The United States Air Force contracted with Boeing in July of 2020 for the delivery of new F-15 fighters.
We have a great fighter plane, but our fleet is old, so why not just buy some new ones?
The project has run into obstacles.
In 1972, the first F-15 flew, and in 1976, the first Eagle flew. In 2001, the last F-15E Strike Eagle was built.
Almost 500 Eagles are still in service with the Air Force, operating in almost every role available to a modern fighter jet.
It's possible that the Air Force doesn't want to leave it behind because the F-15 project has been a huge success. The United States has built and sold F-15s to a number of countries.
The fighter has been a mainstay of the Western air forces and has racked up an impressive service record. The F-15EX project was made possible by this export success. Boeing can make improvements to the aircraft with technology.
New F-15s should be built when the F-35 is available.
Two purposes were served by the project. Relief to the Air Force's fleet of legacy aircraft is the first thing to be done.
The aircraft need to be replaced because they need to carry out the same missions for three decades. A newer version of the old aircraft is an easy way to solve a complex problem.
The Air Force's stealth fighters include the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Panther. The Eagle has a different skill set than the other two and it has weapons that load out.
The lethality of the stealth force can be enhanced by carrying long-range air-to-air missiles that can be launched from standoff ranges.
New examples of a 50-year-old platform were built by a service that has historically been allergic to technological obsolescence.
The Air Force wanted to replace the larger portion of the F-15C/D fleet with the F-15EXs. The Air Force's fighter fleet would have been younger and more sophisticated without disrupting the training, maintenance, and organizational procedures of the F-15.
Even though other major aircraft have survived for a long time, no one is suggesting the construction of new B-2s or B-1s. The kind of long-term production that the F-15EX project anticipated has been enjoyed by the C-130.
The full buy may be reduced to 80 aircraft because of the strategic and technological environments facing the United States. It does not replace the capabilities of the existing F-15 force, and it has the potential to create significant maintenance and supply chain issues for the Air Force and the Air National Guard.
The case against the F-15EX focuses on the aircraft's lack of stealth and questionable ability to survive in air space. The Air Force decided to jump start the program three years ago.
We don't know what impact the Russia-Ukraine War will have on fighter acquisition in the United States because we don't have a full grasp on it.
Legacy fourth- generation fighters have been shot down in large numbers on both sides, and ground-based air defenses have had a lethal impact. Everyone seems to agree that Ukraine would benefit from the transfer of additional legacy fighters, including models such as the MiG-29 that are less sophisticated than the F-15EX.
The Russians have failed to deploy their stealth fighter in any way.
Without real-world deployment, it is difficult to assess the impact an F-35/F-15EX team would have on the war. The conflict may have awakened an interest in a force that is capable of enduring and replacing losses, which would bode well for the acquisition of more legacy fighters. Time and careful analysis will be needed to make sense of the lessons.
The ability of the Air Force to maintain its fighter fleet is unknown. F-15EXs can still play an important role in supporting the force even though they won't be in the same numbers as the F-35.
It would be great if the Air Force could make a decision over a long period of time. It's hard to argue that Air Force procurement has been any worse than the Navy.
There are limits to how bad the F-15EX project can be. The plane works, we have strong reasons to believe that the price will stay the same, and it could serve for a long time. It can be hard to get that kind of certainty.
Dr. Robert Farley teaches security and diplomacy at the school. He attended the University of Oregon and the University of Washington. "Grounded: The Case for ABolishing the United States Air Force", "the Battleship Book", and "Patents for Power: Intellectual Property Law and the Diffusion of Military Technology" were written by Dr. Farley. He has contributed to many journals and magazines. Lawyers, Guns and Money was founded and edited by Dr. Farley.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
