F-16V vs F-15C (ANG)

[Corsair1963]

1) how does an observation about C/D models correlate to E models (which are similar in age, but far more capable than F-16s?)
2) why do you insist on citing the $30-40 million per aircraft numbers? I've already shown you that those numbers reflect complete rebuilds/zeroizing the airframes, to keep them flying another 40+ years. $1 million per aircraft will keep them flying till past 2030.

1.) Title of thread is F-16V vs F-15C. Plus, when was the last delivery of the F-15C and the first delivery of the F-15E.
2.) If, you keep the F-15C's past 2030. You will need the $30-40 Million upgrade.....

[Corsair1963]

Honestly, I think many are misunderstanding the difference between the $1 Million and $30-40 Million Upgrade of the F-15C??? The former is just some basic airframe upgrades. Which, would get the F-15C to 2030 and beyond. While, the latter would be a complete upgrade from airframe to avionics. (including AESA Radar, EPAWSS, IRST, etc.)

Yet, without the full upgrade the F-15C would not be survivable post 2030. (if then)


If, you want to keep the Eagle for another decade or more. Then you will need both upgrades hence $30-40 Million. Yet, why even spend $1 Million. When the current fleet could last a few more years....This is why the USAF wants to retire the F-15C within the next few years.

[wrightwing]

1) how does an observation about C/D models correlate to E models (which are similar in age, but far more capable than F-16s?)
2) why do you insist on citing the $30-40 million per aircraft numbers? I've already shown you that those numbers reflect complete rebuilds/zeroizing the airframes, to keep them flying another 40+ years. $1 million per aircraft will keep them flying till past 2030.

1.) Title of thread is F-16V vs F-15C. Plus, when was the last delivery of the F-15C and the first delivery of the F-15E.
2.) If, you keep the F-15C's past 2030. You will need the $30-40 Million upgrade.....

You're correct on the thread title. You changed the topic to the E model, with a new assertion. Keeping past 2030 doesn't require $30-40 million in upgrades. Those upgrades would be required if the F-15C was going to be kept till 2050-2070. To keep till 2040+ would likely be ~$10-15 million ea.

[wrightwing]

Honestly, I think many are misunderstanding the difference between the $1 Million and $30-40 Million Upgrade of the F-15C??? The former is just some basic airframe upgrades. Which, would get the F-15C to 2030 and beyond. While, the latter would be a complete upgrade from airframe to avionics. (including AESA Radar, EPAWSS, IRST, etc.)

Yet, without the full upgrade the F-15C would not be survivable post 2030. (if then)


If, you want to keep the Eagle for another decade or more. Then you will need both upgrades hence $30-40 Million. Yet, why even spend $1 Million. When the current fleet could last a few more years....This is why the USAF wants to retire the F-15C within the next few years.

The new radars, computers, cockpit displays are already funded.
Many of the Cs already have the AESA radars, and various other upgrades.
The $30-40 million figure is for basically rebuilding the fuselage, new wings, new wiring, fly by wire, etc....so the aircraft can fly 30 to 50 more years.

[weasel1962]

google F-15c + "IEE passive attack display", "ADCP II". Also "APX-114", "calculex MONSSTR", "RIPR".

[Corsair1963]

Honestly, we can go back and forth all day. Yet, simple fact is the USAF has a plan to retire the F-15C. So, my guess is they have judged that keeping the F-15C's in not worth it......

[weasel1962]

Honestly, we can go back and forth all day. Yet, simple fact is the USAF has a plan to retire the F-15C. So, my guess is they have judged that keeping the F-15C's in not worth it......

The official plan to retire the F-15C has not changed since 2009 which was to keep the F-15Cs at least to 2035. The difference today is people assuming that media reports equal to an official plan.

[Corsair1963]

Honestly, we can go back and forth all day. Yet, simple fact is the USAF has a plan to retire the F-15C. So, my guess is they have judged that keeping the F-15C's in not worth it......

The official plan to retire the F-15C has not changed since 2009 which was to keep the F-15Cs at least to 2035. The difference today is people assuming that media reports equal to an official plan.

I guess I need to post this again..........


QUOTE:

Air Force cut F-15C upgrades as it planned to retire fighter, IG report says

By JAMES BOLINGER | STARS AND STRIPES
Published: June 8, 2018

The Air Force canceled expensive upgrades to 196 F-15C fighters last year as it hammered out a plan to retire the jets, according to a recently declassified report.

The fighters were supposed to get new electronic warfare equipment known as the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System, said the Department of Defense Inspector General report declassified on May 21.

The Air Force had planned to spend $3.4 billion installing the gear on all F-15Cs and 217 F-15Es, giving them “electronic warfare capabilities to detect and identify air and ground threats, employ counter-measures, and jam enemy radar signals,” the report said.

However, in February 2017 the service ordered a 47 percent cut to the number of jets getting the new equipment, which replaces a dated 1970s electronic warfare package and is designed to increase the F-15C’s survivability in a contested environment.

The IG report outlined a timeline for retiring the jets, but many details were redacted.

Before that happens, Air Force officials must brief Congress on options to replace F-15C Air Superiority Mission capabilities, validate whether upgraded F-16s are a viable replacement, and identify transition plans for locations that support F-15C aircraft, personnel, operations or maintenance activities, the report said.

Officials from the service told lawmakers in March 2017 that they would consider retiring the aircraft during budget planning for the 2019 fiscal year.If Congress doesn’t approve the retirement, the Air Force will restore funds to install the electronic warfare gear on F-15Cs based on mission requirements, an Air Force official said in the report.

[weasel1962]

Nothing in that report changed the F-15C retirement date. Just mentioned they had to re-consider. The last official mention I can find is still at least 2035. It is the job of the USAF to constantly consider the state of its fleet. Nothing new.

Having said that, if a plane can't last until 2035, it would be strange to only retire them in 2035. Even so, F-35 induction also requires the air force to decide which squadrons gets replaced first and what to do with the aircraft. It will likely be a progressive replacement.

[weasel1962]

Full report for IG is per below.

http://www.dodig.mil/reports.html/Artic ... ty-system/

The redaction is what gets the media all excited and imagination then runs wild.

Just think about it, in Feb 2017, DCS AF issued the directive on the retirement, then in Mar 2017, the AF leadership then went to the hill and said this...

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... nt-435721/

[Corsair1963]

Full report for IG is per below.

http://www.dodig.mil/reports.html/Artic ... ty-system/

The redaction is what gets the media all excited and imagination then runs wild.

Just think about it, in Feb 2017, DCS AF issued the directive on the retirement, then in Mar 2017, the AF leadership then went to the hill and said this...

YOUR SOURCE..........

QUOTE: Finding:

EPAWSS program officials updated the test and evaluation master plan to respond to concerns raised by Air Force and DoD test officials. Additionally, EPAWSS program officials developed an EPAWSS design that can meet capability requirements.

Furthermore, in September 2016, the Air Force fully funded the EPAWSS program through production to satisfy an urgent need for modernized F-15 electronic warfare capabilities. However, in February 2017, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Strategic Plans and Requirements (DCS AF/A5/8) cancelled the upgrade of 196 F-15C aircraft with EPAWSS and removed procurement funds, which resulted in a 47 percent decrease of the total program production quantity.

The quantity decrease of the F-15C EPAWSS production units and the removal of funds occurred because the DCS AF/A5/8 decided to use F-15C EPAWSS procurement funds to develop a higher priority air superiority program.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... nt-435721/

YOUR SOURCE

QUOTE:

“We are not replacing it at this time,” Lt Gen Jerry Harris, USAF deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, says. “It’s something we are looking at as we continue to bring in more fifth-gen capability...what assets do we push out at the bottom of that chain?”


The air force is undertaking an analysis that compares the purchase of new F-16s and servicing the F-15s, Harris confirmed. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of the Air Force, Heather Wilson, may not wait on those results to determine a way forward on the F-15 retirement. During her 30 March Senate confirmation hearing, Wilson refused a request from Senator Elizabeth Warren to delay the retirement until the Senate receives the comparison analysis.

The USAF will be able to form a better idea of the F-15’s future once the F-35 becomes a full operational platform, Harris told reporters. He also countered that the F-16 could perform the F-15’s traditional air-to-air role, something lawmakers have questioned.

In short the USAF is working on a plan but hasn't summited it to Congress yet....... (i.e. wait for the right time)

[weasel1962]

And still no date on the F-15C retirement...

What about quoting this nice little gem...

Air Force leadership continued that line during a 29 March hearing on Capitol Hill, telling the Senate Armed Services Committee that the service intends to maintain the F-15C fleet through the 2020s.

[Corsair1963]

And still no date on the F-15C retirement...

What about quoting this nice little gem...

Air Force leadership continued that line during a 29 March hearing on Capitol Hill, telling the Senate Armed Services Committee that the service intends to maintain the F-15C fleet through the 2020s.

Sure is does until it submits a plan to retire the F-15C....Which, is currently on going.

[sprstdlyscottsmn]

That looks like an F-15 pylon with wing tank, AIM-9, and AIM-120.

[mixelflick]

That looks like an F-15 pylon with wing tank, AIM-9, and AIM-120.

It does. And it illustrates why using the F-15 or F-16 in the air to air role is, in today's day and age, nuts. They're going to be operating over non-permissive theaters of operation with double digit SAM's, and against near peer adversaries flying the SU-27, J-10 and other highly competitive fighters. As much as I love the F-15, it's day has passed. That's also true though, of the F-16.

The air force might not like the idea of standing up dedicated F-35 air to air units this early, but it put itself in this predicament by cancelling the F-22. It's also a great study in how failing to modernize fully is more expensive than doing it right the first time. We could have pumped out F-22's at around 100 million a copy (maybe less) has we expanded the production run. Instead, we face the prospect of having to spend more than that modernizing F-15's or 16's that give us far less capability.

Combined forces of F-22's and 35's should be overwhelming in the air to air role. And they'll need to be, since clearing the skies of enemy aircraft will be the ONLY way non stealth/legacy jets will survive flying strike missions.