Posted on 09/07/2016 7:55:34 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
(CNN) A $12 billion makeover is underway for the US Air Force's 1980's-era F-15 fighter, a step towards upgrading an air fleet that one military official recently called the "smallest, oldest and least ready" in history.
The F-15 has long been hailed as the most successful dog-fighting aircraft in US history, boasting an undefeated air-to-air combat record with more than 100 aerial combat victories, according to Boeing, the plane's primary contractor and developer.
The Air Force initially planned to replace the entire F-15 fleet with the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor, but production of the stealthy aircraft was halted in 2009 and only 188 of the 749 F-22s purchased by the Pentagon were ever produced.
With rival nations like China and Russia quickly closing the technology gap that has allowed the US to rule the skies for decades and fewer F-22s than expected at its disposal, the Air Force has decided to invest in a major facelift for the battle-tested F-15 to help fill the void by extending its lifespan through 2040.
The upgrade will cover 435 F-15s, boosting them with new radar technology, updated mission computer systems, modern communication tools, advanced infrared search and track capabilities and electronic warfare defenses so the F-15s can work in concert with more advanced aircraft, the Air Force told CNN.
Many of the upgraded F-15's will also be modified to carry 16 missiles, rather than the standard eight, giving those aircraft greater lethality, said Boeing spokesman Randy Jackson. "Our potential adversaries are keenly awa
(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...
Military folks, is this good? Is it enough?
Hopefully, the F-22 production line will be geared up again under President Trump.
Typical of Obama, do anything to hurt the U.S. All of those Obama phones, plus their monthly cost (none of which was purchased at a discount), could’ve paid for a lot of the F-22s.
IMHo, when McDonnell-Douglas said if the AF would increase the buy of F15s by the number of aircraft we’d be buying as F16s they’d come within a couple million of the same per aircraft price for all F15s purchased as the F16 per aircraft cost we screwed the pooch big time by not taking that deal.
the one I always was fond of was the 747 missile wagon concept.
Obama will have them install , “I surrender” ticker on their sides
My (extremely limited) understanding is that the F-22's are better.
But, if they can upgrade the fleet of F-15's for the cost of a squadron of F-22's.... So long as the F-15's are still good enough, I'm for it.
My question is, why not have both? Depending on the roles that each can fulfill.
Nothing to do with combat. FOLLOW the MONEY
Investing?
Not really. The 16 is a runaway success and is second to nothing.
The Eagles need AESA Radar, IRST, and a special radio link to communicate with F-22s.
Beautiful aircraft - even after all these years. When I was in High School in ‘64, one of my friend’s fathers was a design engineer on the F15. He told me a few things about it - mainly “just wait and see, you’ll love it.”
It costs a lot to run a school house for each aircraft, maintain ranges, maintain logistics for each, train dedicated support people, etc. The F-22 and the F-15E have the same basic mission so with dwindling resources the AF will have to make a tough choice.
One of the big issues facing the military right now is manning. The AF manning is at its lowest point since the AF was created in 1947. There aren’t enough pilots and support personnel for the airplanes we have in the inventory, let alone new ones.
I was the Superintendent of the F-15 pilot training schoolhouse 20 years ago and I have nothing but respect for the plane. The F-15 is a very capable aircraft and would be effective against most potential threats. It’s much cheaper than the F-22s, but from what I’ve gathered from talking to the pilots that have flown both - the F-22 excels in several key areas. It’s stealthier and it’s more maneuverable. In a one-on-one engagement the F-15s can’t survive against the F-22.
The F-15s are 1970’s technology. They’re a great airplane, but not as good as the newer fifth generation fighters.
Why doesn’t the Air Force go out and buy a thousand Silent Eagles and modify the rest to meet that specification?
Also,I’d like to see the F22’s engines mounted in the modified F15s.
As the F-22 moves farther ahead of the battle lines, its passive sensors, which emit no electromagnetic energy that can be detected, can sniff out enemy aircraft formations, and this information can be shared with F-15C/Ds.
Such tactics will allow the F-22 to streak out ahead of the F-15s and club the enemy without them ever knowing they are there, all they would see are F-15C/Ds, with their radars blazing, many miles behind where the Raptors are silently operating. Additionally, once the F-22’s missile stocks run dry, they can switch to a scouting role, calling the shots for F-15s that are heavily laden with air-to-air missiles and operating safely behind the F-22’s stealthy screen. Boeing is well aware of this potential dichotomy and they are offering upgrades that could see F-15s carrying double the missile load they can today.
Thanks. And that’s a good question, one that i’m ill equipped to answer!! :)
You can only change the oil and tires so long before the platform wears out. The typical fighter plane in the USAF, since the beginning of the jet age, has been rendered obsolete with 5-7 years of it's initial deployment.
We have been extremely lucky with the F-15/F-16/F-22 designs because they are so good and our adversaries have not really attempted to develop a next generation threat...until now.
The F-15 is great against peer threats but has been proven to be vulnerable to the F-22 in exercises. If we don't provide capable aircraft our fighter fleet will evolve turning our planes and their pilots into a target fleet.
I never cease to be amazed by the depth, quality, or experience of people here on FR.
We gave both. But we aren’t getting any more 22’s. They shut down the production line and put it in mothballs. The F-15 line is still active (mostly from foreign sales). So what we have, we are stuck with. So why not make them the best they can be. Upgrades are good.
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