[Eric Pode of Croydon]

We will sacrifice speed & agility to get the first-look/first-shot. Who is right?

Because we've never allowed our pilots to shoot BVR (beyond visual range), even though we have had the tech to do so, I think the Russians are right.

[Tallguy]

“Because we’ve never allowed our pilots to shoot BVR (beyond visual range), even though we have had the tech to do so, I think the Russians are right.”

My reading of the Gulf War suggests that we used our F-15C’s as BVR shooters to protect AWACs and aerial tanker assets. So it’s not that it never happened, just that the circumstances permitting the tactic are fairly limited.