The Convair F-102 Delta Dagger[N 2] was an American interceptor aircraft that was built as part of the backbone of the United States Air Force's air defenses in the late 1950s. Entering service in 1956, its main purpose was to intercept invading Soviet strategic bomber fleets (Tupolev Tu-95) during the Cold War. Designed and manufactured by Convair, 1,000 F-102s were built.