have been less problematic with civilian traffic using the AFB or a secondary. But one thing for sure, they do it whatever way the boss wants.

If it’s an F4U in Algeria why does it look like the top of a carrier and the sea in the background?

The J85 used on the USAF had a flameholder redesign and a parts reduction that saves money. That kind of upgrade can probably take place with major headaches. I’d be very surprised the blades couldn’t take some kind of drop-in replacement. The turbines in a jet (e.g. axial-flow and centrifugal designs) are easy enough to upgrade something from the 1960’s by taking advantage of current materials and production methods. A redesign of the F100 to add technology from the F119 went very smooth. They only sought tweaks that didn’t change the design wholesale and ended up with dramatic decreases in spool-up time and similar increases with specific thrust. If the USAF had a considerable fleet and wanted the improvements then they would get done.

RDI wasn’t exactly the de facto M2K radar in 1998. RDM was the radar in service. If the AMRAAM is not allowed then certainly RDI is likewise inappropriate.

Mirage 2000 with RDM might hold the MiG-25PDS / R-40 at a standoff, but USN F-14A had fleet resources that would have deteriorated Mirage’s ability to conduct its mission. Likewise, the F-15C had similar resources. The Iranians did not. Your example was a blinded two decade old F-14A against a brand new Mirage F.1 employing jamming and a new missile that wasn’t even in full serial production.

Without a new engine there is little reason to suspect too many major shifts in Rafale development. More power to anyone that continues down that path. They always could explore undercutting the Gripen NG by exploring Super Etendard and Mirage venues built around single M88 designs.

The Chinese and Russians are their true competition. They easily dominate both.

The Tu-22M3 with locked flaps? Looks quite the Photoshop of a plastic model. The transition between plane and background is unrealistic.