F15-EX Overview, Specification, Performance

[space cadet]

This should get the ball rolling

Agreement Reached on NDAA
Dec. 8, 2019 | By Brian W. Everstine
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — Senate and House conferees have reached an agreement on the fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, with a vote expected on Dec. 9, key lawmakers said.
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) outlined the schedule Dec. 7 at the Reagan National Defense Forum here, but stopped short of detailing the plan for creating an independent Space Force, although the structure of the new service has been “agreed upon for a couple months.”
Conferees will sign the bill on the afternoon of Dec. 9, and it will be filed later that day. The House is expected to hold a floor vote on Dec. 11, Rogers said.

 

[space cadet]

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Congressional Authorizers Endorse F-15EX Buy, With Caveats
Dec. 10, 2019 | By Rachel S. Cohen
Lawmakers backed the Air Force’s plan to begin buying the F-15EX fighter jet from Boeing but want to restrict funding until the service provides more information about the model.
The service wants the Strike Eagle variant to replace older F-15Cs that are running out of flight time, and says the fourth-generation jet would complement newer models like the F-35. The Pentagon’s cost and program evaluation office floated, and former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis endorsed, the idea of adding the EX variant to the Air Force’s inventory.
Opponents argue the service should funnel that money into the F-35 program instead, and lawmakers raised concerns about the lack of information provided when the Air Force asked for the jets in its most recent budget request.
In the bipartisan, bicameral agreement on fiscal 2020 defense policy released Dec. 9, congressional authorizers said they want the Air Force to use rapid acquisition rules typically meant to bring prototypes to the field faster than regular procurement allows. The language allows for two initial batches of aircraft and to get a head start on buying materials for future lots.
The joint language requires the military to submit a “comprehensive report” with information on par with that of a major subprogram, but not the formal acquisition documents that could slow the program.
“The conferees expect the Secretary of the Air Force to maintain information transparency with the congressional defense committees, and to sufficiently and promptly keep the congressional defense committees apprised of issues particularly associated with the planning, cost, schedule, execution, fielding, or risk related to the F-15EX program,” lawmakers said in legislative documents accompanying the bill.
The Air Force requested an eight-jet buy for $1.05 billion, but lawmakers pulled $64.5 million they didn’t feel was needed for certain engineering work and instead authorized $985.5 million for eight aircraft.
However, the Air Force can’t use that 2020 money for anything other than two prototype jets until 15 days after Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett sends Congress a report on the F-15EX program. She must outline the program’s acquisition, logistics, and fielding strategies, the cost and schedule for buying the jets, and how the service will test them. USAF can use the remaining money to research, develop, and buy parts for the six other fighters in the eight-piece purchase.
Air Force Magazine previously reported the F-15EX could carry “outsize” munitions like hypersonic missiles, and could serve as a possible standoff weapons magazine alongside other platforms.
Work on the F-15EX can’t proceed until a fiscal 2020 spending bill is signed into law.

 

[space cadet]

Air Force Moves Forward with F-15EX Fighter Jet Buy

The Air Force announced it will sole-source two contracts, one for the F-15EX and the other for its F110 engines. (Courtesy of Boeing)
28 Jan 2020
Military.com | By Oriana Pawlyk
The U.S. Air Force is moving forward with plans to purchase a new F-15 Eaglefighter jet, initiating its first fourth-generation fighter program in more than 20 years.
In a presolicitation notice recently posted on the government's acquisition and awards website, beta.sam.gov, the service announced it will sole-source two contracts, one for the F-15EX and the other for its F110 engines.

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center "intends to award a sole source indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract to The Boeing Company for a refresh to the F-15C/D fleet and augment the F-15E fleet," one solicitation reads. The Defense Department expects a response from Boeing by Feb. 7.
The center also intends to award another ID/IQ contract to General Electric Aviation "to provide F110 propulsion systems to meet the F-15EX weapons system requirement," according to the second notice, which has the same response due date.

The Air Force wants at least eight new F-15 "fourth-plus" variants in its inventory. Boeing has said the fighter will be equipped with better avionics and radars and could carry more than two dozen air-to-air missiles.

In December, Congress signed off on the plan, but with a caveat: The Air Force requested $1.05 billion for eight aircraft, but lawmakers are limiting the buy to just two at first, according to the fiscal 2020 defense appropriations bill.

"Of the funds provided in Aircraft Procurement/Air Force for the remaining six F-15EX aircraft, no more than $64,800,000 for long-lead materials may be obligated until the Secretary of the Air Force submits a report" regarding the program's strategy and future schedule, the bill stated.

The Air Force expects to keep a well-rounded mix of fourth- and fifth-generationaircraft through the 2030s, including the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter, F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, A-10 Thunderbolt II and F-15 Eagle/Strike Eagle, officials have said.

Then-Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson told reporters at the annual Air Force Association Air Warfare Symposium last year that the service needed to boost its fighter inventory to stop the average age its aircraft inventory from increasing.

The service has estimated it needs to buy 72 new aircraft per year to replace those old planes; officials just didn't expect to do so with the F-15EX.

"Our budget proposal that we initially submitted did not include additional fourth-generation aircraft," Wilson said Feb. 28, 2019, adding that supplemental decisions must support the "overall presidential budget."

The Air Force has been on a quest to replace its aging F-15C models. Officials in 2017 voiced concerns about the aircraft's longevity.

"We are already having serious problems with that airframe, with metal fatigue within the longerons on the side of the aircraft," Wilson said during a forum last May.

Senior defense officials with the Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation office told reporters that they arrived at the Boeing-made F-15EX decisionbecause the aircraft would help keep a "robust industrial base" and provide "a higher-capacity" combination alongside Lockheed Martin's F-35.

 

[space cadet]

Everything You Need to Know About the Air Force's New F-15EX

The Air Force's new F-15s are supposed to complement the F-35, not compete with its mission.

www.military.com

Everything You Need to Know About the Air Force's New F-15EX

The Air Force announced it will sole-source two contracts, one for the F-15EX and the other for its F110 engines. (Courtesy of Boeing)
Military.com | By Blake Stilwell
The Pentagon is set to buy the first of Boeing's new fourth-gen plus F-15EX fighters. The new purchase will cost the government $1.1 billion for eight of the new aircraft, with more buys to come in later years.
For those wondering why the Air Force would opt to buy an upgraded version of an older fighter instead of more modern, stealth fighters like the F-35, you aren't alone. Even the Air Force was surprised to find out it was getting the F-15EX, let alone 144 of them. Eventually, the F-15EX will replace the aging F-15C/D, and those aircraft will be decommissioned.

The Air Force currently flies 235 aging F-15C/Ds that were in line to either be decommissioned or upgraded. Instead of spending money on those, the Air Force will simply buy newer models.

Boeing has been selling different versions of the plane to countries like Kuwait and South Korea, rolling out newer models as time went on. It was foreign sales and development of those nifty new upgrades that kept the F-15 program alive.

This made the F-15EX an affordable option for the U.S. military today. Besides having an easy upgrade available, the Air Force also won't have to to train anyone on flying or maintaining them and there will be no changes to their supply chain.

Even though the F-15 first appeared in the mid-1970s, today's F-15 is a lot more advanced than the ones first delivered to the USAF in 1974.

The Eagles of today have stronger airframes, more powerful processors and advanced flight control systems than any the Air Force still flies. What's new to the F-15EX is an advanced radar and other subsystems that other countries' Eagles don't get. Around 30% of the American F-15EX would be unique to the U.S. military.

According to Air Force Magazine, "The new airplanes would have a substantially more powerful mission computer, new cockpit displays, a digital backbone, and the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) -- an electronic warfare and threat identification system."

There's a good reason other Air Forces around the world still fly F-15s, even without U.S. technology: they've never lost in combat. This is a pretty big deal -- especially if the enemy isn't flying F-15s.

In the unlikely event that an enemy combatant is flying the same F-15, there's no need to worry. The U.S. version of the F-15 is different from those sold to others.

Upgrading F-15s also won't change operational strategy, as the older airframe is supposed to compliment the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, not replace it.

The F-35 enters enemy airspace to identify and engage targets,with superior stealth and sensor technology. Once the airspace is clear, the F-15 comes in like a wrecking ball, with the capacity to carry much more ordnance than the F-35.

F-35s carry weapons in an internal bay to maintain its radar stealth profile. The F-15, in contrast, has no problem being loaded down with weapons. Each F-15EX can carry nearly 30,000 pounds of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. The F-35 can only carry 5,700 pounds.

Think of it as the Air Force's sniper and spotter combo: the F-35 sees the enemy coming as the F-15 takes them down.

 

[Gripen9]

that should help bring Boeing back in the black....

Nothing better than a bit of corporate socialism

 

[space cadet]

that should help bring Boeing back in the black....

Nothing better than a bit of corporate socialism

corporate socialism? Not sure what you mean

 

[Gripen9]

corporate socialism? Not sure what you mean

Look up what "Corporate socialism" is.


It is a gimme order to fill Boeing's critically depleted coffers post 737Max debacle.
Airforce was not looking for the plane, it was bought for them.

Excerpt from the article:
For those wondering why the Air Force would opt to buy an upgraded version of an older fighter instead of more modern, stealth fighters like the F-35, you aren't alone. Even the Air Force was surprised to find out it was getting the F-15EX, let alone 144 of them. Eventually, the F-15EX will replace the aging F-15C/D, and those aircraft will be decommissioned.

What the Air Force is getting with its new F-15EX fighter

The F-15EX is fourth-generation-plus, meaning it's more advanced than previous F-15s but not as much as fifth-generation aircraft like the F-35.

www.businessinsider.com

 

[space cadet]

This was going on long before the 737 max debacle

 

[Mastankhan]

Look up what "Corporate socialism" is.


It is a gimme order to fill Boeing's critically depleted coffers post 737Max debacle.
Airforce was not looking for the plane, it was bought for them.

Excerpt from the article:
For those wondering why the Air Force would opt to buy an upgraded version of an older fighter instead of more modern, stealth fighters like the F-35, you aren't alone. Even the Air Force was surprised to find out it was getting the F-15EX, let alone 144 of them. Eventually, the F-15EX will replace the aging F-15C/D, and those aircraft will be decommissioned.

What the Air Force is getting with its new F-15EX fighter

The F-15EX is fourth-generation-plus, meaning it's more advanced than previous F-15s but not as much as fifth-generation aircraft like the F-35.

www.businessinsider.com

Hi,

See---that is a corporate / executive decision of what the USAF needs or will need.

The USAF does want its toys---the F22 and the F35's---but knowledgeable civilians know that an upgraded F15 is still way ahead of any other aircraft of the world---.

So they made an excellent decision ad told the USAF---this is what you getting and be happy---.

This kind of mindset is needed in Pakistan as well---.

But tragically---there is no one on the pakistani civilian side who has any clue about what fighter air crafts can do and what is the job of strike aircraft and why do you need certain type of aircraft and not the other kind---.

 

[space cadet]

Hi,

See---that is a corporate / executive decision of what the USAF needs or will need.

The USAF does want its toys---the F22 and the F35's---but knowledgeable civilians know that an upgraded F15 is still way ahead of any other aircraft of the world---.

So they made an excellent decision ad told the USAF---this is what you getting and be happy---.

This kind of mindset is needed in Pakistan as well---.

But tragically---there is no one on the pakistani civilian side who has any clue about what fighter air crafts can do and what is the job of strike aircraft and why do you need certain type of aircraft and not the other kind---.

and cheaper to operate, doing what it does, which is mainly coastal defense. It does it better than F35 could ever do, and cheaper.

 

[Scorpio]

Hi,

See---that is a corporate / executive decision of what the USAF needs or will need.

The USAF does want its toys---the F22 and the F35's---but knowledgeable civilians know that an upgraded F15 is still way ahead of any other aircraft of the world---.

So they made an excellent decision ad told the USAF---this is what you getting and be happy---.

This kind of mindset is needed in Pakistan as well---.

But tragically---there is no one on the pakistani civilian side who has any clue about what fighter air crafts can do and what is the job of strike aircraft and why do you need certain type of aircraft and not the other kind---.

Seems more government financing support for boeing instead technical decision from government, how civilian can think better of equipment and army strategies associated with them

 

[Gripen9]

Seems more government financing support for boeing instead technical decision from government, how civilian can think better of equipment and army strategies associated with them

Mastan might have been sarcastic ( but you never know with him).
This acquisition was not in USAF plans or the budget. They were told you are getting these. Who would reject freebies.
Awesome plane and in my mind beats anything anyone else currently have in their inventory. But when you have a trillion dollar wonder know as F35, why would you want to buy this?

 

[space cadet]

Mastan might have been sarcastic ( but you never know with him).
This acquisition was not in USAF plans or the budget. They were told you are getting these. Who would reject freebies.
Awesome plane and in my mind beats anything anyone else currently have in their inventory. But when you have a trillion dollar wonder know as F35, why would you want to buy this?

The F35 is a strike aircraft, it does what it does, and it does it at a very expensive cost, was never designed to replace F15C, that was supposed to be done by F22 but they canceled the program before enough planes were built. I think it was 2yrs ago that an independent study was done of the F35 program, they found that operating costs were going to go up not down. F15C and D mainly does intercepts. It's good at it, has the long range, speed, and loads of fire power, which F35 is somewhat lacking for this job. The bean counters in Pentagon came to the conclusion it's not good to have all our eggs in one basket, as one design fault can cause an entire fleet of aircraft to be grounded, and the current F15C and D fleet has to be replaced, the upgrades that they need are too costly, better to replace them

 

[Gripen9]

The F35 is a strike aircraft, it does what it does, and it does it at a very expensive cost, was never designed to replace F15C, that was supposed to be done by F22 but they canceled the program before enough planes were built. I think it was 2yrs ago that an independent study was done of the F35 program, they found that operating costs were going to go up not down. F15C and D mainly does intercepts. It's good at it, has the long range, speed, and loads of fire power, which F35 is somewhat lacking for this job. The bean counters in Pentagon came to the conclusion it's not good to have all our eggs in one basket, as one design fault can cause an entire fleet of aircraft to be grounded, and the current F15C and D fleet has to be replaced, the upgrades that they need are too costly, better to replace them

Independent study funded by whom .
Per the reports, USAF was as much surprised by the acquisition as anyone else?
Did they request it?

I am not arguing the capabilities of the plane, just that the decision was not made by the USAF. This is opposite of the A-10 to be replaced by F-35 scenario. Where the AF wanted A-10s to be replaced by F-35 and someone in Congress kept making sure that the hogs kept flying
The initial 8 will cost 140 Mil each. Which obviously will come done, but by how much? would it be in the 80 Mil per unit range? F-35 is supposed to go down to the 70m range. How much less would the operational cost be?

 

[Mastankhan]

Mastan might have been sarcastic ( but you never know with him).
This acquisition was not in USAF plans or the budget. They were told you are getting these. Who would reject freebies.
Awesome plane and in my mind beats anything anyone else currently have in their inventory. But when you have a trillion dollar wonder know as F35, why would you want to buy this?

Hi,

Please trust me on this---I am never sarcastic about these type of decisions---.

The person making this decision did not do it on his own---. He did have have the backing and input of a retd air force professional who could think out of the box.

The current F15 is the most advanced aircraft in the world below the 5th Gen tag line in the enemy camps---.

Then to buil the F15 EX---which would make this aircraft most advanced aircraft in the 4.999 Gen realm was a very intelligent decision---. Lower cost to operate---production line keeps working---creates a lots of jobs---factory is happy---workers are happy---contractors are happy---air force pilots are happy---specially those flying the F15's and have no chance of moving upto the F35 or the F22's---.

So---tactically a great thoughtful decision---.

The decision against the A-10 was of a different time period---that of F15 EX is of a different time.

You have to understand and appreciate the american mindset---if a blunder has been committed---don't compound on it to make a bigger blunder---step back---re-assess---move ahead---.