They predictably advocate that buying more F-35As - not F-15EXs - is the solution to replace the deteriorating F-15C/D fleet, whose shortcomings are inherent to operating a 35-year old fighter that averages 8,300 flight hours but was originally designed to fly just 4,000 hours. Largely driven by lobbyist influence mixed with self-interest, a number of lawmakers and retired generals reflexively viewed the proposal to buy 144 F-15EXs as a threat to the 80-year 1,763 F-35A program. Air Force’s request to buy F-15EX fighter jets to replace the aging F-15C/D Eagle has certainly been entertaining. Overall, the F-15 is presumed to have an outstanding batle record fo 102 kills to 0 losses. The success during the last two of those conflicts came from F-15s flown by the Israeli Air Defense Force. Its most successful missions were during the Gulf War, the Lebanon War, and the Syrian Border Crisis. The F-15, in any of its variants, has never been shot down by an opposing force. The engine is 191 inches long, with an inlet diameter of 34.8 inches (maximum 46.5 inches). Each engine outputs 29,160 pounds of thrust, and weighs over 3,800 pounds. The F100 engine was delivered in 1989 and declared combat-ready in 1992. The F100 is used by over 20 air forces around the world and Pratt & Whitney tout it as the “most widely used advanced technology fighter engine in the world.” The earlier variants were powered by two General Electric F110 turbofan engines – but all current F-15C/D/E variants are powered by two Pratt & Whitney F100 engines. It provides critical mission processing capacity for new advanced capabilities such as the Eagle Passive/Active Warning Survivability System, long-range infrared search and track capability, high-speed radar communications, and future software suite upgrades.” – 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs. The ADCP II is pivotal to F-15 upgrades enabling air superiority. The ADCP II high-speed processing and interface designs enable advanced systems integration, increased mission effectiveness, augmented fault-tolerance, enhanced system stability and aircrew survivability. “The advanced mission computer, based on commercial technology, provides multi-core processing capabilities propelling the F-15 to the forefront of fighter embedded computing systems. This is a large indicator that the F-15 will be aorund for decades to come. The new missions computer was implemented into select F-15E models, and first tested back in 2016. It’s called the Advanced Display Core Processor II. However, with in-air refueling capability – range of the F-15 is essentially unlimited as long as tanker planes are available. Including the three external fuel tanks, ferry range is roughly 3,450 miles – or 3,000 nautical miles. The F-15 participated in most major conflicts since then, most recently during Operation Inherent Resolve over Iraq and other Middle Eastern territories. The first Eagle that saw combat was delivered in 1976. It flew for the first time in 1972 on the curtails of the Vietnam War and the MiG-25 Foxbat. This aircraft has been around for a long, long time and has had a chance to gain millions of supporters. The F-15 is beloved by so many, and the reason is that it’s personal for so many.
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