All F-15's to be upgraded to APG-63 (v)3 AESA?

www.flightinternati... onal.com/Articles/2004/03/02/178279/Asian+Aerospace+2004+-+Singapore+to+be+offered+AESA.html

"Over 90 US Air Force F-15s are now equipped with the upgraded APG-63(V)1 radar and 18 are outfitted with the APG-63(V)2, the first version to include AESA. The 161 USAF F-15s that are not yet equipped with AESA technology will gradually be equipped with the new APG-63(V)3, assuming the upgrade is funded as requested by USAF's Air Combat Command. The APG-63(V)3 features "tile" transmitter/receiver modules, compared with the "brick" technology in the APG-63(V)2.

Deliveries of the APG-63(V)3 to the USAF will begin in December 2007. Singapore plans to take delivery of its first new fighter in 2008"

Greetings,

In my opinion, as the F/A-22 program has been cut to around 150-170 units, the USAF have a front line fighter short fall. The fitting of these radar systems into a fastly becoming obsolete fighter aircraft to make for their offensive short fall.

Fitting new techology to old aircraft have worked in the past, but there are still limiting factors, the Aging airframe being one.

- Phil

Originally posted by Hockeyguy567
www.flightinternati... onal.com/Articles/2004/03/02/178279/Asian+Aerospace+2004+-+Singapore+to+be+offered+AESA.html

sorry to burst your bubble, but this link is way over a year old

In my opinion, as the F/A-22 program has been cut to around 150-170 units, the USAF have a front line fighter short fall.

The lowest number of F-22's I have seen is around 180, not as low as you quote. Besides, things are looking good for it in the senate and i'm sure there will be around 300 Raptors operational by 2012.

Originally posted by Stealth Spy

Originally posted by Hockeyguy567
www.flightinternati... onal.com/Articles/2004/03/02/178279/Asian+Aerospace+2004+-+Singapore+to+be+offered+AESA.html

sorry to burst your bubble, but this link is way over a year old

Yes I know that.

You even posted yourself that the F-15 fleet are receiving major upgrades, this is probably just a continuation of those upgrades.

Originally posted by Hockeyguy567

In my opinion, as the F/A-22 program has been cut to around 150-170 units, the USAF have a front line fighter short fall.

The lowest number of F-22's I have seen is around 180, not as low as you quote. Besides, things are looking good for it in the senate and i'm sure there will be around 300 Raptors operational by 2012.

Greetings,

I disagree with your opinion, I can't see any more than 200 of these fighters either entering service, I did post a new article a while back from a LA News paper about the possible reduction to 150 units.

Cost is the limiting factor, unless there develops a creditable threat that the US Congress could see shooting the F/A-22 down, so there is the problem of saying that there is a aircraft or weapon system could shoot it down, so that would mean admitting that their are weapon systems out there that could shoot it down or admitting that the F/A-22 doesn't live up to all the hype, or of course the congress are being lied too.

- Phil

I disagree with your opinion, I can't see any more than 200 of these fighters either entering service, I did post a new article a while back from a LA News paper about the possible reduction to 150 units.

"Possible."

As I said, things are looking good for the F-22 in the senate, and I can definatley see 300 Raptors entering service.

Didnt LM just reduce the price to make sure the numbers dont get cut any more? Ill need to search for that....

We still have plenty of F-16s, and like the old saying goes "Quantity has a quality of its own".

A new lightweight fighter dedicated to the air defence role would be a nice idea, but with the JSF I guess that isn't likely.

Personally I'm a big fan of the new Chinese FC-1, and you would get 3 of them for one new F-16C.