The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
28 Feb. 2019 -- Recently, a proposal has been put forth to produce a variant of the F-15 to add to the Air Force’s fighter inventory. To some, this has resonated positively. However, upon further investigation, the rationale and validity of this proposal fall apart.
As a former F-15 pilot, I love the aircraft. It was my first and the only front-line fighter I flew throughout my 40-year career and 2500 plus F-15 flying hours. It pains me greatly to write this article, but decision makers must accept what I have – the F-15’s air superiority days have come and gone! The 5th generation era has arrived, and the global near-peer threat is evolving to meet that capability.
The F-15 Eagle jet fighter, designed in response to the Air Force’s requirement for an aircraft dedicated solely to the air superiority mission, was first flown in the early '70s. Like the P-51 and the F-86, that were the greatest air superiority fighters of their generation, the F-15 was the greatest air to air fighter of its generation – the '80s and '90s.
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
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