Meet the XF-108 Rapier: The Mach 3 Plane Designed to Kill Russia's Bombers

It was the height of the Cold War in the 1950s, and a vital part of the Soviet Union’s nuclear triad was large bombers that could deliver an astonishing nuclear payload to North America. The U.S. Air Force wanted an ultra-fast fighter to keep the supersonic Soviet strategic bombers from reaching the country. It settled on the XF-108 Rapier. The Air Force eventually passed on this powerful airplane because of the high costs and warfare had evolved away from airplane delivery of nuclear devices.