F-15X as an interceptor

[wrightwing]

I do NOT believe my eyes.
We are talking INTERCEPTOR Mission.
An INTERCEPTOR doe NOT care for max RANGE, or miles/gallon.

An Interceptor on alert is close to the runway and will take off in full burner ASAP.
(and stay in burner till mission completed)
The interceptor mission is to get to the enemy as FAST as possible and shoot to kill.

All the rest is bla-bla-bla

If you want "range" buy Airbus or Boeing airliners.

Actually it kind of does. It's true that the goal is getting to the threat as quickly as possible, but you can't do that if you run out of gas. The maximum speed/fuel burn rate will depend on how far away the threat happens to be.

[madrat]

It's also kind of nice to have longer range than say, the old Nike interceptors. If you only needed a one-way dash to target than a manned platform isn't necessary.

[basher54321]

In a later hearing Colonel Vilters was asked to explain how one of his pilots ran out of gas before getting in range to intercept an unknown contact that was heading into restricted airspace.

"We do not consider things such as target range, altitude, heading and aspect to be relevant to an intercept scenario, only that it should be performed at max AB for the entire duration"

The pilot of the unknown aircraft later identified as flight 321, an airliner with transponder technicalities was very helpful in spotting the location of the pilot after a near miss with the parachute.

[weasel1962]

What's the purpose of the mission computer then?

[sferrin]

It's also kind of nice to have longer range than say, the old Nike interceptors. If you only needed a one-way dash to target than a manned platform isn't necessary.

This was the thinking behind the XF-108, YF-12, and fighter variants of the B-58. Supersonic endurance and thousand mile radius.

[vilters]

In a later hearing Colonel Vilters was asked to explain how one of his pilots ran out of gas before getting in range to intercept an unknown contact that was heading into restricted airspace.

"We do not consider things such as target range, altitude, heading and aspect to be relevant to an intercept scenario, only that it should be performed at max AB for the entire duration"

The pilot of the unknown aircraft later identified as flight 321, an airliner with transponder technicalities was very helpful in spotting the location of the pilot after a near miss with the parachute.

Remember the attack on the Irak reactor by Israel.
Getting there was mandatory, the return flight home was optional. (But they pulled it off)
Some have a short memory.

If Israel wants to go for the Iranian reactors? They will. Getting back home will be . . . . .
Pretty sure they are already building / hanging VERY large bags on their F-35.

It is all very simple calculation actually.
Target value versus cost/survivability.

What are 4 machines/pilots versus the survival of a population?
THAT is how Israel thinks/operates.

But none of you easy chair/cold beer computer specialists care, do you?
You tuck in a warm comfortable bed with the wife/mistress, no matter what happens elsewhere.

[basher54321]

Remember the attack on the Irak reactor by Israel.
Getting there was mandatory, the return flight home was optional. (But they pulled it off)
Some have a short memory.

Comparing a 500nm+ radius strike mission including a low level outbound leg to a short range point intercept mission - great entertainment Vilters. Wonder how far they would have got with a mandatory full AB requirement.

[vilters]

Don't compare apples and oranges, I prefer bananas anyway.

Some where discussing the "range".
For a pure interceptor, against a high value target? Take off and intercept is in FULL AB and guess what ? ? ?
=> "Range" is calculated outbound only.<=

Some simply don't get it.

Most here are Americans, right?
Forgotten the Doolittle raid on Tokyo?
Coming "back" from a high priority target is OPTIONAL...

[sferrin]

Don't compare apples and oranges, I prefer bananas anyway.

Some where discussing the "range".
For a pure interceptor, against a high value target? Take off and intercept is in FULL AB and guess what ? ? ?
=> "Range" is calculated outbound only.<=

Some simply don't get it.

Most here are Americans, right?
Forgotten the Doolittle raid on Tokyo?
Coming "back" from a high priority target is OPTIONAL...

99.99% of intercepts are meant to come back from.

[madrat]

Most definitely, maybe even a few more nines to that decimal.

[vilters]

When a nuclear missiles armed bomber comes your way, you will change your mind and wanna get him as far from homeland as possible.

[sferrin]

When a nuclear missiles armed bomber comes your way, you will change your mind and wanna get him as far from homeland as possible.

Of the tens of thousands of intercepts that have happened over the years how many times has that happened?

[mixelflick]

If only American F-15's/16's took this (return trip optional) thing seriously on 9/11 LOL

Funny how within minutes of going off flight plan, Payne Stewart's little learjet in 1999 had an F-15/16 off its wing - clear across the country. But on 9/11, 4 commercial airlier jumbo jets go missing (for hours on end) and we can't get a single aircraft in the air to intercept them?

Isn't that just amazing?

I particularly liked the story of how 2 F-16's were scrambled from Andrews AFB in the opposite direction out over the Atlantic ocean vs. protecting Washington. This, after seeing the World Trade Center towers (and by that time, I think the Pentagon too) hit by commercial airliners.

But wait... we were having a big exercise that day, right? And so it's completely plausible/understandable that the career military men in charge of those exercises..... just left American airspace completely defenseless? Because that's what seasoned career military officers (who know better) do, right?

Boy are we lucky the Russians decided not to attack (or even "probe") American air defenses that day. That day....... 60 years after being caught sleeping at Pearl Harbor. 60 years after vowing never to be caught sleeping again.

America's air defenses slept.

Or so we have been told in (revisionist) history since that day. And as the "official" version of those events is repeated on TV documentaries and in textbooks used by our schoolchildren, it becomes accepted fact..

I will be teaching my son to look at these things a bit more critically..

[juretrn]

something something implied 9/11 truther

Seriously, mixel?

[botsing]

something something implied 9/11 truther

Seriously, mixel?

Sigh, indeed.

/me puts mixel on foe(ignore) list