▁ ▁Over view ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁to ▁mid - 1 9 7 0 s ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁highly ▁concerned ▁by ▁the ▁perce ived ▁capabilities ▁of ▁the ▁Mi G - 2 5 , ▁an ▁aircraft ▁which ▁was ▁known ▁to ▁be ▁capable ▁of ▁spe eds ▁in ▁excess ▁of ▁Mach ▁ 3 ▁and ▁which ▁carried ▁long - range ▁air - to - air ▁miss iles . ▁It ▁was ▁widely ▁claimed ▁that ▁the ▁Fox bat ▁was ▁a ▁new ▁generation ▁" super - fig h ter ", ▁capable ▁of ▁comfort ably ▁out class ing ▁any ▁US ▁or ▁al lied ▁aircraft . ▁The ▁US ▁initi ated ▁the ▁F - 1 5 ▁E agle ▁program ▁largely ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁this ▁threat . ▁To ▁equip ▁the ▁F - 1 5 ▁the ▁Air ▁Force ▁initi ated ▁development ▁of ▁the ▁A IM - 8 2 ▁short - range ▁miss ile ▁and ▁the ▁A IM - 9 7 ▁Se ek bat . ▁The ▁former ▁was ▁a ▁dog f ight ing ▁miss ile ▁intended ▁as ▁a ▁replacement ▁for ▁the ▁A IM - 9 ▁Side w inder , ▁the ▁latter ▁was ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁new ▁high - alt itude ▁long - range ▁miss ile ▁designed ▁specifically ▁to ▁shoot ▁down ▁the ▁Mi G - 2 5 ▁- ▁hence ▁the ▁name ▁Se ek bat , ▁the ▁bat ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁Mi G - 2 5 ' s ▁" F ox bat " ▁NAT O ▁reporting ▁name . ▁ ▁The ▁Se ek bat ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁AG M - 7 8 ▁Standard ▁AR M . ▁It ▁had