Authority
Most Heavy, High Thrust A/C (fighters) are short-coupled. This describes how close the empennage is to the CG. Keeping the mass compact allows for awesome manouverability (req. #1), but disallows directional authority or short moment arm. Installing the tail feathers way back allows for greater leverage on the mass, and allows for smaller and lighter tails, not a plus when shakin' and bakin'. In other words, now we need two big strong VS, Rudder puppies to wrestle the explosive energy around a point.
Hence the F-15 example. To a lesser extent a payoff in redundancy and permissible structure loss (anyone see the Eagle fly home with ONE WING missing entirely???
Now you know why Goose died. spins are nearly always fatal in fighter A/C. Roll Rate?? awesome. G load? Incredible. Yaw? What's Yaw??!! Also Art Scholl. Can anyone think of a more Short coupled A/C than a Pitts? G-B doesn't count.
Airfoil