Warbird Information Exchange

Is the F-15 still being used today or has it been pretty much phased out?

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Still in heavy use and in fact still in production.

Wow, interesting thanks. I figured with the emerging F-22 and the F-35, planes such as the F-15 and perhaps the F-16 would be on the way out.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

With the low F-22 production numbers (<200) The F-15 will be around for a very long time.
I'm sure it's still capable against the latest Russian SUs and Chinese whatever...if need be, they'll just stick more avionics in it.

The current American policy is to upgrade older designs rather than starting from scratch.
Heck, some of the latest Chinooks are rebuild of Ds which are rebuilds of C...and possibly As.
They might have new serials, but there is probably some 1960s metal (and Vietnam mud ) in there somewhere.
Likewise the Apache.

The latest USMC Hueys/Cobras (the Ys and Zs) are all new metal, but the design does back to the 50s....likewise the latest H-53, new airframe but a modernized old design.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Both the F-15E and F-16 are expected to remain in service past 2025

Eh? You did mean F-15? F-5 maybe?

Boeing recently announced they have been awarded a contract to study a life-extension of the F-15C and E until year 2040, including doubling it's air-to-air weps carrying ability.

http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /72316414/

Still the greatest fighter plane ever produced.

-Tom

Yup - LOVE the Eagle! Two things blow my mind; that the USAF brass felt that the F-35 could replace and do the job of the A-10 and that such a small fleet of F-22s could be an effective defensive or offensive CAP force.

Tom P.

The Air Force planned in a l larger F-22 fleet, but the cold war ended. Reduced numbers drove the unit price up (imagine if Ford could only make 2000 Fusions...the unit price would be silly).

The limited number will be okay if they need to subdue a small air force, but if there is a shooting war with China, then at some point sheer numbers do count.

I don't see it changing any time soon, everyone's priorities are elsewhere, either deficit reduction or social programs...or terrorism.

Still, I'd feel better if the F-22 production line were still open and the suppliers (long lead time items are as important as the production line itself) ready to go.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

It is Congress that decided that -- not the USAF.

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That is a tough one - Welsh says it is Congress and POTUS budget demands that forced him to cut the A-10. Then It took an act of congress to stop him from cutting it - political one upsmanship it seems.
https://www.airforcetimes.com/story/mil ... /81267406/

Tom P.

The last flying one crashed in 1968.

http://www.warbirdregistry.org/p61regis ... 59300.html

Serious consideration is being given to the idea of reopening the F-22 production line. The tooling and all design data is intact.

My C model Chinook 67-18533 was sent back to the states in 1972 from RVN. In February of 1989
it was rebuild as a D model 89-00138. It served with a number of units into the 21st century and
was retired in January 2014. It was auctioned off for $2,800,001 on January 31, 2014 in flyable
condition.

There was a study/prototype done a few years ago called the "Silent Eagle". It was an F-15 Strike Eagle modified into a more stealthy configuration - like tilting the vertical stabs, internal weapons bays, conformal fuel tanks, for example. Plus, of course, new avionics. More stealthy than the stock F-15; not equal in stealth to the F-22.

I thought it was a great idea.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/militar ... le-israel/


It didn't "take off" until the Israeli's recently showed some interest as the range is greater than the F-35 and things with Iran are, shall we say, contentious.

I wonder what advantages might accrue to an F-15 air superiority fighter with those stealth mods plus new avionics? We won't be seeing a batch of new F-22's for some time - if ever.