Defense Tech: Eagles Forever


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Edited by Christian Lowe \| Contact

Eagles Forever

With F-22 production slashed to just 180 from the 380 the Air Force says it needs, the service is scrambling to figure out how to fill the gap.

The problem is that the current air superiority force of F-15C Eagles numbers more than 300 jets. To keep watch over the U.S. and South Korea plus provide enough jets for contigencies, the Air Force is going to have to fly some of its Eagles longer than expected.

Considering that the last C-model Eagle rolled off McDonnell Douglas' St. Louis production line 20 years ago and that the last major update was the Multi-Stage Improvement Program (MSIP) in the mid-90s, maintaining the F-15C is going to require structural mods and upgrades.

Aviation Week explains:

A roadmap of options for the remaining F-15Cs and Strike Eagles is nearly complete, [according to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael "Buzz" Moseley]. That document is expected to outline needed upgrades, such as active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, for some F-15Cs that would allow them to detect cruise missiles. Raytheon officials have been pitching upgrades to the existing radars as well as new systems for the F-15.

Some folks in the Air Force figure, Hey, if we're going to tear these jets apart for major surgery, why not give them a ground-attack capability while we're at it? The idea is to turn old Eagles into 'Raptor Lites' (my term, not the Air Force's).

Aviation Week outed this plan in its infancy as far back as 2004:

To provide a "bridge" to the F/A-22's ground-attack capability, [then-Air Force Secretary James] Roche said the Air Force is considering upgrading part of its F-15C Eagle fleet to give the air-to-air fighter an improved ground-attack capability. Unlike the newer F-15E Strike Eagle, which performs air-to-ground as well as air-to-air missions, the F-15C Eagle saw little action in Iraq because there was almost no air-to-air combat.

"We found in the last conflict that we had C's flying around looking for Saddam Hussein's airplanes which never flew," he said. "Effectively, the C's were taking up ramp space."

The Air Force is looking at adding weapons and improving the radars on some of its F-15Cs so they could do air-to-ground missions in future conflicts. The upgraded F-15Cs might be called "Golden Eagles."

Air Force Times says as many as 200 F-15s could receive the modifications.

Comments

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Posted by: ertyxcfd at September 25, 2007 06:49 PM

Let's can the F-22 and F-35 and spend the money on upgrades the F-15 fleet and A-10 fleet.

Maybe Boeing could develop an FA-18 E/F for the Air Force.

This would be reminiscent of the F-4 Program

Posted by: Bill at July 13, 2007 03:09 PM

Let's buy about a couple hundred more F-22s to fill our air-to- air needs and turn all the
f-15s into attack jets. With the USA selling
f-15s to countries like Saudi Arabia, we may need the f-22's to fight them someday.
P/S If the us goverment wants to put a box on my w-4 form to give an additional $10 -$20 a week out of my pay check for an f-22 fund , I will put a check in the box!!!

Posted by: Bill Ribblett at October 20, 2006 12:02 AM

it not like the F-15s are bad planes for fighting. one accident in Israel an F-15 hit another plane and lost a wing in a training accident and the training pilot managed to land the plane at a near by landing strip. so they can take damage and still live.

Posted by: Mark at August 15, 2006 01:31 PM

Gee, so now that it's become apparent that they're not going to get all the pointy nosed single seat supercruisin wunderwaffen on their critical need gotta have it or we're all doomed, doomed I tell you list it comes out that well, perhaps maybe we can upgrade some F15s after all, shucks whoda thunk it? I guess when it starts to become a choice between flying 'mature' airframes or becoming UCAV operators, things start coming into focus...

Posted by: JSAllison at April 21, 2006 09:49 AM

This sounds like a great plan.

I like the F-22 and believe it fills an important place. But I don’t see it as the bulk force candidate plane more of a shock force for kicking in the door.

This program sounds like it will really magnify the capability of that bulk force giving them more capability in ground strike giving them use in the slugging that comes after the shock attack then conquest of enemy air space.

I wonder if they are considering adding some thrust vectoring like that X plane they did awhile back

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-048-DFRC.html

Or maybe even thinking about shifting the current engines, as they have to be replaced with the F-22 engines. This would both help drop the cost of the F-22 somewhat and give the F-15-GE super cruise, thrust vectoring, plus the already mentioned SESA radar making it extremely formidable. The shortage of the stealth advantage would still limit the F-15-GE’s ability to kick in the door all those surface to air missile defenses behind enemy territory require more stealth or keeping more distance. But would greatly increase its ability when used in the follow up waves and defending friendly air space were the surface to air missile threat would be lessened by a factor making the stealth not so important.

Posted by: C-Low at April 20, 2006 02:31 PM

Good Morning Folks,

Before we start finding a new mission for the F-15C consideration should be given to fixing the structural flaw in the air frame that has restriced the F-15C from being "all it can be".

This was addressed a year ago and found to be to expensive by the Air Force. I guess now it's back the tradition of making once hot fighters ground attack in there ol' age.

Oh well what was to expensive in 2005 is a budget item in 2006, unless of course the Air Force decides not to address the problem and let the attack pilots ride around in flying coffins, they wouldn't do that now would they?

ALLONS,
Byron Skinner
"Stewart's Platoon"

Posted by: Byron Skinner at April 20, 2006 02:11 PM

Well, the way I look at it, if the F-22 is going to be able to replace the F-117 at certain Air Force Bases (which has been announced elsewhere), that means it's capabilities are higher, which means you don't need as many. No big deal if you don't get as many 'magic bullets'. The F-15 is an awesome performer, and it'd be a shame to overlook it in favor of new, 'whiz-bang' technology demonstrators. Hell...give those F-15's a RAM paintjob, improved radar, and arm it with some AGM-129's, and you're in business.

Posted by: DS at April 20, 2006 01:47 PM

"The Air Force is looking at adding weapons and improving the radars on some of its F-15Cs so they could do air-to-ground missions in future conflicts."

and

"That document is expected to outline needed upgrades, such as active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, for some F-15Cs that would allow them to detect cruise missiles."

What a great argument! New "air-to-gound missions" to justify a radar upgrade that can "detect cruise missiles".

Are those cruise missles sitting on the ramp?

Posted by: b at April 20, 2006 01:33 PM

Yes, the first article is from 2004 -- hence the "F/A-22" moniker. This is a story that has been brewing for a while.

Posted by: David Axe at April 20, 2006 12:40 PM

the first article is from 2004 . . .

Posted by: hebba at April 20, 2006 12:17 PM

Eagles Forever

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