Air Force Magazine – July-August 2019

JULY/AUGUST  AIRFORCEMAG.COM

been fully tested before purchase, if the
software packages worked correctly, if
we had air superiority fighters in the
correct locations and numbers where
needed, if we had high operational
availability rates, or even an internal
gun with enough ammunition that it
could accurately hit its target. In the
F-15 platform, particularly the F-15EX
model being considered, we will get
these things.
The F-15EX has the family history, the
current updates, the new technology,
the maintenance base, the AESA radar,
two engines, longer range, a large and
diverse weapons load, a new IRST sys-
tem, and an Eagle pilot base requiring
limited training to get them to speed.
Maintenance costs will be significantly
lower over time than on the F-35.
The F-15EX will sweep the skies of
almost any current enemy aircraft in the
world, would be an excellent interceptor
for the continental United States, and will
add modern platforms into the inventory.
The Air Force and this magazine have
many times supported retiring the A-
and F-15 aircraft and even replacing
F-15s with F-16s. The Air Force is all over
the map as long as they spend a ton of
money on F-35s that so far have been
rather unavailable for prime time. The
F-35 is not an A-10 and it is not an F-15.
It never will be. Hardworking, reliable,
and capable aircraft that can quickly go
to war are needed. The F-15EX is one of
these aircraft, and they will be the most
capable F-15s ever produced. Buy them.
Scott Shannon
Leawood, Kan.

I’m extremely skeptical about the num-
bers presented for the F-15EX in [the
May] issue regarding combat radius and
weapons capacity. With a max takeoŒ
weight of 81,000 pounds, I don’t see how
you can achieve a weapons capacity of
29,500 lb, let alone the advertised com-
bat radius of 1,100 miles. With an internal
fuel capacity of 13,550 pounds, over half
of the max takeoΠweight would consist
of fuel and weapons. There clearly needs
to be some disclaimers added to these

numbers, such as the advertised combat

radius is achieved with conformal fuel

tanks, which will decrease the weapons

capacity so as not to exceed the max

takeoΠweight. Or how about citing

what a realistic combat load would be,

e.g., conformal fuel tanks plus 5,000 lb

of ordnance with a combat radius of

1,100 miles. The same can be said for

the F-35A external weapons capacity

of 22,000 lb. It’s just not realistic given

the max takeoΠweight of 70,000 lb and

an internal fuel capacity of 18,250 lb.

These are both fighter aircraft, they’re

not designed to carry large loads of

weapons, so why advertise that capa-

bility? In an actual combat situation,

they’ll be loaded with a mix of air-to-air

and air-to-ground ordnance (designed

to match that target/mission) and a full

internal fuel load. Any combat radius

numbers should be based on that. Not

some unrealistic number of weapons

that can be loaded on a jet that never

leaves the parking ramp.

Lt. Col. Greg Nowell,

USAF (Ret.)

Staord, Va.

Although the F-15 is arguably the best

air superiority fighter ever built, I think

the money could be put to better use

on more advanced systems. Maybe the

Silent Eagle?

Mike Hupence

Schnectady, N.Y.

Which Weather?

Having read the article, “For USAF

Bases, Hard Choices Follow Storms”

in the May issue [p. 23], I really had

some questions about what was ac-

tually meant about some of the bases

mentioned. I live a couple miles from

OŒutt [Air Force Base] and witnessed

the destruction caused by spring 2019

flooding. Two of the buildings where

I worked while stationed there in the

mid ’80s were engulfed by 8 to 10 feet

of water. I can’t imagine what the inside

of them looked liked—the many tools,

equipment, personal items, etc., floating

around the buildings.

As I continued to read the article,

I found it diŒicult to understand how

the Air Force determined the 10 facil-

ities most at risk for weather-related

damage, especially with no explanation

whatsoever what that damage might

be from. Malmstrom? Hill? Greeley? An-

drews? San Antonio? The others, I could

imagine—hurricanes and tornadoes. But

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LETTERS

Bradford............................. 63

Northrop Grumman............. Cover II

Rolls-Royce.................... Cover IV

USAA........................ .. Cover III

AFA Wounded Airman Program....... 61

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