The F-4 Phantom II: Was a Gun Really the Solution?

The popular narrative we hear today is that the M61 Vulcan was the solution to the poor performance of the F-4 Phantom over the skies of Vietnam. This has been a staple of critics of the F-35 and BVR combat. But is there any merit to this talking point?

Sources:

CBSA Report: https://csbaonline.org/uploads/docume...

TOPGUN: https://www.usni.org/magazines/procee....

Further reading:

The Ault Report: https://www.history.navy.mil/research...

I do not own any of the footage seen in this video.

Video sources:
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