The correct tense is had. In the age of air to air missiles, a chasing plane would never bother getting into range. (but that does make me wonder if anti missil

The correct tense is had. In the age of air to air missiles, a chasing plane would never bother getting into range. (but that does make me wonder if anti missile point defense might ever come to flying carriers. A part of me wants to joke that those would likely make the B-52 reach its bicentennial)