The head of the US Air National Guard pleads to acquire more F-15EX

Since the change of administration in Washington, the heavy fighter Boeing F-15EX is not at the party. While it was initially a question of the US Air Force ordering up to 240 copies of this air superiority fighter, certainly an evolution of the F-15 designed in the early 70s, but equipped with all the new technologies to make it a formidable perfectly modern combat aircraft, the number was first reduced to 144 copies. With the appointment of Franck Kendall Jr to the Air Force Secretariat, a fervent defender of the F-35, the NGAD and absolute technological superiority, this number was reduced to only 80 copies, enough to replace the F-15C of only 3 US Air Force squadrons, while many other F-15Cs and F-15Es will have to be withdrawn from Air Force and National Guard service without a firm replacement solution having been announced to this day.

If on these questions, Frank Kendall and his team swear by the F-35, the Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, General Charles Q. Brown Jr, is much more discreet, especially that he had taken before the change of administration, positions favorable to a greater diversification of the American fighter fleet, so as not to depend too much on the F-35 alone. Since then, he has been cautious in his positions, to say the least. This is not the case for some of his subordinates, notably Lieutenant General Michael Loh, who commands the US Air National Guard. Thereby, on the occasion of a conference organized by the Air&Space Association, General Loh said he intended to make the necessary efforts to get the legislator to increase the number of F-15EX ordered, including for the 2023 budget.

For this F-16 pilot lining up more than 3.200 hours of flight time on a weapon plane, including 120 hours in war missions, the F-15EX is able to meet the needs of the ANG, especially since the he aircraft bears no relation to the F-15 of the 70s with its AN/APG-82 AESA radar, its Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System protection system and its open info-centric architecture, while retaining power, the length, payload capacity and maneuverability of the aircraft which remained at the top of the combat aircraft food chain for more than 30 years. Beyond the recognized qualities of the F-15EX, General Loh also pointed out that if the 5 squadrons still equipped with F-15C / D, beyond the 3 which will receive the 80 F-15EX planned, had to be transformed from the F-35A , it would then be necessary to exceed the 72 aircraft per year envisaged as the ceiling for renewing the capacities of the Air Force.

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