USAF Actually Buying F-15Xs?

a reply to: RadioRobert

That's why I said it almost makes sense. There are other things that make more sense.

a reply to: Zaphod58

It's all money. If it would be $20-40M to upgrade and SLEP F-15 airframes, I'd be all aboard. At even $65M a pop, it's just a waste.

You can make a decent argument for keeping Boeing defense relevant moving forward, but this shouldn't be the way.

a reply to: Zaphod58

CSAF is on record saying that he needs capacity badly right now, that this is about spending money now to cut future costs of the Eagle fleet, and said he is going to consider it as long as it doesn't take away from his F-35 budget. He wants to add jets to the fleet anyway he can, and it sounds like for him this is the quickest (and cheapest) way of doing that with a jet that isn't an F-35, but is capable of complementing his 5th gen platforms and is relatively plug and play.

a reply to: justwanttofly

He also said he doesn't care if the next tanker flies in low earth orbit.

a reply to: Bluntone22

The F-35 are a failure as the Future Combat Systems Project.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: justwanttofly

He also said he doesn't care if the next tanker flies in low earth orbit.

They should have relieved him on the spot for that comment. And everyone who *talks* about that too.
Monumentally stupid, it would be like taking an aircraft carrier out to go spearfishing.

a reply to: AtlasHawk

So many people say that, with all their knowledge being from bad reports. It's far from a failure.

a reply to: AtlasHawk

Yeah. A failure that more and more countries are buying.

Yeah. A failure that the pilots who are, y'know, actually flying it, love, and aren't shy about expressing that.

Clear evidence of a failure.

He also said he doesn't care if the next tanker flies in low earth orbit.

Think someones been watching too much "Stealth".
Or are they going to outfit the F15X,s and the whole Legacy fleet with BT powerplants..

The F-15X has officially been confirmed to be in next year's budget.

a reply to: Zaphod58

The Budget isn't up for perusal yet.

damnit.

a reply to: anzha

They haven't submitted it yet. They've confirmed a few things, but that's it.

According to everyone's favorite source, the F-15X will "cost significantly less than the F-35 ever will", will increase overall mission capable rates while "the F-35 teethes its way into frontline service", and the Air Force will buy between 150 and 250, probably 235 for a one to one replacement.

www.thedrive.com...

a reply to: Zaphod58

“It's akin to the USAF directly replacing F-16A/Bs with F-16C/Ds.”

Uh. I don’t think so.

a reply to: justwanttofly

There were a few points in there where I had to stop to recover from the eye rolling.

a reply to: Zaphod58
They'll need to get them down around $50-65 million each AND show they will have significantly lower running costs than either the legacy Eagle fleet or the F-35 to have a hope in hell of pulling this off. Plus, where is the money being robbed from to pay for this if its not coming from F-35 procurement and presumably the B-21 is not negotiable, nor replacement of the tanker fleet? I cannot see how they can pull this off without massive and immediate retirements of current teen series fleets.

a reply to: thebozeian

That's the $65M question.

Its all about Missiles at the moment.Any airframe that hawls a gutload of throwing things is the next best thing from sliced bread.

RIP PCA

a reply to: mightmight
Probably right. Or purchased at a Raptor rate in fifteen years.


Break break.

C-models still school whoever you bring to the fight. The jets are weary. A new F-15CX makes perfect sense. You aren’t going to put an attack aircraft on the leading edge of the fight with bombs. Makes no sense at all. What happens if they mort? When Goldfein said he needed capacity this is what he means. Also, homeland defense. Pretty much another no-fail mission. 16s can’t do it. 35s and 22s make no sense.

Not sure how an F-15EX would help or hinder much.