Northrop F-89J Scorpion: nuclear rockets against nuclear bombers

TomLiu126 · August 3, 2025, 3:13pm

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F-89J carrying two AIR-2 Genie rockets (source: File:Northrop F-89J Scorpion USAF.jpg - Wikimedia Commons)

TL;DR: F-89 armed with nuke-tipped rockets, air-to-air missiles, and 104 FFARs.

The Northrop F-89J Scorpion was the last variant of the F-89 family, although it was not a new build. Instead, all 350 of them were converted from older F-89D Scorpions. The main change was installing a new fire control system for firing the AIM-2 Genie nuclear-tipped air-to-air rocket. It was also the only aircraft to ever fire a live Genie rocket, during Operation Plumbbob on 19 July 1957. Later, they also received four additional pylons for launching the AIM-4 Falcon. As a rebuild of the F-89D, it could still carry the two wingtip FFAR pods for 104 rockets, although most units replaced them with fuel tanks. Like the F-89H, its service was also short due to the introduction of more advanced supersonic interceptors.

Since both F-89s in-game are premiums, hopefully, this variant and/or the F-89H could be introduced in the tech tree (the F-89H gets more missiles but fewer rockets). Flight performance should be nearly identical to the F-89D. As for weaponry: The 104 FFARs would probably be the F-89J’s main weapon. The AIM-4 Falcon was notorious in real life for its unreliability, but it could be made usable in War Thunder. The biggest point of contention would probably be the AIR-2 Genie, with its 1.5-kiloton nuclear warhead. The lethal radius was apparently “only” 300 m, and the warhead wouldn’t arm until the rocket motor burned out which would impose a dead range of a kilometre or two, but if provided with a lead-calculating fire control system it would pose a credible threat to unsuspecting fighters, let alone clumsy bombers. There’s also the concern that it could be used against ground targets, but I think that issue can be solved by coupling it with the FCS (no radar lock and FCS solution, no launch).

History

With 350 conversions, the F-89J was the second most numerous Scorpion variant after the F-89D. It carried the Hughes MG-12 fire control system for firing its two AIR-2A Genie rockets (originally designated MB-1). A few used the old rocket/fuel pods from the F-89D, but most were operationally equipped with 600-gallon tip tanks. Later in its career two pylons on each wing were added to carry Falcon missiles inboard of the Genies (it appears that only AIM-4C IR Falcons were carried).

Deliveries began in November 1956 to the 84th FIS, and the F-89J became operational in January 1957, starting to stand active alerts with a single Genie rocket per aircraft, even though the rocket had yet to be test-fired. That happened on 19 July 1957 during Operation Plumbbob, when a F-89J of the 84th FIS fired a Genie rocket at 5,600 to 6,100 m above mean sea level over Yucca Flats at the Nevada National Security Site. As a public relations event, five Air Force officers and one photographer stood right underneath ground zero of the blast to show that the nuclear-tipped rocket could be safely used over civilian populations. However, advances in technology were rapidly obsolescing the subsonic F-89J, even though it technically was the most heavily armed fighter of the Air Force when carrying four Falcons, two Genies, and 104 FFAR rockets. Starting from July 1959 the Air Force began transferring the F-89J to the Air National Guard, with up to nine ANG squadrons eventually equipped with the nuclear-armed Scorpion. They remained in service with the ANG until finally being phased out in favour of supersonic interceptors in late 1968.

Design and specifications

General characteristics:

Crew: 2
Length: 53 ft 9.5 in (16.396 m)
Wingspan: 59 ft 8.5 in (18.199 m)
Height: 17 ft 6 in (5.33 m)
Wing area: 606 square feet (56.3 m²)
Empty weight: 27,790 lbs (12,605 kg)
Design gross weight (two Genie rockets, full internal fuel, 200 gallons fuel in each tip tank): 39,544 lbs (17,937 kg)
Maximum gross weight: 44,744 lbs (20,296 kg)
Fuel capacity: 2,365 gallons (15,372.5 lbs) with wingtip tanks
Engine: 2x J35-A-35, each with 5,600 lbf (25 kN) thrust, 7,400 lbf (33 kN) with afterburner
- n.b. statistic from Pilot’s Manual; the Standard Aircraft Characteristics claims a lower thrust value of 5,440 lbf (24.2 kN) thrust, 7,200 lbf (32 kN) with afterburner.

Performance:

Maximum speed: approx. 540 kt (1000 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m); see graphs below for details
Maximum IAS: 470 kt (870 km/h)
Maximum climb rate: 11,000 ft/min (55.88 m/s) at sea level, gross weight of 28,000 lbs, maximum power; see graphs below for details
Service ceiling:
- 50,000 ft (15240 m), unspecified
- 48,400 ft (14,630 m), gross weight of 30,427 lbs, maximum power, see graphs below for details
Ferry range: 2,600 mi (4184 km)

Avionics and armament:

Radar: AN/APG-40 (assumed to be the same as F-89D)
- n.b. The current radar for the in-game F-89D is incorrect. See this bug report for details and performance specifications of the AN/APG-40: Community Bug Reporting System.
Fire control system: MG-12
2x pylons for AIR-2A Genie rockets
4x pylons AIM-4 Falcon missiles
- Standard Missile Characteristics only indicate that the AIM-4C IR Falcon was used on the F-89J
2x wingtip rocket/fuel pods for a total of 104 2.75’’ FFAR rockets and 600 gallons of fuel or 2x wingtip fuel tanks for a total of 1200 gallons of fuel

Diagrams

climb
Maximum climb rate (source: Northrop F-89J Scorpion Flight Manual)

Dimensions and internal layout (source: F-89J Standard Aircraft Characteristics)

Flight performance (source: F-89J Standard Aircraft Characteristics)

More pictures

F-89Js of the 321st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, appearing to be carrying FFAR rocket pods (source: File:321st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron F-89J Scorpions Paine Air Force Base.jpg - Wikimedia Commons)

Plumbbob_John_Nuclear_Test
Mushroom cloud from the AIR-2 Genie test (source: File:Plumbbob John Nuclear Test.jpg - Wikimedia Commons)