USAF should order Typhoons

Ever since DoD and Pentagon won't supply United States Air Force's full requirement of 381 F-22A Raptors, instead, they backward that numbers down to 183 and had twice turned down USAF's plea to extend the full-rate production of Raptors. I thought of this up that USAF have very closest relationship with Royal Air Force of Britain, why not USAF generals start to think up of order Eurofighter Typhoons? USAF is facing serious problems with ageing fleets of F-15 variants for airframe structures. Eurofighters have already outperform F-15 in many aspects. Its lot newer airframes and enable to keep numbers of aircrafts inventory. It should be straight 1-on-1 replace of specifically F-15C/D with tranche 3 version of Eurofighters. It would satisfy USAF's numberically mighty in their inventories.

nice , but since the F-22 and F-35 will do everything the USAF want , and yes more raptors would be nice it won`t happen.


that and they won`t buy foreign for a front line aircraft ever - they were offere the torndao as a strike package and instead developed the nearly as good but not quite F-15E

Originally posted by Harlequin
that and they won`t buy foreign for a front line aircraft ever - they were offere the torndao as a strike package and instead developed the nearly as good but not quite F-15E

The DoD has several times put a foreign aircraft on the front line - with the proviso that the production is within the US.

The two most notable examples include the B-57 Canberra and the AV-8 Harrier.

The Eurofighter just doesn't meet America's needs. And the Harriers is something that the Marines wanted, not the Air Force. Marines want the new F-35 with VTOL capability. Air Force wants an F-16 replace which the Eurofighter be great for, except its not stealthy as the F-35 (not claiming to know, its logical based on the design). And maybe perhaps we could get more F-22s, many senators are supporting for procurement of more of them babies.

reply to post by OneMyrmidon


Your reasoning with the F-15 C/D issue will only come to fruition if the USAF doesn't have the plane finished testing in the next 5 years. Much to early to call at this point.

Originally posted by RichardPrice
The DoD has several times put a foreign aircraft on the front line - with the proviso that the production is within the US.

The two most notable examples include the B-57 Canberra and the AV-8 Harrier.

I think "front line" in this context also means the premier place in public. The two aircraft you cite were niche products. The Canberra was badly needed and hence they had to get a new plane immediately - it took less than a year from the reuest to the first producion aircraft. An the Harrier... well, America was dangling behind Europe in VTOL development anyway, it would have made little sense to develop an own design.

Nah.


They should just build more F-22s.


Right now, the fly-away cost of an F-22 is less than that of a F-35 (because R&D costs have been paid).


They should never have built the JSF. F-16XLs would have been more than adequate to do the job and would have been cheaper.


The Navy would have required a new machine, but thats only because they've screwed up every procurement they've made in the last 20 years. Better to stop and fix the problem properly than fudge it (again).

Hmmm, the EFT would be a nice addition to the USAF but:

As mentioned before The F-22 and F-35 combination fits the needs as defined by the US military. Untold billions have already been spent on the F-35 and the addition of the EFT would drasticaly cut the production numbers of the JSF driving up the unit costs.

The AESA equipped F-15 that will be comming in line will serve nicely for some time. The AESA will them to be compedative (perhaps not in close quarters with the gen 4.5 fighters it faces). Esp. in its invisioned role of backstopping the F-22's etc.

Originally posted by FredT
The AESA equipped F-15 that will be comming in line will serve nicely for some time.

What kinda hours is on those frames though?


Will it become a service life issue in the near future?

reply to post by FredT


there are 18 aesa equipped F-15 C`s - and won`t be anymore - the only ones with AESA will be the E model , the C`s are nearly time-life expired allready.

Without even getting into the whole, doesn't fit, mission, role capability etc.. debate I'll simply day that the entire premise of this post is wrong. It is not the DoD or the USAF that's in direct charge of procurement funds for purchasing more aircraft, Raptors included. The USAF has, and is currently, lobbying hard to get more Raptors, even officially asking for another batch of twenty to be added on the current total of 183 units authorized. The DoD is also not impeding any effort by the USAF to gain more F-22's. Where the problem arises is with the civilian leadership of the Congress which controls funding for military systems and projects. If you think convincing Congress to order Typhoons to replace Eagles will be easier than it currently is to convince them to fund more F-22's then you're living in a different reality.

Also, there are 18 F-15C eagles equipped with the AN/APG-63(v)2 AESA radar in service. The USAF has plans to cherry pick ~178 of the "youngest" (flight hours) and most accident free C/D models currently in service. It plans to update these F-15's with the AN/APG-63(v)3 AESA radar as well as update their avionic and weapons suites (think JHMCS etc…) It will do the same to the E model fleet except they are likely to get the AN/APG-63(v)4 AESA radar. And yes they plan on keeping these aircraft flying for a couple of more years supplementing the F-22A Raptor fleet. By the way the review and selection process for those ~178 Eagles is already underway.

[edit on 29-11-2007 by WestPoint23]

WestPoint, I lives in same reality as your. I already put the impliement fact that Typhoons outperform F-15 in all aspects except for accelreation. AESA-equipped F-15 still won't change the ageing structures (as I have already pointed this out) that already facing serious problems as new news today that USAF just already ordered F-15A-D models goes undergo ANOTHER maintence inspections that they already did in past few weeks which engineers believe they found possible serious flaws in structures behind the cockpit and front of fuselage which ALSO are facing serious engineering problems and I know they will solution this problem. But it will have to come with greater costs. Typhoons just completed tranche 2 tests which these jets now can be able to carry wider number of smart bombs and missiles. USAF hate to admit this but this is true story, one Typhoon did actually whacked two AESA-equipped F-15Cs in less than MINUTE in western coast of Europe. I'm one of big fan of F-15 models, more preferrable F-15E Strike Eagle. But the reality is that, its starting to be ageing in higher rate than before. WestPoint, there is no such as living in different realities unless you want to, welcome back to REAL reality.

And please read plenty more news carefully, DoD officials does play in big part of keep F-22 to 183 because they want to focus their money on different projects they consider far more importence which we all don't know and obviously far more classified. The reality of this world today, its lot more expensive than ever in geometric rate for defense projects. DoD also told Navy to throw in $9 billion for foreign fighter project that Japan already under way to be develop, known ad Advanced Tactical Demonstrator - Experimental, ATD-X. The burecuracy in U.S. government are just simply way too much for air force generals to handle.

reply to post by OneMyrmidon


erm , to correct you - it was 2 F-15E`s from Lakenheath and a T2 Trainer Typhoon

scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com...

and it happened (and discussed to death) a few years ago

Originally posted by kilcoo316
Nah.


They should just build more F-22s.


Right now, the fly-away cost of an F-22 is less than that of a F-35 (because R&D costs have been paid).


They should never have built the JSF. F-16XLs would have been more than adequate to do the job and would have been cheaper.


The Navy would have required a new machine, but thats only because they've screwed up every procurement they've made in the last 20 years. Better to stop and fix the problem properly than fudge it (again).

Quoted for truth, and wisdom!