Supersonic flight, that is—flight in excess of Mach 1—was first achieved in October 1947, when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier in his Bell X-1 experimental plane. The newfound ability to transcend Mach 1 in flight was applied immediately to military aircraft, quickly rendering propeller planes nearly obsolete and becoming the operational standard in early Cold War jets. At the time, the inclusion of supersonic speed was viewed as a revolution in air combat—enabling interceptors, fast strike aircraft, and missile carriers to perform missions that had previously been impossible for slower aircraft. Even today, despite the emergence of stealth technology, long-range missiles, and networked warfare, there is still strategic value in raw, kinetic, blistering speed.

Supersonic speed facilitates rapid intercept capability. When a jet........

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