Daryl Hunt
Your Worst Nightmare
- Banned
- #1
It looks like USAF is looking at buying a few F-15CX and EX versions starting in 2020. It appears that it will start out as a purchase of 8 for 2020 and be increased until it reaches about 230 total over a number of years. The F-15C/Ds will be replaced on a one for one basis. Yes, on the front, the X costs more than the F-35A but when other factors are figured in it ends up being a lot cheaper.
For instance, the X shares most of the same basic parts with the C/D. It's not a new Aircraft but an upgrade of an old Aircraft. But it's such a huge upgrade, it just as well as be a new weapon system. The F-15 was built right to begin with.
The X benefits from all the development costs that other countries have already paid for the S versions. While new weapon systems, the USAF would normally pay a high price for those programs, it's already paid for. This drives the cost down from the 110 mil to below 100 mil. Yes, it still costs more than the F-35 but not by a whole lot.
The availability of support. The Support and logistics are already there. When you bring in a new weapon system, you start out from scratch. The F-15X uses the same one that is already in place as the F-15C/D uses. Huge savings there.
Pilot Training. It takes about 2 flights to bring a C, D or and E pilot up to speed on a EC or an EX. All the rest is done in ground simulators. Pilots come online very, very fast. Another huge savings over the F-15X over a new weapons system.
The F-15X can communicate directly with the F-22, F-35, Ground Stations, air stations and naval. It's linked in. This becomes extremely important when you consider that it carries 12 Air to Air Missiles. It's a bomb truck as well as a bomb truck. It carries oversized weapons the F-22, F-18, F-16 and F-35 can't carry just like the F-15E can. Only, it carries even more. It's range is way more than any of the others even loaded.
And it's FAST. Loaded with Wing Tanks, it still can scoot along at Mach 1.8 just like the C and E can. Or it can clean up and hit Mach 2.5+ which means it can disengage anytime it wants to. Or run light and hit speeds that all the other fighters can only do clean with the exception of the F-22.
The life of most fighters are rated at 8000 hours but the life of a F-15 is rated at 20,000 hours. This makes the cost of the F-15X far below that of even the bargain basement fighters in it's lifetime.
USAF already knows it can't take enough F-15 pilots out of service long enough to train them to have enough F-35 pilots trained in time. So they finally came to their senses. The X program does not take away from the procurement of the F-35A by even one airframe but it keeps the Air Force at peak levels while the transition to the F-35A happens.
For instance, the X shares most of the same basic parts with the C/D. It's not a new Aircraft but an upgrade of an old Aircraft. But it's such a huge upgrade, it just as well as be a new weapon system. The F-15 was built right to begin with.
The X benefits from all the development costs that other countries have already paid for the S versions. While new weapon systems, the USAF would normally pay a high price for those programs, it's already paid for. This drives the cost down from the 110 mil to below 100 mil. Yes, it still costs more than the F-35 but not by a whole lot.
The availability of support. The Support and logistics are already there. When you bring in a new weapon system, you start out from scratch. The F-15X uses the same one that is already in place as the F-15C/D uses. Huge savings there.
Pilot Training. It takes about 2 flights to bring a C, D or and E pilot up to speed on a EC or an EX. All the rest is done in ground simulators. Pilots come online very, very fast. Another huge savings over the F-15X over a new weapons system.
The F-15X can communicate directly with the F-22, F-35, Ground Stations, air stations and naval. It's linked in. This becomes extremely important when you consider that it carries 12 Air to Air Missiles. It's a bomb truck as well as a bomb truck. It carries oversized weapons the F-22, F-18, F-16 and F-35 can't carry just like the F-15E can. Only, it carries even more. It's range is way more than any of the others even loaded.
And it's FAST. Loaded with Wing Tanks, it still can scoot along at Mach 1.8 just like the C and E can. Or it can clean up and hit Mach 2.5+ which means it can disengage anytime it wants to. Or run light and hit speeds that all the other fighters can only do clean with the exception of the F-22.
The life of most fighters are rated at 8000 hours but the life of a F-15 is rated at 20,000 hours. This makes the cost of the F-15X far below that of even the bargain basement fighters in it's lifetime.
USAF already knows it can't take enough F-15 pilots out of service long enough to train them to have enough F-35 pilots trained in time. So they finally came to their senses. The X program does not take away from the procurement of the F-35A by even one airframe but it keeps the Air Force at peak levels while the transition to the F-35A happens.
