The US Air Force intends to abandon not only fighters F-15 C/D Eagle, but also from Strike Eagle. For starters, the fleet will be halved.
What is known
The F-15E Strike Eagle is a very popular aircraft in service with the US Air Force. The fleet consists of 218 fighters, but their number will decrease by 119 units by 2028. The decision is justified by the desire to “reorient costs”.
Fighters equipped with two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220E turbofan engines will fall under the knife. Starting in 2028, only Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 powered aircraft will remain in service with the US Air Force (pictured below).
Among the current fleet of US Air Force tactical aircraft, it is the F-15E Strike Eagle that has the greatest flight range. This is achieved through the use of two conformal fuel tanks. In terms of carrying capacity, the Strike Eagle is also in the lead.
The fourth-generation fighter can carry a wide range of air-launched munitions, including the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb. The advantage of the aircraft is that it is able to simultaneously carry a large number of weapons of different types. In addition, the F-15E has a chance to become a platform for future hypersonic missiles.
After undergoing modernization, each Strike Eagle received a highly effective AN / APG-82 (V) 1 radar with an active phased antenna array. The Air Force is currently working on integrating a new survivability system that will provide improved situational awareness and enhance electronic warfare.
Officially, the US Air Force does not name the aircraft that will replace the F-15E Strike Eagle. Among the contenders is the fifth-generation fighter F-35 Lightning II, upgraded F-15EX Eagle II and even a promising sixth-generation fighter, which will appear in the middle of the next decade.
Source: The Drive
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