I've lost my copy of the interview Lt. Col. Zelko gave regarding that night. I'll try to find it online.
www.airwarriors.com...
F-15s cost $28m in 1998 fiscal dollars, adjusted for inflation thats $36m in todays dollars.
A single F-22 costs $142m in todays dollars.
For one F-22 purchased, the USAF could have had 3.94 F-15s.
Too simplistic. In any case, the F-15K was sold at over one hundred million a pop, which makes it doubtful an F-15C could be sold at 36 million.
The F-22 is just as reliant on support aircraft as the F-15 is - the F-22s woinder technology, such as the data link, is not yet in production
and most of the already in service fleet will require upgrades to be able to take part in it.
Link-16 transmit capability is not yet in production...
The F-22 will be more dependent on tankers than the F-15, since it does not have conformal fuel tanks and has the same internal fuel load as
the F-15.
F-15C's don't have conformal fuel tanks. Only the F-15E's do. I guess we're talking about hypotheticals here, but still... F-22 carries 9 tons of
fuel, not 5 tons as in the F-15. Fuel fraction remains the same.
The F-22 will not routinely operate outside of E-3 control, so it will be as dependent on those aircraft as the F-15.
Operating within E-3 control does not equal dependance.
In short, I don't think the USAF has gained anything worthwhile for a $65billion expenditure.
Problem is, citing 65 billion figure is programme cost which includes, for example, research and development. Using that figure puts each 183 F22's
at 360 million each; misleading. Research and development is for the most part payed for, thus additional F-22's should be around 145 million.
[edit on 14/1/2009 by C0bzz]
