F-35 Cancelled, then what ?
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Umm, no. The F-15EX will be largely based on the F-15SA, which has fly by wire, a new cockpit, a lighter yet stronger wing with two additional hardpoints, new computers, and lots lots more. The biggest difference will be putting in USAF spec datalinks and comms, and qualifying for new long range air-to-air missiles. So its costs are sufficiently well known that Boeing has offered a firm fixed price contract with a price well below what the F-35 is promised to cost after the next full rate production program. And since its flying now its flight hour costs are also known and are well below the F-35's flight hour costs.

So its costs are sufficiently well known that Boeing has offered a firm fixed price contract with a price well below what the F-35 is promised to cost after the next full rate production program. And since its flying now its flight hour costs are also known and are well below the F-35's flight hour costs.

Umm, no. The F-15EX will be largely based on the F-15SA, which has fly by wire, a new cockpit, a lighter yet stronger wing with two additional hardpoints, new computers, and lots lots more. The biggest difference will be putting in USAF spec datalinks and comms, and qualifying for new long range air-to-air missiles. So its costs are sufficiently well known that Boeing has offered a firm fixed price contract with a price well below what the F-35 is promised to cost after the next full rate production program. And since its flying now its flight hour costs are also known and are well below the F-35's flight hour costs.
Looking at the price of the fa-18 and the cost difference to the f-15. I doubt they will get it below the f-35. Even taking into account that the fa-18ef and f-15 are at an end of run, where a lot of non recurring costs have mostly been met. The FA-18EF with pods, is bumping at the F-35 cost now and I really doubt they can build a mission ready F-15EX for less than the FA-18EF. The numbers aren't adding up. Then add in that they are saying less than 50% of the CPFH of the F-35 and that comes in at around $13-15k and well below the FA-18EF. That is a big ask.
There was talk at the time of the F-15SA being speced to satisfy Israel. I think the SA is a shell that the US will need to build upon. There are going to be significant development costs. I haven't seen that they have locked in the specs. A fixed price already? They may take an initial loss, as they did on the tankers. Do you know what the cost is fixed at? I couldn't google it, other than it's less than the F-35 and therefore less than the mission ready FA-18EF.
Last edited by golder; 30th Mar 2019 at 03:15.

well it actually works - and it's cheaper than the F-35 which hasn't really been in serious combat ......
Nothing wrong with old technology - I'd guess an F-15 can still run rings around anything Russia or China have
AS for the military -industrial complex many argue the whole F-35 circus is just to keep LMA in business and has little to do with any real threat
Nothing wrong with old technology - I'd guess an F-15 can still run rings around anything Russia or China have
AS for the military -industrial complex many argue the whole F-35 circus is just to keep LMA in business and has little to do with any real threat

Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Fleet to now be at least 144.....
AW&ST: http://aviationweek.com/defense/usaf...mpty-back-seat
USAF Plans To Fly New F-15 With Empty Back Seat
Boeing’s two-seat F-15EX aircraft will be flown with an empty back seat by squadrons now flying single-seat F-15Cs, the U.S. Air Force confirms to Aerospace Daily. Although derived from an international version of the two-seat F-15E, the Air Force plans to acquire at least 144 F-15EX aircraft, including 80 over the next five years, to replace an aging fleet of mainly single-seat F-15Cs.
Boeing designed the F-15EX to operate in both the air superiority role of the single-seat F-15C and the fighter-bomber role of the F-15E. The latter includes a back-seat station for a weapon systems officer to manage the munitions and sensors for land attack while the pilot in the front seat concentrates on flying and air-to-air engagements. The F-15EX comes with two functional cockpits, but the pilot can manage air-to-air and air-to-ground missions alone in the front seat, the Air Force says. F-15EX aircraft delivered to squadrons now flying single-seat F-15Cs will not be staffed with an expanded cadre of weapon system officers, which would leave the back seat of the two-seater empty.
“Fighter squadrons that receive the F-15EX are projected to retain their current mission and crew composition,” an Air Force spokeswoman says in response to questions by Aerospace Daily. Although the role of former F-15C pilots flying F-15EXs would expand under the current plan, the Air Force does not expect an increase in training costs during or after the transition. “There should be no need to expand aircrew training requirements,” the spokeswoman says.
Boeing offered the Air Force a single-seat version of the F-15X for the F-15C replacement, which was designated as the F-15CX concept. The Air Force decided to buy only the two-seat F-15EX, which minimizes nonrecurring engineering costs.
The F-15EX is a straightforward derivative of the F-15QA ordered by the Qatari air force. It features a lightened wing, but still carries the same load of weapons and sensors as the F-15E. The F-15EX also includes other upgrades added since the Air Force last ordered the F-15E in 2001, including fly-by-wire flight controls, the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, the Advanced Display Core Processor II mission computer and a new cockpit with a large format display.
AW&ST: http://aviationweek.com/defense/usaf...mpty-back-seat
USAF Plans To Fly New F-15 With Empty Back Seat
Boeing’s two-seat F-15EX aircraft will be flown with an empty back seat by squadrons now flying single-seat F-15Cs, the U.S. Air Force confirms to Aerospace Daily. Although derived from an international version of the two-seat F-15E, the Air Force plans to acquire at least 144 F-15EX aircraft, including 80 over the next five years, to replace an aging fleet of mainly single-seat F-15Cs.
Boeing designed the F-15EX to operate in both the air superiority role of the single-seat F-15C and the fighter-bomber role of the F-15E. The latter includes a back-seat station for a weapon systems officer to manage the munitions and sensors for land attack while the pilot in the front seat concentrates on flying and air-to-air engagements. The F-15EX comes with two functional cockpits, but the pilot can manage air-to-air and air-to-ground missions alone in the front seat, the Air Force says. F-15EX aircraft delivered to squadrons now flying single-seat F-15Cs will not be staffed with an expanded cadre of weapon system officers, which would leave the back seat of the two-seater empty.
“Fighter squadrons that receive the F-15EX are projected to retain their current mission and crew composition,” an Air Force spokeswoman says in response to questions by Aerospace Daily. Although the role of former F-15C pilots flying F-15EXs would expand under the current plan, the Air Force does not expect an increase in training costs during or after the transition. “There should be no need to expand aircrew training requirements,” the spokeswoman says.
Boeing offered the Air Force a single-seat version of the F-15X for the F-15C replacement, which was designated as the F-15CX concept. The Air Force decided to buy only the two-seat F-15EX, which minimizes nonrecurring engineering costs.
The F-15EX is a straightforward derivative of the F-15QA ordered by the Qatari air force. It features a lightened wing, but still carries the same load of weapons and sensors as the F-15E. The F-15EX also includes other upgrades added since the Air Force last ordered the F-15E in 2001, including fly-by-wire flight controls, the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, the Advanced Display Core Processor II mission computer and a new cockpit with a large format display.

Looking at the price of the fa-18 and the cost difference to the f-15. I doubt they will get it below the f-35.
Why don't you look at the USAF budget docs and prove yourself wrong, rather than wasting everyone's time?
https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/...-18-152821-713
The FA-18EF with pods, is bumping at the F-35 cost now
Why don't you look at the Navy budget docs and prove yourself wrong, rather than wasting everyone's time AGAIN?
https://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/...BA1-4_BOOK.pdf
Why don't you look at the USAF budget docs and prove yourself wrong, rather than wasting everyone's time?
https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/...-18-152821-713
The FA-18EF with pods, is bumping at the F-35 cost now
Why don't you look at the Navy budget docs and prove yourself wrong, rather than wasting everyone's time AGAIN?
https://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/...BA1-4_BOOK.pdf

RAFEngO74to09,
"2019 F-35A Demo Team practice at Luke AFB, AZ - nice !"
Nice indeed! Imagine when the B adds its Harrier style upping and downing and backwards and forwards to that, the RAF will have a rather impressive display item to show along side the Typhoon.
Thanks for posting.
"2019 F-35A Demo Team practice at Luke AFB, AZ - nice !"
Nice indeed! Imagine when the B adds its Harrier style upping and downing and backwards and forwards to that, the RAF will have a rather impressive display item to show along side the Typhoon.
Thanks for posting.

Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Dated April 1st.....
Nice photoshopped two seat version though........
https://theaviationist.com/2019/04/0...et-f-35f-jsmf/
Revealed: Israel’s Top Secret F-35F JSMF
Secret Two-Seat Variant Uses Additional Crewmember to Counter Anti-F-35 Social Media Posts.
Israel has unveiled their previously classified F-35F Nebekh Joint Social Media Fighter (JSMF). The new rear seat position in the two-seat F-35F Nebekh is occupied by the SMO or Social Media Officer. The modification is in response to threats to the F-35 in the social media space. Gen Hadir Uffani of the IDF told reporters, “The F-35’s primary threats exist in the social media space, so we have made a special variant of the Joint Strike Fighter to counter this threat in real-time.”
The SMO suite consists of integrated sensor fusion that monitors Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for flamers leveling criticism against the Joint Strike Fighter program. When critical social media posts from internet know-it-alls and trolls are detected, the system can respond in real-time by assigning a massive arsenal of cat memes to interdict the threat. The cat memes are stored in a special, low-observable internal hard drive in the aircraft’s stealthy weapons’ bay.


https://theaviationist.com/2019/04/0...et-f-35f-jsmf/
Revealed: Israel’s Top Secret F-35F JSMF
Secret Two-Seat Variant Uses Additional Crewmember to Counter Anti-F-35 Social Media Posts.
Israel has unveiled their previously classified F-35F Nebekh Joint Social Media Fighter (JSMF). The new rear seat position in the two-seat F-35F Nebekh is occupied by the SMO or Social Media Officer. The modification is in response to threats to the F-35 in the social media space. Gen Hadir Uffani of the IDF told reporters, “The F-35’s primary threats exist in the social media space, so we have made a special variant of the Joint Strike Fighter to counter this threat in real-time.”
The SMO suite consists of integrated sensor fusion that monitors Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for flamers leveling criticism against the Joint Strike Fighter program. When critical social media posts from internet know-it-alls and trolls are detected, the system can respond in real-time by assigning a massive arsenal of cat memes to interdict the threat. The cat memes are stored in a special, low-observable internal hard drive in the aircraft’s stealthy weapons’ bay.


Flight - "USA stops Lockheed Martin F-35 parts deliveries to Turkey"
Wasn't Turkey supposed to be doing the heavy maintenance on European F-35's?
Wasn't Turkey supposed to be doing the heavy maintenance on European F-35's?

Looking at the price of the fa-18 and the cost difference to the f-15. I doubt they will get it below the f-35.
Why don't you look at the USAF budget docs and prove yourself wrong, rather than wasting everyone's time?
https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/...-18-152821-713
The FA-18EF with pods, is bumping at the F-35 cost now
Why don't you look at the Navy budget docs and prove yourself wrong, rather than wasting everyone's time AGAIN?
https://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/...BA1-4_BOOK.pdf
Why don't you look at the USAF budget docs and prove yourself wrong, rather than wasting everyone's time?
https://www.saffm.hq.af.mil/Portals/...-18-152821-713
The FA-18EF with pods, is bumping at the F-35 cost now
Why don't you look at the Navy budget docs and prove yourself wrong, rather than wasting everyone's time AGAIN?
https://www.secnav.navy.mil/fmc/fmb/...BA1-4_BOOK.pdf
Until then, this may help. It comes out to $83.6M per tail
"The Navy intends to spend about $9.2 billion to procure 110 Block III Super Hornets from FY19-FY23, budget documents show. "
https://www.defensenews.com/digital-...-and-upgrades/

Flight - "USA stops Lockheed Martin F-35 parts deliveries to Turkey"
Wasn't Turkey supposed to be doing the heavy maintenance on European F-35's?
Wasn't Turkey supposed to be doing the heavy maintenance on European F-35's?
An article on the subject in today's The Times.


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And Pentagon is not the only organization that's been waiting for the F-35 for too long. UK built an entire aircraft carrier to use F-35's. Is it possible to requip it somehow for a different type?
That's a real disaster for the project. And considering the latest Markel speeches in Germany, it may be a huge disaster for the NATO, too. Not that anyone still needs it, but it's also true that nobody wants to be the one dismantling it.
Erdogan, however, is not short of choice of modern fighters. Apart from the obvious European choices - Rafale, Typhoon, oldie but goldie Tornado, Grippen-E - his good relationships with Russia also opens Su-35 for him. And that's the best choice by far - F-35 is not as much better as it is much more expensive - and Turkey can easily get their hands on French and Malaysian electronics Sukhoi uses for their export fighters. I'm not current on Turkey's relations with Israel, but if they are any good, Israel makes the best radars and they have plenty of experience installing them on Su-fighters.
Has Pentagon made the biggest mistake in its history?

If you have something specific you wish to share out of the 118 page doc. I'd be pleased.
And if you would demonstrate that you are not too thick, or too lazy, to search and analyze an entirely standard US budget document, your opinions might be worth taking seriously.
And if you would demonstrate that you are not too thick, or too lazy, to search and analyze an entirely standard US budget document, your opinions might be worth taking seriously.

If you have something specific you wish to share out of the 118 page doc. I'd be pleased.
And if you would demonstrate that you are not too thick, or too lazy, to search and analyze an entirely standard US budget document, your opinions might be worth taking seriously.
And if you would demonstrate that you are not too thick, or too lazy, to search and analyze an entirely standard US budget document, your opinions might be worth taking seriously.
https://www.defensenews.com/digital-...-and-upgrades/
Until then, this may help. It comes out to $83.6M per tail
"The Navy intends to spend about $9.2 billion to procure 110 Block III Super Hornets from FY19-FY23, budget documents show. "
It's also widely reported that in 2006 year dollars the F-15 costed out at about $100M,
F-15E $108 million [2006$]
F-15K $100 million [2006$]
Last edited by golder; 3rd Apr 2019 at 00:20.


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For whom? About the last place I'd go when I heard "we'll do our maintenance here" if all of my NATO allies are an option is .. Turkey. Who came up with this brilliant plan? (Granted, my experience is more than a decade old, so perhaps some things have changed culturally).
In other words, your view of Turkey may be slightly dated. By about a century, I'd say.

Not Shanahan's finest hour. So much for the 50% less CPFH.
Rep Matt Gaetz notes that apparently DOD provided him. Showing that F-15X would cost $27,000-$30,000 per hour. A 90-$100m F-15ex cost
The 6 minute video of testimony.
Rep Matt Gaetz notes that apparently DOD provided him. Showing that F-15X would cost $27,000-$30,000 per hour. A 90-$100m F-15ex cost
The 6 minute video of testimony.
Last edited by golder; 3rd Apr 2019 at 22:08.

But with Erdogan being a likely cause of another brain drain, I would hedge my bets.
