PPRuNe Forums - View Single Post - F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
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Old 28th Jan 2016, 21:43
  #8343 (permalink)  
LowObservable
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Correct. I think (behind the legend) was a bit of a Lockheed campaign to continue building SRs for the strike role. The basic structure (of the SR) has the same chine bays as the YF-12, which had been cleared for weapon launch. Ben Rich wanted to stick SRAMs in there.

So the idea hung around that it should have been reconnaissance-strike (as the AF had tried to rename the B-70 the RS-70) but that the administration (blame McNamara, of course) sabotaged it.

However, the SR never (as far as I know) had the kind of sensor or fire-control system that would be needed to launch weapons.
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