Originally Posted by
MAINJAFAD
MACH2NUMBER
The F-15 wasn't the aircraft it became when the aircraft was looked at for the UKAD role, while the F-18 was very much a paper aeroplane based on the YF-17 at the time the MRCA was finally selected. F-16 couldn't meet the OR period. F-14 was really the only viable US option and even then had issues.
And was twice as expensive as projected ADV costs