The Wild Story of the American YA-7F Strikefighter

As the United States Air Force and Navy struggle to justify the exorbitant costs of their sixth-generation fighter programs to an understandably skeptical Congress, it is important to remember that the military at the time was trying to turn surplus parts into an entirely new capability to accomplish. But that’s exactly what the Air Force wanted to achieve with its proposed YA-7F strikefighter. Using old, surplus A-7 Corsair II fighter jets, the Air Force made them more maneuverable, installed better engines, and essentially created a nighttime supersonic battlefield defense jet at a bargain price.

It was the mid-1980s and the Air Force was trying out new concepts as the Cold War raged and the Reagan administration implemented a defense spending boom. Interestingly, it was at this point that some in the Pentagon decided to begin work on a low-cost alternative to the more expensive fighter jets favored by the Pentagon.

The Air Force needed aircraft for close air support (CAS) missions and anticipated the need for such platforms when – and if – the Cold War heated up and NATO forces found themselves in a heated war in Europe. In particular, the Air Force wanted more speed and agility than its current CAS systems. At the time, the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the Air Force’s primary CAS fighter aircraft, was not very popular. The Luftwaffe considered it too slow for some modern combat situations.

Therefore, the Air Force wanted to take the durability of the A-10 but combine it with a faster flying aircraft. So the YA-7F Strikefighter.

Recycled size

This bird was based on the old A-7 Corsair II subsonic fighter aircraft that served the Air Force and Navy. The strikefighter was converted into a transonic aircraft that could fly faster than the speed of sound. The Air Force upgraded the strikefighter to newer Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 engines, which provided about 26,000 pounds of thrust, increasing its supersonic capabilities. Due to the newer, more powerful engine, the fuselage was lengthened by four feet, with designers incorporating sections into the fuselage fore and aft of the wings. This four-foot-long fuselage improved both speed and aerodynamics.

Engineers also increased the vertical stabilizer and modified the original control surfaces for high-speed performance. Therefore, the YA-7F could perform a 7g turn, meaning its handling and maneuverability were superior to the A-7 Corsair II on which it was based. The pilots were also treated to quite a spectacle when flying the bird. Finally, this aircraft, although externally ugly, had a modernized cockpit. A heads-up display (HUD) was available and the bird featured advanced avionics.

The plane could explode from 400 to 550 knots in less than 15 seconds, carrying 17,380 pounds of ordnance. In addition, with additional fuel, the bird could maintain a speed of around Mach 1.5.

These birds could also carry nearly 18,000 pounds of armament.

Cut off prematurely

The YA-7F was very promising when it was prematurely canceled by the Pentagon. The plane was a victim of its own success. In fact, it was far cheaper (and almost as effective) as the other aircraft considered. But the military wanted as many shiny new F-16s and other fourth-generation aircraft as possible — and America’s defense contractors were only too happy to steer the Pentagon in that direction.

Canceling the YA-7F was one of the worst decisions the Pentagon ever made. The aircraft would have been a useful bird and could have performed CAS roles requiring speed and agility. Additionally, it illustrated the type of cost savings the Pentagon could make without sacrificing significant capabilities.

It’s also a sign of what should be done about the costly Air Force Next-Generation Air Dominance program. America doesn’t need this system. The Pentagon could easily expand its existing aircraft fleet without breaking its construction budget miracle weapon.

Unlike the 1980s, when the United States could reasonably afford the Pentagon’s surpluses, the United States’ only chance of survival today is for every American to step up and demand an end to wasteful spending at the Pentagon.

Still, the YA-7F Strikefighter program is a great reminder of why the Air Force should reuse its older platforms to exert its power. In today’s strategic and economic environment, the Pentagon should really start reusing platforms. In today’s strategic situation, it is actually far better to reuse and improve them than to take the time to build everything from scratch.

Brandon J. Weicherta national interest of national security analystis a former congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who writes for The Washington Times, The Asia Times and The Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed on Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

Image: ivanpotapoff / Shutterstock.com