Jose wrote:
The USAF brass didn't like the
F104 because it couldn't work in thick clouds. (Thin clouds, okay).


Why couldn't it work in thick clouds?

No all-weather capability, targets had to be acquired visually - the
F104 was an Kelly Johnson's "lightweight fighter". The later F-104G and
F-104S were all-weather, but not flown by the USAF.