▁armed ▁only ▁with ▁long - range ▁A IM - 5 4 ▁Phoenix ▁miss iles ▁for ▁fleet ▁defense ▁against ▁bom bers . ▁The ▁Navy ▁instead ▁developed ▁the ▁Gr um man ▁F - 1 4 ▁Tom cat , ▁which ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁heavy ▁Phoenix , ▁retained ▁the ▁Ph antom ' s ▁vers at ility ▁and ▁improved ▁ag ility ▁for ▁dog f ight ing . ▁The ▁Mc D onn ell ▁Douglas ▁F - 1 5 ▁E agle ▁was ▁also ▁an ▁inter ceptor ▁with ▁en hanced ▁ag ility , ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁carry ▁the ▁Phoenix ▁in ▁preference ▁to ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁an ▁air - super ior ity ▁f ighter . ▁ ▁The ▁reduced ▁size ▁and ▁costs ▁of ▁av ion ics ▁have ▁allowed ▁even ▁smaller ▁modern ▁f igh ters ▁to ▁have ▁night - inter ception ▁cap ability . ▁In ▁the ▁US ▁Air ▁Force ' s ▁light weight ▁f ighter ▁ ▁program , ▁the ▁F - 1 6 ▁was ▁originally ▁en vis aged ▁as ▁in exp ensive ▁day ▁f ighter , ▁but ▁quickly ▁converted ▁to ▁an ▁all - we ather ▁role . ▁The ▁similar ▁Mc D onn ell ▁Douglas ▁F / A - 1 8 ▁Hor net ▁in ▁its ▁CF - 1 8 ▁variant ▁for ▁the ▁RC AF , ▁was ▁ordered ▁with ▁a ▁ 0 . 6 ▁M cd ▁night - ident ification ▁light ▁to ▁enh ance ▁its ▁night - inter ception ▁capabilities . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁Royal ▁A ircraft ▁Factory ▁B . E . 2 ▁Night ▁f ighter ▁S op with ▁Cam el ▁" Com ic