BBBB,
This is going to sound pretty harsh, but you're pretty far off track.
Originally posted by BBBB
What's your point?
The point is that rebuilding F-15s would simply make them rebuilt outdated planes instead of broken old outdated planes. Again, your ignorance on the topic is showing, as you seem to be convinced that the USAF should be content to rebuild obsolete equipment.
The F-15 is two full generations behind. Some will call it only 1.5 generations behind, but the fact is that the SU-27 family was an evolutionary step to at least parity with the F-15, and every non-US plane developed since then is a generation ahead of the F-15.
Simply put, rebuilding F-15Cs make about as much sense as pulling "combat proven" F-86s (or F-4s or F-111s or any other obsolete fighter) out of the boneyard and rebuilding them. Their day was over a decade ago, and the simulated combat record of the F-22 over even our best F-15s with the advanced radar and aim-9x proves the point.
To my knowledge, there have not been any simulated BVR kills against an F-22 yet. This is important. If you don't get it, then you never will until the F-22 is old enough for the details to be declassified. I won't bother to say "trust me", but the day of the F-15 as an air dominance fighter is coming to a rapid end. More rapid than we would have liked since the F-15 still has a valuable role in national defense especially if outfitted with new radars for low observable cruise missile defence, but otherwise throwing a bunch of money to rebuild F-15s with major structural damage makes no sense.
As for your statement that the F-15Cs could easily be rebuilt... What is your source? According to everything I've read (which is pretty much everything the USAF has released on the subject), the structural defect is a major part of the airframe and replacing it would be equivalent to cutting out the entire floorpan of your car and welding in a replacement... They're not sure if it's even possible to fix it, and they are definately not theorizing about how much it would cost, who would pay the bill, and what would be cut to make the funds available.
So... is this some conspiracy theory of yours, or do you have ANYTHING to back up your statements including the one that the USAF has a viable option to replace a major structural backbone of nearly 200 F-15Cs that have been out of production for a couple of decades? The current production line most likely can't be modified to make F-15Cs again, since the F-15E is quite different under the skin and is actively producing F-15E variants for Korea and Singapore...
Further, using the A-10 upgrades to justify spending a lot of money to rebuild F-15s further demonstrates that you don't know very much about modern warfare concepts. Their missions are entirely different, and the environment in which they operate is likewise very different.
Saying "this tells me all I need to know..." tells ME that you already have a biased opinion, a closed mind, an agenda to push, a conspiracy theory to nurture, and a nearly complete lack of relevant knowledge.
I said it would sound harsh, but there it is. Sorry.
