In late 1952, the mission of the F-101 was changed from "penetration fighter" to "strategic fighter", which entailed equal emphasis on both the bomber escort mission and on nuclear weapons delivery.
Pada akhir 1952, peran F-101 telah diubah dari "pesawat tempur penetrasi" menjadi "pesawat tempur strategis ", yang mempunyai penekanan misi pengawalan pesawat bomber dan pengiriman senjata nuklir.