Goodbye to the Eagle?

[Sailor]

US Air Force considers dumping undefeated fighter jet


(CNN) — A 1980s-era combat jet that has long been hailed as the most successful dog-fighting aircraft in US history may have finally met its match.

It is not an enemy plane that is threatening to end the F-15 Eagle's 40-year reign as king of the skies, but rather the US Air Force's latest cost-cutting efforts.

Air Force generals floated the idea of retiring hundreds of F-15s during a hearing before the House Armed Services subcommittee last week, pitching a plan that included replacing the current fleet of battle-tested fighters with an upgraded version of the F-16 Fighting Falcon.


The plan would include replacing 236 F-15C and D models by dipping into the Air Force's inventory of nearly 1,200 F-16s.

us.cnn.com/2017/03/28/politics/us-air-force-f-15-eagles-retire/index.html

Someone's braintripping, replacing one highly successful 40 year old plane with another 40 year old plane. F-35 isn't up to the job and the Air Farce isn't going to reopen production of the F-22, even an updated F-22.

WTF are these people smoking?

[101ABN]

"WTF are these people smoking?"

I could never, for the life of me, understand the logic of killing the F-22 program.

[Sailor]

I can't either 101. Now we're stuck with F-35. The Marines seem to love their version and the Brits seem ready to buy it as well (V-STOL (USMC)version) for their two Queen Elizabeth carriers, but I'm not happy with the Navy version with it's single (temperamental) engine.

I still can't help but wonder what it would take to strengthen the F-22 enough for Navy needs or see if Northrup Grumman can come up with something. I'd much rather a carrier plane had two engines than one for the obvious reason that if it all goes to hell and you lost one, you might still limp back to the ship on that second engine.