How would the US Navy change if it bought the A-12 Avenger II in the 1990s?
Short answerIt would gain a reduced-observable carrier strike aircraft and might retain a separate high-end fighter line, potentially replacing the F-14 with a naval F-22 rather than relying on the F/A-18 for both roles.
NotesThe A-12 would be an internally armed, reduced-visibility strike aircraft whose stealth would age but remain useful. Fielding it preserves a distinct strike-aircraft role instead of pushing the carrier wing toward one multirole family. In a navy still planning for peer conflict rather than maximizing the peace dividend, a separate successor to the F-14 also becomes more plausible. The long-term consequence could be an A-12 strike component paired with a navalized F-22-type fighter.