wabpilot

The Typhoon offers a considerably smaller radar cross section than the F-15. That means it will be observed at a much lesser distance, thus reducing the enemies time to react. The Typhoon has much advanced avionics over the F-15 and can manage significantly more battle space. While a major avionics upgrade to the F-15 could change the latter it would be very expensive. An expense that has already been sunk into the Typhoon and would have to be repeated to acheive a similar result for the F-15. It also has to be remembered that the F-15 does not exist in the invetory of any nation that is purchasing the Typhoon. Thus they would have to fund a major upgrade to the F-15 and buy airframes and engines. That is a lose - lose situation for the purchasers. And they still do not get a lower radar cross section. Make it a lose - lose - lose situation.

Stan

the Uk was offered the F-15 and should have taken it but they got rail roaded into the tornado F3 because of fears that the other countries would pull out if we didnt reduce the overall costs with the purchse of the F3 air defence fighter.

really wish we could have had the f-15 though.

Bowman

I would prefer that the RN purchase a navalized Typhoon over the F-35. Our stealth attack needs can be met with cruise missiles. Typhoon looks to offer superior air-to-air capability to F-35. It is also much cheaper. If the RN flew the same plane as the RAF, there would be very significant logistical advantages, too.

The F-15 is an extremely impressive aircraft. However, the F-3 evolved during a time when the main aerial threat to the U.K. and its shipping lanes was regimental-strength Backfire attacks. The F-3's outstanding range and loitering ability, combined with similar armament, would have given it a tactical edge over the F-15 IMHO.

wabpilot

Why?

No navalized Typhoon exists. No STOVL Typhoon exists. How would you propose to launch a navalized Typhoon from your CVF? How to recover it? If you say with a catapult and cross deck pendants, then why even consider a Typhoon when the F-35C and Rafale already can do the job? Why pay money to develop something that can be purchased off the rack, so to speak?

That depends on the version. But, the F-35 offers much better attack capability and the option to operate from the CVF.

No.

That is where the "J" comes in JCA. For your information the RAF and RN will fly the F35B, much the same was as the do the Harrier now.

Then why not prefer the F-14? It had much better avionics, better armament, longer range, longer loiter time and the ability to silent launch.

-{SpoonmaN}-

I would have been happy with Super Eagles, however I believe the Air Staff are insistent on a 5th Gen stealth bird because we seem to have this thing in our heads where we must be 10 steps ahead of all of our neighbours, for what I have no clue since we could probably afford 150 or more F/A-18s or F-15SG-type birds, which would put us far over the top of anything all of our neighbours combined could put together in the forseeable future.

__________________
"I have this to say to the people of Australia: Kick me, I'm different."

gunnut

F-15 is a fine jet. But we have to remember it's over 30 years old. We have to think about buying for the next 50 years, not just the next 15 years. How will the Super Eagle perform in 15 or 20 years? We know how the F-35 will be in 20 years, better than today after MLU in 15 years.

__________________
"Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

hello

The F-15's newest versions are the E-based K/SG and the C-based 'Golden Eagle'. The K and SG were chosen by South Korea and Singapore above the Eurofighter, Rafale and Su-35. The Golden Eagles are a planned 178 USAF F-15Cs that will get APG-63v(3) AESA radars, JHMCS and AIM-9X Sidewinders, to fill in the numerical gap left by the F-22.

I think that the Eurofighter is better, since it has delta-canard maneuverability, lower RCS, the Meteor missile, supercruise, and is newer. The Eurofighter is also set to get a new radar sometime in the near future. However, I don't see Australia even thinking about the Eurofighter or any eurocanard. That way, Australia, IMO, made a mistake in choosing the F/A-18F over an F-15 upgrade.

For the RN, the Rafale is the best carrier fighter on sale right now, better than the Super Hornet, IMO, now that the F-14 is long gone. Developing a carrier-based Typhoon will suddenly cause the price to rocket and you'll end up with another expensive fighter. Since the UK won't buy from France, they'd be fine just waiting for the F-35.

ashkon

In regards to maritime strike capability, how hard would it be to incorperate the Harpoon missile system onto the F-15E/K/SG Eagles? Since to my knowledge they do not have an anti-ship strike capability, unlike the Hornet which has used harpoons for quite some time now.

GGTharos

Don't they carry the SLAM-ER?

Wraith601

Of course not but the F-15E/K/SG or whatever model you want is not only much cheaper than the Eurofighter it also offers logistical commonality with the US and still outclasses anything anyone else in the region will have for a long time.

If Australia could get over their pilot shortage issues they could easily field a force of 120-150 F-15s. Name someone in the region who can come anywhere close to countering that?

__________________
"We always have been, we are, and I hope that we always shall be, detested in France."
-Sir Arthur Wellesley

-{SpoonmaN}-

That's what I keep saying. However the Super Hornet would save us some cash since it has greater commonality with our existing fleet.
And I wouldn't freak out too much about the pilots issue, we should probably just start paying the glory-hogs 250k a year, it's not like there's a LOT of them or anything.

hello

Why does the F-15 need the Harpoon at all? It has the AGM-154 JSOW, AGM-158 JASSM, and will later get the JASSM-ER. All these are good enough to attack ships with, and if you're willing to get close enough, even a JDAM will do.

Tasman

I agree that there is a lot of sense going for the SH because of the ease with which it can fit into the existing RAAF structure.

Re the pilot shortage I was under the impression that the RAAF currently has sufficient pilots, one of the few area of the ADF that is up to strength.

Cheers

__________________
Learn from the past. Prepare for the future.

-{SpoonmaN}-

They are glory hogs, and everyobody does want to be one...
Even though they're really just a punch of nerds when you get right down to it.