US Air Force’s F-15 Warplane Described in 2 Words

Completely Obsolete?: The F-15 Eagle, a fourth-generation fighter first introduced in the 1970s, has become America’s leading air superiority jet, securing 34 of the USAF’s 37 kills over the past four decades. With a speed of Mach 2.5, a range of 3,450 miles with external tanks, and versatile weapons, the F-15 demonstrated durability despite its age.

Originally intended for retirement, Congress now mandates continued use of this aircraft through the F-15EX Eagle II, designed as a “fourth-generation plus” model to address cost concerns and capability gaps.

-However, critics argue that it is now time to fully transition to fifth-generation platforms such as the F-22 and F-35.

From Eagle to Eagle II: Can the F-15 Keep Up with Modern Warfare?

The world’s leading fourth-generation supersonic air superiority fighter for 40 years F-15 Eagle. First flying in 1972, the F-15 has seen many iterations of its model and served in countless militaries around the world. The F-15 was designed to overcome advanced Soviet air defenses. These birds had much greater maneuverability, speed, range, avionics and weapon systems than the third-generation fighter jets that preceded them (think). F-4 Ghost).

Over the last 40 years, the F-15 has been responsible for 34 of the US Air Force’s 37 kills. Thanks to their electronic countermeasures, speed, and maneuverability, these aircraft are extremely difficult to kill; although today there are much more advanced, fifth-generation fighter jets flying in hostile weather.

F-15 Features

The legendary fighter plane, first produced by McDonnell-Douglas, is today produced by Boeing. Two depending on variant Pratt & Whitney F-100-PW-220 turbofan enginesProduces 23,450 pounds or two thrust Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 turbofan engines with afterburnerThese fighter jets produce 29,000 pounds of thrust.

The F-15 can reach speeds of Mach 2.5 and has a range of 2,878 miles. This range can of course be greatly extended with the help of aerial refueling tankers. An F-15 can be fitted with three external tanks, meaning its range can be increased to up to 3,450 miles. The ceiling of these birds is 60,000 feet.

In terms of armament, the F-15 is truly lethal (there’s a reason why 34 of the Air Force’s 37 fatalities in the last 40 years were from these birds). An internally mounted M61A1 20 mm six-barreled gun. Four AIM-9 sidewinder missiles with additional four AIM-120 AMRAAM‘s can be placed on this fighter. F-15 can even shoot An anti-satellite weapon that will destroy targets in low Earth orbit.

Purpose of F-15

These planes had to be retired and replaced by fifth-generation fighter planes that have been flying for the last 30 years. Due to budget concerns and F-22A RaptorDue to production problems, the military was forced to rely on the F-15 for much longer than planned. Things have gotten so bad with the replacement of the F-15 by expensive and complex fifth-generation fighter jets that Congress will not allow the Air Force to retire its F-15 fleet as the USAF originally planned.

Moreover, an entirely new variant of the F-15 was ordered and produced.F-15EX Eagle II. This aircraft is considered a “fourth generation plus” bird. Although less capable than the F-35 Lighting II or F-22A Raptor, the US government chose to install these systems. F-15EX Eagle II is actually a fast missiletruck. Whether these birds can really dance with a fifth-generation fighter jet is a matter of intense debate in aviation circles. Oddly enough, the reason Congress pushed for the creation of a new version of the F-15 was to keep costs low while preventing critical strategic gaps in the Air Force.

However, the F-15EX Eagle II is quite expensive. And neither is as advanced as F-35 or F-22.

Therefore, the F-15 is past its expiration date.

The USA should not spend any more time and money on these birds. Instead, the military must work hard to restore the F-22 production line while ensuring the F-35 can fly safely and reliably. The F-15 performed wonderfully. But time passes for these birds. They may be useful in some cases, but generally speaking, America needs to give up on them.

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. WeichertNational Interest national security analystis a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who contributes to The Washington Times, Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Creation: How the West Lost Ukraine, will be released on October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed on Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images courtesy of Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

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