US Air Force: Discussion and News

The US Air Force continues to build up its Arctic force by deploying fifth-generation F-35 fighters in Alaska. According to the press service of the Air Force, on December 16, five more fighters arrived at Eielson airbase.

To date, the number of fifth-generation F-35 fighters at the air base has reached 20 units. A total of 54 F-35 fighters are expected to be deployed, by the end of 2021, the 336th and 335th squadrons, based at Eielson airbase, should receive all aircraft. Thus, each squadron will have 27 fighters.

https://en.topwar.ru/178321-vvs-ssha-prodolzhajut-naraschivat-gruppirovku-istrebitelej-f-35-na-aljaske.html

They will need movable tents to heat them until lift-off.

Anyone has the list of active aircraft of the US in 1991 ? I can't find it on wikipedia.

The first flight of the F-15EX fighter

February 3rd, 3:34 am
Boeing Corporation announced that on February 2, 2021, the first Boeing F-15EX (military number 20-0001) multifunction fighter jet built at its St. Louis facility for the US Air Force made its first flight, which is the latest modification of the famous fourth generation F fighter. -15 Eagle. It is stated that the first two F-15EX aircraft will be transferred to the US Air Force at the end of the first quarter of 2021. The first Boeing F-15EX (military number 20-0001) fighter built for the US Air Force in maiden flight. The plane has not yet been painted. Saint Louis, 02.02.2021 (c) vikingaeroimages / Instagram



Recall that on July 13, 2020, the US Department of the Air Force issued Boeing a contract worth $ 1.192 billion for the production and delivery of the first eight new fighters of the new F-15EX modification of the so-called Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) to the US Air Force. Their purchase was previously authorized in the US defense budget for fiscal 2020.

Thus, the US Air Force returned to purchasing fourth-generation fighters 15 years after the termination of their supply - the last F-15E fighter was delivered to the US Air Force in 2001, and the last Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters in 2005.

The US military budget for fiscal 2021 has allocated funds for the purchase of the next 12 F-15EX fighters, with an additional 72 aircraft planned for the next four fiscal years. In general, the framework contract issued by Boeing on July 13, 2020 is set at $ 22.89 billion, and apparently covers the cost of 144 F-15EX aircraft, which the US Air Force previously intended to purchase in total, with the continuation of the F-15EX purchases for at least Fiscal year 2030. Later, there were reports that the US Air Force was planning to purchase a total of 200 F-15EX fighters.

Of the eight first F-15EX fighter jets ordered, the first of which has now made its maiden flight, the first two will be transferred to the US Air Force at the end of the first quarter of 2021, and the remaining six by fiscal 2023. All eight of these aircraft will be delivered to Eglin Air Force Base (Florida) and will be used for testing. Delivery of production F-15EX aircraft is due to begin in fiscal 2023, with the 123rd Fighter Squadron of the 142nd Fighter Wing of the Oregon Air Force, based at Portland AFB, the first to receive them.

The US Air Force plans to replace some of the Boeing F-15C / D Eagle fighters with F-15EX fighters. The F-15EX is a two-seat fighter (contrary to Boeing's original single-seat F-15X) and should be equipped with modern avionics based on the digital highway concept and Open Mission Systems (OMS) architecture, including the Raytheon AN / APG-82 series radar with AFAR. The F-15EX is said to be capable of carrying up to 22 guided air-to-air missiles or "hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weighing up to 7,000 pounds." The aircraft will be equipped with conformal tanks.

On 28 February 2021, the US government officially authorized Boeing to offer the F-15EX fighter jet as a candidate for an endless tender for the purchase of 144 new fighters for the Indian Air Force.

https://bmpd.livejournal.com/4250201.html

George1 wrote:

That looked like an interesting flight pattern for a brand new, just off the line, not yet flown aircraft, with two pilots on board

Or maybe it wasn't the first.

Su-30SM USA-Style

Folks at Lockheed Martin are pissing gasoline right about now, they have been trying to smother this baby for a very long time

PapaDragon wrote:
Su-30SM USA-Style

Folks at Lockheed Martin are pissing gasoline right about now, they have been trying to smother this baby for a very long time

Indeed, in the no stealth bullshit real world this is a very serious competitor. In the USAF its the fighter pilots that rule the roost and once the 'commissions' on the initial setup have worked through the system then technical reality starts to hit home. My forecast is that 4-500 of these will be made, replacing the whole F-15 base plus some more. Much more difficult but how about an F-16X next?

Also, look at the miraculous way the F-18 orders keep on coming. The Navy ain't stupid either.

It's not supidity or smartness.

F-22 isn't produced. F-35 isn't ready and they discover issues everyday.

F-15 are old and need replacement just like f-18.

They are left with buying new f-15 and new f-18. No other choice.

F-16 are unlikely to be bought again. Their "allies" have a lot of them and US airforce also. F-18 and f-15 are the ones that are sent the first in the battle.

Would be interesting if they put the F-16XL into production as a sort of swing role fighter bomber that does not risk taking over from the F-35... as much as they need something to.

About the new American anti-radar missile AARGM-ER



Presentation of the American company Orbital ATK (part of Northrop Grumman Corp.) on the new Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile - Extended Range (AARGM-ER) anti-radar missile with a range of over 130 km.



https://dambiev.livejournal.com/2217070.html

A range over 130km.... amazing... so almost as good as the AS-11 the Soviets were using 50 odd years ago...

Yeah, but the missile will be better because it is much more expensive!

PapaDragon wrote:
Su-30SM USA-Style

Folks at Lockheed Martin are pissing gasoline right about now, they have been trying to smother this baby for a very long time

Does the su 30SM use the antique dorsal air brake ? The F-15 X is actually the su 35 equivalent isn't it ? The su 35 doesn't have the antique dorsal air brake

The F-15X still does

Yes it does. It's a very easy and cheap way to slow down, specially if you need to reduce your speed quickly in dogfight or for landing.

It is also very used when using air to ground rockets/bombs I think. There is a similar thing on su-25 wings.

Isos wrote:Yes it does. It's a very easy and cheap way to slow down, specially if you need to reduce your speed quickly in dogfight or for landing.

It is also very used when using air to ground rockets/bombs I think. There is a similar thing on su-25 wings.

But the F-15x is the su 35 equivalent. And the su 35 doesn't have that air brake

I'm just taking a cheap shot at the F-15X because if it was the su 35 with the old style air brake and the F-15X with the modern air brake , we would never hear the end of it. They would say that Russia doesn't have the computer power to allow the verticals to double as the air brake.

I mean , the F-22 has the newer style. I'm not sure why they couldn't incorporate it onto the F-15X

Backman wrote:
But the F-15x is the su 35 equivalent.

Not really, the F-15X is a two seat aircraft although originally (for political reasons) they said the back seat wouldn't be fitted as it was an F-15C/D single seat replacement. However that didn't last long, that first one has two seats.

This is to all intents and purposes an Su-30SM equivalent optimised for a single seat occupancy. The US hasn't bothered to produce a SU-35 type version. The F-15EX will follow as sure as eggs are eggs.

50 year old plane with new optic.

It is good fun to watch the US MIC gymnastics trying to justify their awful strategic force planing and failed 5G aircraft. After the F-15 effectively substituting the F-22, we have a “clean sheet design” for a new “four-and-a-half-gen or fifth-gen-minus” fighter to replace the F-16

https://breakingdefense.com/2021/02/clean-sheet-f-16-replacement-in-the-cards-csaf-brown/?fbclid=IwAR2VpFv2TOCv4ztF_YbLz2ZFO6AIHavLLbBF6fC6VZVFxP_9CKG0Jp0b-7c

Where to start with this? So the F-35 is not the substitute of the F-16? To make things worse, NGAD is supposedly not only going to substitute the F-22 and F-15 but also the F-35. Then what the hell is the F-35 supposed to do in the new USAF structure?

Then what the hell is the F-35 supposed to do in the new USAF structure?

Loose change and bundles of money around the place are a severe risk to jet engines, so the F-35 programme with sponge up all the excess dollars hanging around all other programmes to ensure no one slips and has a fall and hurts themselves.

Heavy killer
The US Air Force is purchasing an analogue of the Su-57. He will be the most armed fighter in the world

Why didn't they fit canted tail fins on it, & what is their advantage over straight fins?

First Boeing F-15EX delivered to the U.S. Air Force





https://dambiev.livejournal.com/2253162.html

Boeing Su-30SM