Future of USAF F-15s

From last week’s JDW.

– The modernized F-15 C/Ds will stay on until 2025, and the F-15Es until 2035; but there will be no replacements for the F-15’s deep attack role until the JSF comes online, whenever that will be. :rolleyes:

– “Col Feehan said the USAF will retain around 200 F-15C/D models and retire its remaining Eagles as the Raptors arrive. The retained Eagles will be upgraded with systems such as the the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System. The USAF has already installed the APG-63(v)1 radar on 133 of the 179 Eagles earmarked for it. The radar offers an order of magnitude of maintainability improvements, added Col Feehan.”

– “While the service adjusts the role of the Eagle, it continues to expand the role of its newer 224-aircraft fleet of F-15E Strike Eagles: a two-seat derivative optimised for ground attack. The aircraft will be the first platform to carry the near-precision-guided GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, of which it will carry 16. The fleet is also getting new targeting pods and the USAF is considering adding an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar.”

– USAF is pondering whether to install AESA on the F-15Cs; Congress in pondering whether to buy/upgrade more F-15s.

– F-15s may be seriously challenged by Russian Flanker variants…. until the F-22 comes online, that is. 🙂

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