The Vigilante's development followed the engine-reliability problems that undermined the turboprop Super Savage. Without those engine problems, the Super Savage airframe might have supported strike, anti-submarine patrol, airborne early warning, and carrier-onboard-delivery roles. North American then funded its own design for the US Navy's carrier-based strategic strike requirement, at a time when manufacturers still financed speculative military projects. The resulting aircraft combined Mach 2 performance with a stated 974-nautical-mile out-and-back radius and the ability to carry a nuclear weapon internally, with two more available on external hardpoints.
Chapter · 14:31-18:47
From the Super Savage failure to a Mach 2 carrier bomber
North American answered the unsuccessful Super Savage project with a privately funded strategic strike aircraft built for speed, range, and nuclear delivery.