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→The Missile Age: Internal links
SAC's involvement in Vietnam climaxed with [[Operation Linebacker II]] in December of 1972. SAC's successes with this operation are credited with forcing the North Vietnamese to resume peace negotiations.<ref name=Zianet/>
SAC's involvement in Vietnam climaxed with [[Operation Linebacker II]] in December of 1972. SAC's successes with this operation are credited with forcing the North Vietnamese to resume peace negotiations.<ref name=Zianet/>
SAC had planned to acquire a new long-range bomber, the B-70, capable of carrying far heavier loads. However, persistent rumors arose that the Soviets were developing a rocket fighter-interceptor that would easily destroy the B-70 before it got close to target.<ref name=Belenko>Barron, John. ''MiG Pilot: The Final Escape of Lt. Belenko''. New York: Avon Books. 1981. ISBN 0380538687</ref> For that reason, and because of budgetary and political constraints, [[United States Congress|Congress]] cancelled the B-70 bomber. (The Soviets ''did'' produce a high-speed, high-altitude interceptor, the [[MiG-25 Foxbat]]. But only when [[Lieutenant]] [[Viktor Belenko]] escaped with his MiG-25 on September 6, 1976 and thus allowed American analysts to examine a MiG-25 first-hand did the Americans realize that, while the MiG-25 would have been a devastating interceptor, it would have been useless as a fighter.<ref name=Belenko/>)
SAC had planned to acquire a new long-range bomber, the [[B-70 Valkyrie]], capable of carrying far heavier loads. However, persistent rumors arose that the Soviets were developing a rocket fighter-interceptor that would easily destroy the B-70 before it got close to target.<ref name=Belenko>Barron, John. ''MiG Pilot: The Final Escape of Lt. Belenko''. New York: Avon Books. 1981. ISBN 0380538687</ref> For that reason, and because of budgetary and political constraints, [[United States Congress|Congress]] cancelled the B-70 bomber. (The Soviets ''did'' produce a high-speed, high-altitude interceptor, the [[MiG-25]] Foxbat. But only when [[Lieutenant]] [[Viktor Belenko]] escaped with his MiG-25 on September 6, 1976 and thus allowed American analysts to examine one first-hand did the Americans realize that, while the MiG-25 would have been a devastating interceptor, it would have been useless as a fighter.<ref name=Belenko/>)
=== The Reagan Era ===
=== The Reagan Era ===