While American strategic doctrine has focused on combat aircraft and air superiority since 1945, the Soviet Union and later Russia have taken a different track. Rather than compete with the [[United State]] in the design and production of air combat vehicles, it has focused and poured resources into air defense. Russia has always enjoyed air defense superiority, dating back at least to the [[U-2|U-2 incident]] in 1960, or the destruction of the much-vaunted F-117 [[Stealth fighter]] in 1998 after only 9 years in service. Because of the U.S. focus on aerial attack superiority, the United States has always lagged behind Russian technological capabilities in air defense. | While American strategic doctrine has focused on combat aircraft and air superiority since 1945, the Soviet Union and later Russia have taken a different track. Rather than compete with the [[United State]] in the design and production of air combat vehicles, it has focused and poured resources into air defense. Russia has always enjoyed air defense superiority, dating back at least to the [[U-2|U-2 incident]] in 1960, or the destruction of the much-vaunted F-117 [[Stealth fighter]] in 1998 after only 9 years in service. Because of the U.S. focus on aerial attack superiority, the United States has always lagged behind Russian technological capabilities in air defense. |