Faced with an air superiority gap compared to Air Force jets in the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Navy embarked on an ambitious aircraft development program that produced one of the world’s best all-around fighters.
The U.S. Navy was the best-prepared and best-equipped of all the country’s armed forces. For many years, it had been focusing much of its energy on preparing for a surface naval confrontation with Germany.
By David Longenbach, Pennsylvania State University