F-22?

[Vudu15]

It couldnt be that stealthy...some one took a picture of it. I can see it plain as day.

[eagl]

So dump the airframe and retro fit the new information systems in to the existing F-15E and get 3 times as many for the same cost?

Wab

The silent eagle would have approx the RCS of a superhornet (maybe slightly less due to internal weapons capability of the new conformal weapons bays) but would have a significantly greater payload, range, endurance than then F-35.  Downsides are long-term expense...  Second engine and seat of the F-15E would be a continuing expense.  Cost savings development into whatever engine would be put into a new-build silent eagle and increased integration in the aircraft avionics and systems might help mitigagte the cost, but the development costs would not be small and per-aircraft price would be high.  The main savings up front would be not having to start up a training program from scratch...  Existing training systems could be adapted and cross-training from one F-15 variant to another has been fairly straightforward in the past.

But the USAF is under a SECDEF and SECAF directive to not purchase any non-stealthy manned combat aircraft, so it probably won't happen.

On a different note, Secretary Gates indicated that he wants to talk to Japan about a suitable policy regarding China's J-20, after it demonstrated its first flight.  As a wild guess, that sounds like we'll either re-attempt an F-22 sale to Japan (unlikely IMHO) or attempt to sell them something sooner than the F-35, possibly new-build air defense F-15s, taking advantage of all the latest developments for that airframe.  A full-up AESA radar with the best digital signal processing, better RWR and internal jammer, internal weapons carriage, and new engines offering high mach supercruise, would make for one hell of an effective air superiority fighter for Japan.  Add better pylons (or activate stations 1 & 8 under the wings) and the plane could carry 10 AMRAAMs for cruise missile defense or defense against escorted strike aircraft.  The silent eagle treatments might even make this a survivable mission by shortening the effective engagement range against the F-15.

[Gman]

Considering the reason that countries like Japan and Canada weren't allowed to buy the F22 was concerns over espionage against those countries being easier than the USA, I think that seeing the J20 pretty much shoots that argument right out of the water.  This being a non-issue somewhat, and even if it was, if you can't trust your allies, wtf is the point anyway.

My country has signed on for 65 F35s for something like 8 billion when after all is said and done for spare engines etc.  This is for an aircraft that is integral to Norad air defence over the North and arctic, a task the short range slow F35 is NOT ideal for.  The F22 however would be a much better choice with it's supercruise ability and somewhat longer range.  Why not sell it to Canada and Japan, and open up the production line again and have this add pressure to SECDEF etc to leverage more USAF F22's as well, as it'll drive the price down if all of a suden the USA's allies order 300 of the things in total.  Not to mention the fact that the F22 is a system in squadron service, all the lessons learned from this by the USAF can be instantly trained into the allied countries forces...makes an instant force multiplier compared to waiting for the F35.

[Tac]

meh. should just restart F14 production. 

[Dichotomy]

The silent eagle would have approx the RCS of a superhornet (maybe slightly less due to internal weapons capability of the new conformal weapons bays) but would have a significantly greater payload, range, endurance than then F-35.  Downsides are long-term expense...  Second engine and seat of the F-15E would be a continuing expense.  Cost savings development into whatever engine would be put into a new-build silent eagle and increased integration in the aircraft avionics and systems might help mitigagte the cost, but the development costs would not be small and per-aircraft price would be high.  The main savings up front would be not having to start up a training program from scratch...  Existing training systems could be adapted and cross-training from one F-15 variant to another has been fairly straightforward in the past.

But the USAF is under a SECDEF and SECAF directive to not purchase any non-stealthy manned combat aircraft, so it probably won't happen.

On a different note, Secretary Gates indicated that he wants to talk to Japan about a suitable policy regarding China's J-20, after it demonstrated its first flight.  As a wild guess, that sounds like we'll either re-attempt an F-22 sale to Japan (unlikely IMHO) or attempt to sell them something sooner than the F-35, possibly new-build air defense F-15s, taking advantage of all the latest developments for that airframe.  A full-up AESA radar with the best digital signal processing, better RWR and internal jammer, internal weapons carriage, and new engines offering high mach supercruise, would make for one hell of an effective air superiority fighter for Japan.  Add better pylons (or activate stations 1 & 8 under the wings) and the plane could carry 10 AMRAAMs for cruise missile defense or defense against escorted strike aircraft.  The silent eagle treatments might even make this a survivable mission by shortening the effective engagement range against the F-15.

Am I the only one that wonders what eagl knows but can't tell us?

[Wolfala]

Am I the only one that wonders what eagl knows but can't tell us?

No. Pretty much makes sense. What would make more sense is re-opening the A-10 line since its pretty much retard simple and we could use an effective long loiter CAS platform. As for the F-35, i'd just scrap that and give everyone AV8B's.

Yr welcome Stoney. 

[Perrine]

check out what Mitsubish is up to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g94C5CNIPOQ

[Tyrannis]

check out what Mitsubish is up to

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g94C5CNIPOQ

so, pretty much japan is taking the f-15 and trying to make it stealthy? 

[Tyrannis]

frankly, who cares what the chinese got? they will NEVER have something as cool as the AURORA. 

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/recon/aurora/

the ultimate mach 5 interceptor. put some bombs, some missiles on that thing, and it could still prob go above mach 4.

rumored to be hidden at area 51  .

those chinese commies wil run in terror 

[Babalonian]

No. Pretty much makes sense. What would make more sense is re-opening the A-10 line since its pretty much retard simple and we could use an effective long loiter CAS platform. As for the F-35, i'd just scrap that and give everyone AV8B's.

Yr welcome Stoney. 

I think following along the simple-as-can-be lines with the A-10 program, I forget where I heard it, but I believe the _manned_ days of the A-10 program are dwindleing...  I think we'l lbe seeing A-10 + Drone hybrid technology in the future.  It makes really awesoem sence to me, think of it, what's more badarse than a modern CAS A-10?...  how about one that doesn't need to RTB or leave the side of the ground forces it's attached to unless it needs repairs/maintenance or reloading?

[Penguin]

frankly, who cares what the chinese got? they will NEVER have something as cool as the AURORA. 
(Image removed from quote.)
http://www.aerospaceweb.org/aircraft/recon/aurora/

the ultimate mach 5 interceptor. put some bombs, some missiles on that thing, and it could still prob go above mach 4.

rumored to be hidden at area 51  .

those chinese commies wil run in terror 

Actually, if you want to go somewhere and make a ton of money really fast, it'd be China.  Our system is more tightly controlled than their's is- a more fitting battle cry would be:

Down with our Creditors!
Down with our Producers!
Down with our greatest market!

-Penguin