Yeah the SR-71 would not be safe like it was during the Cold War at the time it was they way to go but the Soviets knowing about the SR-71 and the B-70(though it got scrapped in 69~70) they started developing counters I am not sure if it an urban legend or not but it is said that the interceptor version of the MiG-25 was designed specifically to deal with the B-70 which was a project that they did know about to some extent
That is why the scrapping of the original B-1A program was a good choice that program was to be a high altitude bomber something that was clearly the way of the Dodo by even the early 70's.The B-1B was originally(and it can still perform in this role as can the remaining B-52s if need be) a low altitude NOE penetration platform the odds it was felt where much better of flying low and fast as the Soviets lacked aircraft that had look down shoot down radar abilities until the MiG-31 came along in the early 80s and still good NOE even if radar did see it would have required a high level of coordination to deal with (remember in a SAC war you are sending a large number of bombers in) I am pretty confidante that the Soviets would have been overwhelmed and the F-117 and B-2 that just changed the whole game because those could be used to strike unseen and blow holes in the wall for the B-1Bs and Buffs to penetrate and they could do this to some extent already with cruise missiles.
I would say that radar and guidance technology have caught up with very high and very fast well we all know that high alone was not enough when Gary Powers was shot down 70,000 ft was not high enough.
|