F-15E down in Afghanistan

[eagl]

Rumors of all F-15s retiring are unrealistic.  We're not buying enough replacement F-22s for the F-15Cs, and there isn't a replacement for the F-15E anywhere in the procurement planning.  The F-15E may be our last real strike fighter, ever.  Neither the F-22 or JSF can come close to the range, endurance, payload, and dual-crew flexibility of the F-15E.  They'll keep them flying as long as possible.

Boeing is building up an F-15E variant with a dramatically reduced radar cross section, and that might end up being our next strike fighter.  If they can manage the RCS well enough, it might get past the pentagon mandate to buy no "non-stealth" combat aerial vehicles and be a very affordable and capable alternative to more F-22s or a strike variant of the F-22.  It's a long-shot though, and it might merely end up as an export variant for countries that share my low opinion of the JSF but can't buy the F-22.

As for the F-15Cs, they'll keep flying them until the wings literally fall off because we can't meet even our peacetime defense requirements with the F-22, let alone go abroad and do anything requiring air superiority.  The JSF is supposedly going to replace the last couple hundred F-15Cs, but that'll go over about as well as replacing the F-15C with the F-16 did.  The JSF is nothing but a fwd-aspect-stealthy viper with better radar/avionics, not an air supremacy fighter.  Hell, it can only carry a couple AMRAAMS... what a piece of crap IMHO.

But it's "joint", and in our current socio-political-military environment that means much more than actual capability.  That's why I'm flying the T-6 built to US Navy specs (and that they later demanded get upgraded after USAF bought the first several hundred) instead of a real T-37 replacement built to USAF spec.

[eagl]

I'll put my money on a case of CFIT due to weather and visibility (night).  Depth perception gets tough on goggles down low.  Could have been target fixation if he was strafing or firing other direct fire weapons, although I doubt they were employing those types of weapons/tactics with a Strike Eagle.

We've been strafing in Afghanistan and Iraq with the F-15E since Roberts Ridge went down, and the first fighter on scene was an F-15E flown by a former A-10 pilot.  Sometimes the only appropriate weapon/tactic is to get down low and lay down some 20mm goodness.

[Qrsu]

 

[Stoney]

We've been strafing in Afghanistan and Iraq with the F-15E since Roberts Ridge went down, and the first fighter on scene was an F-15E flown by a former A-10 pilot.  Sometimes the only appropriate weapon/tactic is to get down low and lay down some 20mm goodness.

Didn't mean they couldn't or wouldn't do it, just that strafing isn't a typical means of employment of the F-15E.

[eagl]

Didn't mean they couldn't or wouldn't do it, just that strafing isn't a typical means of employment of the F-15E.

It wasn't until Roberts Ridge.  After that, strafing became something we did a lot more until it's essentially no different than any other option we have.  It's emphasized in training as the expected employment option when collateral damage or proximity to friendly troops is the highest concern.

I spent more time training for strafe in the last 8 months of my F-15E flying than I did in the first 4 years I flew it.  It's just one more employment option now.  Yea, putting that expensive of a plane with a gun that is canted up for air to air employment down in the weeds for strafe isn't ideal, but it's no less of an option than anything else we have and when friendlies are danger-close and need airpower, no F-15E crew is going to wait for an A-10 or viper to show up.

Any CAS qual F-15E pilot had better be proficient in strafe...  At least we have a good gunsight for it.  We have to open fire from longer range than the F-16 and A-10, but our A-G gunsight is great if you know how to set it up right.