USAF Actually Buying F-15Xs?

a reply to: mightmight

Not as an initial capability, but by FOC.

a reply to: mightmight

You are assuming that no country would ever attempt a surprise attack. It sounds unfeasible I suppose, but it very well could happen.

Hell, in 10 years Japan could switch sides for all you or anyone else knows. I think it is a bit foolish to have real estate that we have and not protect it. SAM's are good, but they are first line. And the US hasn't really relied on SAM's for national defense for God knows how long now. Maybe we have secret SAMs that I am not aware of.

I'll throw a wrench in here. Zaphod's comments about the Pacific are correct, but, he left out one thing. Since the Navy got rid of the KA-6D's and the S-3B's they are limited to F/A-18's for tankers. Right now they are relying on the Air Force and civilian companies for tanker support. That would reduce the number of tankers available to one service or the other. Even the Super Hornets have short legs compared to the aircraft that they replaced.

If I was China, in a shooting war with the US I wouldn't bother with shooting down the attacking aircraft. I'd try to ambush their tankers. Knock down enough of them and you won't have to worry about the others.

originally posted by: Fools
a reply to: mightmight

You are assuming that no country would ever attempt a surprise attack. It sounds unfeasible I suppose, but it very well could happen.

Hell, in 10 years Japan could switch sides for all you or anyone else knows.

Sure. And maybe the Marsians will attack tomorrow. No country on earth has the air power to attack the mainland United States conventionally in any meaningful way.
Not today, not tomorrow and not twenty years from now. This is not the 1950s anymore, there are no red air bomber fleets to intercept anymore. If someone would attack the mainland it would be done with missiles. Submarine launched or Intercontinental. Maybe hypersonics too a decade or two down the line.
No Air Guard unit will ever be able to do something about that.
As said, those Air Guard units are mainly task with air policing. Defending Air Supremacy over the US is not in the cards.

And the US hasn't really relied on SAM's for national defense for God knows how long now. Maybe we have secret SAMs that I am not aware of.

Actually the US has relied on SAMs for national defense for more than a decade now. The only concievable military threat (besides all out nuclear war) to the mainland is some rogue state staging a ballistic missile attack. That is why the US is trying to build up Ground-Based Midcourse Defense. Not to mention all they do with Aegis BMD.


a reply to: JIMC5499
Hey, the Marines will test kits to convert the Ospreys into tankers next year. That will totally solve everything.

J-10 first flight 1998. J-20 first flight 2011. J-40 first flight 2025. If Americans want to fly F-15 in the future. Be my guest. But don't complain when Chinese fly better planes than Americans fly.

Everyone is building 6th gen nowadays. Russia has MiG-41. China has J-40. Britain has Tempest. France and Germany have European NG. America refuses to invest in 6th gen. In this world, either you lead, or you get left behind. It's really that simple.

a reply to: JHCap

PCA is the American 6th gen

a reply to: Woody510

And the only one that's even close to PDR. If they stick the schedule it'll be the first to fly.

a reply to: JHCap

Using your definition of "building", the US have been working on building 6th gen for about six years now (maybe even longer).

a reply to: moebius

There's also Fun With Definitions. China has a different definition of generation than we do, as does Russia apparently.

originally posted by: moebius
a reply to: JHCap

Using your definition of "building", the US have been working on building 6th gen for about six years now (maybe even longer).

The US do not have a 6th gen project. F-22 was the result of ATF project. F-35 was the result of JSF project. The US has not allocated a 6th gen project.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: moebius

There's also Fun With Definitions. China has a different definition of generation than we do, as does Russia apparently.

True, but J-10 is on par with F-16, J-20 is on par with F-22, Su-57 is on par with F-22.

J-20 and Su-57 compared to F-35 is like F-15 compared to F-16. Simply put, F-35 don't have the air to air capability to take on J-20 and Su-57. America's best hope is 6th gen, but it is likely China and Russia will field 6th gen first.

Currently, the United States has two projects: the Air Force's ‘Penetrating Counter-Air'—a long long-range stealth fighter to escort stealth bombers—and the Navy's FA-XX. So far, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, and Northrop-Grumman have unveiled sixth-generation concepts.

nationalinterest.org...

a reply to: JoHms

Its really not anymore unfortunately. Also can you give me next weeks lottery numbers seeing how you can see 100 years ahead?

originally posted by: Woody510
a reply to: JoHms

Its really not anymore unfortunately. Also can you give me next weeks lottery numbers seeing how you can see 100 years ahead?

America did not start war with Russia and China in 1945 when America had nukes and they didn't. America didn't do it then, sure as hell won't do it now that Russia and China have nukes.

originally posted by: Fools
a reply to: mightmight

You are assuming that no country would ever attempt a surprise attack. It sounds unfeasible I suppose, but it very well could happen.

If China launches a surprise attack against bases on Guam, Kadena, SK, etc, it won't matter a damn what type of aircraft is sitting on the ramps.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Woody510

And the only one that's even close to PDR. If they stick the schedule it'll be the first to fly.

Is there any hint about the AoA conclusions?

a reply to: Fastmover

Not yet. It's gonna be a little while yet I think.

The future of F-15X hinges on 2020 election and whether Shanahan will remain defense minister after 2020. American politics is unstable, elections too frequent. China and Russia never have real elections.