The First F-15EX Fighter Jet Has Now Flown In Its Air Force Colors

[dbc]

To name a few:

1. Vastly superior radar system
2. Vastly superior EW capabilities
3. Vastly superior payload capacity
4. Vastly superior range
5. Vastly superior speed

F-15 EX and Rafale are not in the same class to begin with. You couldn't ask a worse question.

no..no..no...F15 EX is rubbish..Rafale is much better.

 

[Juggernaut_Flat_Plane_V8]

The USAF opted for the F-15EX to maintain fighter numbers after the premature termination of F-22 production, its aging F-15C fleet, and F-35 delays. Although it is not expected to be survivable against modern air defenses by 2028, the F-15EX could perform homeland and airbase defense, no-fly zone enforcement against limited or no air defense systems, and deploying standoff munitions.[158]

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F-15SE Silent Eagle will be more important

 

[LeGenD]

The USAF opted for the F-15EX to maintain fighter numbers after the premature termination of F-22 production, its aging F-15C fleet, and F-35 delays. Although it is not expected to be survivable against modern air defenses by 2028, the F-15EX could perform homeland and airbase defense, no-fly zone enforcement against limited or no air defense systems, and deploying standoff munitions.[158]

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F-15SE Silent Eagle will be more important

Such statements are not gospel. The F-15EX will do very well against modern A2/AD arrangements in fact. This jet fighter have the right mix of sensor fidelity, processing capabilities, EW capabilities, and long-distance sniping capabilities for the needful.

5th generation designs are too expensive to be mass produced, and are not a workhorse.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

The US acquisition of F-15EX proves Chinese doctrine to combine high/mid/low fleet of J-20 / J-16 / J-10C as essentially correct. It mirrors the US F-35 / F-15EX / F-16 fleet, but reached this conclusion first and thus has a head start on applying this doctrine.

Basically high end 5th gen fighter to act as the air superiority spearhead, heavy 4.5 gen with AESA radar to act as the multirole workhorses, light 4.5 gen with AESA radar as defense.

The air force difference is, while US has mostly F-35s, a single engine plane designed for multirole operations, as their high end spearhead (with F-22s slowly being phased out) China has the heavy dual engine J-20 as the high end spearhead.

For the PLAN though, I suspect they're going for a mostly 5th gen J-31 fleet, since there's little J-15 acquisition, while US Navy seems to want to stick with F-18s as the bulk of their planes.

It is plausible that in the 2030s, the PLAN would be the premier naval aviation force.

 

[Super Falcon]

US airforce may be not happy with f 35 remember F 35 were meant to replace F 15 but us thinks that f 15 still can do more

 

[LeGenD]

US airforce may be not happy with f 35 remember F 35 were meant to replace F 15 but us thinks that f 15 still can do more

The F-35 was aimed to replace F-16 in large part but this is not economically feasible. Therefore, a new cost-effective design is under consideration for the needful.

The F-15EX is a part of the modernization effort in the "heavyweight class."

 

[The Maverick]

US airforce may be not happy with f 35 remember F 35 were meant to replace F 15 but us thinks that f 15 still can do more

no

f35 was replacing f16
f15 was been replaced by f22

 

[Zapper]

In my opinion, this will the fighter to offer the stiffest competition to the Rafale for the 114 MRFA contract in India. It's an extremely capable fighter, but the cost of acquisition and operations will be very high, definitely the highest of the other 4.5 gen fighters including Rafale, Typhoon, F-21, Gripen E and MiG-35. Only Su-35E will be costlier to operate and maintain.

The F-15EX is a heavy class fighter comparable to the Su-30 which we have over 260 of em. What IAF needs is a medium weight fighter like the Rafale which is exactly why ADA has developed the MWF (LCA Mk-2) with AMCA being in the same class as well

One Aircraft IAF should consider.

In all possibility it will be more Rafale orders but this aircraft is a beast.

F15 EX is far better than Rafael it's a heavy weight fighter with very advanced capabilities..... as far as MRCA is concerned India doesn't have to budget to purchase 114 F15EX, just 36 F15QA were somewhere around 8 to 12 billion dollars...... in addition to that IAF is using nearly 300 heavy weight su 30s it doesn't make sense to induct more heavy weight fighters.... medium weight fighters are needed that are not very expensive to operate and maintain.

Ok, do me a favor, point out how exactly the F-15EX is "far better than Rafael"..btw, it's Rafale and not Rafael.

I will agree with you on the cost aspect..with an expected unit price of $100 to 120 million (fly-away cost and not program cost) the F-15EX will be as costly as Rafale when it comes to unit price, but since India already has spent so much on Rafale infrastructure (support, training, repair, overhaul, etc.), buying more Rafales will be cheaper than F-15EX, for which all of this expensive infrastructure costs will have be spent again.

Also, as you rightly said, with 270 Su-30MKIs, the IAF already has a large number of heavy fighters, whose operating costs are very high. Inducting 114 more heavy fighters doesn't seem to a good option. F-15EX's operating costs will also be very high, certainly much higher than that of Rafale.

What the Air Chief Marshal said in an interview was that since the cost of 114 MRFAs does not need to be spent at one go, it'll be affordable, since payments will be made over time, like 7-8 years or more. The IAF's capital expenditure budget will be able to manage that is what he claimed.

Coupled with the fact that inducting any US platform in significant numbers will put us at risk similar to Turkey. They'd have leverage using CAATSA over all our Russian deals and they'd threaten to cut our suppliers/spares etc the moment we act against American interests

 

[Indos]

Indonesia IMO is likely to buy F15 EX as replacement of SU 35 deal for 8 planes. The budget for that actually has been approved. It will be perfect if Indonesia can also continue its joint program with South Korea in KFX/IFX project.

 

[Juggernaut_Flat_Plane_V8]

Such statements are not gospel. The F-15EX will do very well against modern A2/AD arrangements in fact. This jet fighter have the right mix of sensor fidelity, processing capabilities, EW capabilities, and long-distance sniping capabilities for the needful.

5th generation designs are too expensive to be mass produced, and are not a workhorse.

More of the calculus was explained by Maj. Gen. David A. Krumm, USAF’s Director of Strategic Plans and Requirements, who told Air Force Magazine the thinking behind the controversial add of Eagles.Brand-new F-15EXs will have strong bones and could last a long time—Krumm said 20,000 hours—meaning it could potentially serve well into the 2040s or 50s.

The Air Force has said the F-15 won’t be survivable against modern air defenses after 2028, so is it worth it to the service to spend the money to keep a non-stealthy, 1970s design into the 2040s

“I think what we know is that we’re going to be fighting with 4th gen [aircraft] in 2028, and in 2035, we’re still going to have those,” he said. “The way to use these things is to collaborate on a network, and it’s going to be, what can those things bring to the fight faster?”

F-15EX: Careful What You Don't Ask For | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Be careful what you don’t wish for... New F-15s, T-X, and the cost of ownership....

www.airforcemag.com

 

[LeGenD]

Indonesia IMO is likely to buy F15 EX as replacement of SU 35 deal for 8 planes. The budget for that actually has been approved. It will be perfect if Indonesia can also continue its joint program with South Korea in KFX/IFX project.

View attachment 722474

Indonesian Air Force is making very good choices lately.

I see Indonesian Air Force becoming one of the most potent in the world and leave many mouths open in the process.

 

[LeGenD]

F-15EX: Careful What You Don't Ask For | Air & Space Forces Magazine

Be careful what you don’t wish for... New F-15s, T-X, and the cost of ownership....

www.airforcemag.com

Thanks for the link. I think you missed the point in there.

Visual pointer:

The F-15EX is equipped with some of the most powerful of sensor systems including EW solution(s) to facilitate its missions. Do you recall NATO strikes in Syria in 2018? The lesser known aspect of it is this: a single EA-6B Prowler (now retired) spearheaded the mission and was sufficient to complicate missile interception possibilities for advanced Russian A2/AD defenses including the powerful S-400 system in the theater. Now imagine SEAD possibilities with state-of-the-art EPAWSS for F-15EX. You cannot conceal everything so it helps to push the envelope in the sensor package instead.

S-400 system is among the very best of A2/AD hardware in the present and won't be a lesser thing by 2028; I am not sure what will be so different in 2028 and beyond in the A2/AD regime.

If you are able to achieve brilliance in computing technologies, net-sensing, hypersonics, EW solutions, and automations, you are going to dominate in theater of operations for many years to come.

 

[HalfMoon]

To name a few:

1. Vastly superior radar system
2. Vastly superior processing capabilities
3. Vastly superior EW capabilities
4. Vastly superior payload capacity
5. Vastly superior range
6. Vastly superior speed

F-15 EX and Rafale are not in the same class to begin with. You couldn't ask a worse question.

But F-15EX cannot fly through the mountains along LAC and LOC like Rafales can.

F-15EX is akin to a sledge hammer while Rafale is akin to a wall hammer.

Different sizes and serve different purposes.

It is blasphemous to compare them.

 

[LeGenD]

But F-15EX cannot fly through the mountains along LAC and LOC like Rafales can.

F-15EX is akin to a sledge hammer while Rafale is akin to a wall hammer.

Different sizes and serve different purposes.

It is blasphemous to compare them.

Fair point.

Yes, F-15EX is not for everybody.

 

[HalfMoon]

Fair point.

Yes, F-15EX is not for everybody.

Both F-15EX and Rafale are great fighters but which is better depends on the mission at hand.

If IAF planners were great they would get both F-15EX (as part of MMRCA/MRFA) and Rafales (two follow-on squadrons) to cover all missions and bases.

Only F-15EX + Rafale will give a fighting chance for IAF to defend against PAF + PLAAF.

Russians will support China over India.

Indian SU-30MKIs + MIG-29UPG will be no match to joint Sino-Pak assault along LAC & LOC.

But I am confident that IAF planners will make a mistake. They have always been bad planners. Penny wise pound foolish.

And rest assured, we have an uneducated, narcissistic and egoist tea seller in Modi to ensure that India will make a grave mistake.