F/A-22: To Fly High or Get its Wings Clipped

F-15 Eagle

New Member
I thought F-15C's get the 63(V)2 while F-15E's get the 63(V)3. I never heard of a APG-63(V)4, and I think the (V)3 is as far as they would go with it. Care to provide a link?
Here is two for the V-4 for the F-15E.

http://www.flightglobal.com/article...n-claims-aesa-upgrade-contract-for-f-15e.html

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2007/q4/071101d_nr.html

Here is the one on the V-3 for the F-15C.
http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2007/q4/071009c_nr.html

The V-3 is for the F-15C well the V-4 which is based of the APG-81 from the F-35 will be put on the F-15E.
 
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sunjerem

New Member
Here is two for the V-4 for the F-15E.

http://www.flightglobal.com/article...n-claims-aesa-upgrade-contract-for-f-15e.html

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2007/q4/071101d_nr.html

Here is the one on the V-3 for the F-15C.
http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2007/q4/071009c_nr.html

The V-3 is for the F-15C well the V-4 which is based of the APG-81 from the F-35 will be put on the F-15E.
Looking forward to that. But, that means they have to pull out the V(2)'s and V(3)'s and install V(3)'s and V(4)'s respectively? That's a lot of work. :confused:
 

swerve

Super Moderator
I thought F-15C's get the 63(V)2 while F-15E's get the 63(V)3. I never heard of a APG-63(V)4, and I think the (V)3 is as far as they would go with it. Care to provide a link?
Only 18 F-15C got the APG-63(v)2, back in 1999-2000. None since, no more planned. AFAIK, those 18 are not included in the programme to fit the APG-63(v)3.

No other USAF or ANG F-15s have yet been fitted with AESA radars, though IIRC work has begin on the first 6 ANG F-15C to be fitted with (v)3.
 

swerve

Super Moderator
Looking forward to that. But, that means they have to pull out the V(2)'s and V(3)'s and install V(3)'s and V(4)'s respectively? That's a lot of work. :confused:
No. F-15C get (v)3, F-15E get (v)4. No overlap. No replacement of (v)2 (see last post).
 

f-22fan12

New Member
I think it is very important to build more than 183 F-22s. If not, we (U.S.) will not have the same kind of capability we've had in the past. Right now, alot of money is being spent on the war in Iraq. Once the war becomes less deadly and taxing and American forces can pull out, more money will be freed up for buying F22s. I'm confident that the air force will receive more than 183 F22s.
 

Ozzy Blizzard

New Member
F-35 for air superiority? You gotta be kidding me. Sure, it's got a powerful 41000 pound engine, but it's too heavy and only Mach 1.6. It won't be able to chase Gripen let alone something like EF-2000. Though if it detects the enemy plane first, it might get on its blind spot and attack from there, but I think that scenario is not likely.
geeesh........ annother one??? :rolleyes:

I'm not going to go through the whole thing again, so take a look for yourself:

http://www.defencetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7135

F35 would rip a Grippen or Typhoon to shreds, even if it has a lower sprint speed, BVR engagements arn't a game of 'chasie'. And what do you mean blind spot? Are we even talking about the same platform? The thing has comprehensive VLO, it could sit 50 k's infront of a Grippen or Typhhon and be in its blind spot, or do you think PIRATE is going tomake stealth irrelevent? :eek:nfloorl:

Think a liitle next time before making a comment like that!
 

F-15 Eagle

New Member
Looking forward to that. But, that means they have to pull out the V(2)'s and V(3)'s and install V(3)'s and V(4)'s respectively? That's a lot of work. :confused:
There were only 18 F-15Cs that got the V-2 in the 1990s and the F-15E never did get the V-3, they still have an older AESA at the moment until they get the V-4. It will cost millions of dollars but at least its not billions. Work I think should be completed by 2015.
 

F-15 Eagle

New Member
The Air Force has been telling anyone who will listen that it needs more of its prized F-22 Raptors than the 183 that have been authorized by its Pentagon masters and funded by the Congress at $350 million a piece. In fact, they want to more than double the Raptor fleet and buy another 200 more. Why patch up aging F-15s for a pittance when there is a Lockheed Martin assembly line in Texas wrapping up work on those 183 F-22s that could be kept in business popping out more to solve the F-15 shortage? The Air Force is getting allot of support from congress lately, so maybe they will get at least 220 F-22s.
 

F-15 Eagle

New Member
I think it is very important to build more than 183 F-22s. If not, we (U.S.) will not have the same kind of capability we've had in the past. Right now, alot of money is being spent on the war in Iraq. Once the war becomes less deadly and taxing and American forces can pull out, more money will be freed up for buying F22s. I'm confident that the air force will receive more than 183 F22s.
I hope your right on that. Please tell me the DOD is not that stubborn to not allow the Air Force more F-22s and keep 25 year old F-15 in service for who knows how long. What about the PAK-FA? Clearly the F-15 can't match the PAK-FA, maybe the F-35 can but still no less than 250 F-22s in my opinion. Congress has shown strong support for the F-22 recently, ever since the U.S. F-15 Fleet has been grounded since November. I mean come on you have to be an idiot if you believe the USAF can maintain air supremacy with 25 year old jets for another 20-30 years and not allow more new jets in times like this.
 

Sea Toby

New Member
If the Congress closes the line down next year, its most likely closed until the new administration decides whether to build more.

From what I have seen in the presidential campaign, if you want more built you better be hoping a republican wins. None of the democrats appear to wish to increase defense spending, and are in fact looking for spending cuts for their domestic programs.

A democratic congress with a democratic president, along with a recession, don't appear favorable for more Raptors.
 

F-15 Eagle

New Member
If the Congress closes the line down next year, its most likely closed until the new administration decides whether to build more.

From what I have seen in the presidential campaign, if you want more built you better be hoping a republican wins. None of the democrats appear to wish to increase defense spending, and are in fact looking for spending cuts for their domestic programs.

A democratic congress with a democratic president, along with a recession, don't appear favorable for more Raptors.
You know it should not matter whether your a Democrat or Republican, the military has its needs and they should get the funding regardless of political party. But unfortunately it does not work that way. Oh yeah I think it is against the forum rules to talk politics so that will be the end of this conversation, just so we don't get banned.
 

Sea Toby

New Member
What is so political? As it is a republican president and his defense secretary are attempted to close the line down to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A new movie has come out starting Tom Hanks, playing former Texas congressman Charlie Wilson from the second district, what is known as yellow dog democrat country in the east Texas piney woods area. Towards the end of the movie he says the line, we blew the end game. He was always pushing for more money during the 1980s for Afghanistan. I highly recommend this movie. Politics of twenty years ago, and its hindsight.
 

F-15 Eagle

New Member
What is so political? As it is a republican president and his defense secretary are attempted to close the line down to pay for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. A new movie has come out starting Tom Hanks, playing former Texas congressman Charlie Wilson from the second district, what is known as yellow dog democrat country in the east Texas piney woods area. Towards the end of the movie he says the line, we blew the end game. He was always pushing for more money during the 1980s for Afghanistan. I highly recommend this movie. Politics of twenty years ago, and its hindsight.
OK your way off topic here lets get back to talking about the F-22, and F-15 and military related topics only. I'll go see the movie it looks good but we have to stay on topic or the Mods will come after us.
 

F-15 Eagle

New Member
Its not so much congress shutting down the F-22 line as it is the Pentagon. Congress is really the one who supports the F-22. This is because of 3 reasons, 1 the F-15 problems, 2 the Russian PAK-FA, and 3 they want to keep the F-22 line open until the F-35 comes into production, which means the F-22 could be in production until at least 2013 and if the F-22 line is shut down it will affect more than 2000 jobs in 44 states so they want to keep in open until the F-35. In a recent memo from the Pentagon, they said instead of spending $497 million in 2009 to start shutting down the F-22 line, use it instead for the F-15 repairs, so it looks like a move in the right direction for the Pentagon.
 

Grand Danois

Entertainer
Its not so much congress shutting down the F-22 line as it is the Pentagon. Congress is really the one who supports the F-22.
Congress says to Pentagon: "We have to many commitments, we need to cut the budget somewhere!"

Pentagon to Congress: "Uhm, ok. We've got this very expensive fighter procurement program we could shut down. How does that sound?"

Congress to Pentagon: "But that is a most important program, maybe we shouldn't make any cuts then..."

Both support the Raptor, Pentagon just points to the Raptor because they know that it won't get the Congressional knife. A typical Washington move.

There will be another MYP.
 

F-15 Eagle

New Member
Congress says to Pentagon: "We have to many commitments, we need to cut the budget somewhere!"

Pentagon to Congress: "Uhm, ok. We've got this very expensive fighter procurement program we could shut down. How does that sound?"

Congress to Pentagon: "But that is a most important program, maybe we shouldn't make any cuts then..."

Both support the Raptor, Pentagon just points to the Raptor because they know that it won't get the Congressional knife. A typical Washington move.

There will be another MYP.
So they will get more F-22s? Congress can put the funding in the budget for more Raptors, just like they put funding to build 2 Virginia class submarines a year in 2009 then in 2012 wanted by the Pentagon. So if this is true this is good news for the Air Force. By the way, whats an MYP?
 

Grand Danois

Entertainer
So they will get more F-22s? Congress can put the funding in the budget for more Raptors, just like they put funding to build 2 Virginia class submarines a year in 2009 then in 2012 wanted by the Pentagon. So if this is true this is good news for the Air Force. By the way, whats an MYP?
That's my interpretation.

MYP = Multiyear Procurement contract (2007/08/09).
 

sunjerem

New Member
I guess the air force is putting priority for F-35A. Once it goes online, many of the new tech, such as the HMD, integrated touch screen display, embedded IRST and EO, as well as the 41000 engine can be put into the Raptor to create an up-to-date F-22C. I guess 183 F-22A's are the initial batch of Raptor and the more advanced F-22C would be the main production version. Just like F-15A was limited production and the F-15C was the main production version built in large quantities, and the same went for F-16 and F/A-18. I think 183 F-22A's is the first batch, then they'll switch to F-22C, which utilizes F-35 technologies, and order about 400 of those and then upgrade all F-22A to F-22C standard. :)
 

swerve

Super Moderator
I guess the air force is putting priority for F-35A. Once it goes online, many of the new tech, such as the HMD, integrated touch screen display, embedded IRST and EO, as well as the 41000 engine can be put into the Raptor to create an up-to-date F-22C. I guess 183 F-22A's are the initial batch of Raptor and the more advanced F-22C would be the main production version. Just like F-15A was limited production and the F-15C was the main production version built in large quantities, and the same went for F-16 and F/A-18. I think 183 F-22A's is the first batch, then they'll switch to F-22C, which utilizes F-35 technologies, and order about 400 of those and then upgrade all F-22A to F-22C standard. :)
So far, there is no plan for an F-22C. The USAF would like more F-22s, but Congress has not authorised the money for more production or a new version, & neither appears in the Pentagons plans.

You're free to speculate, but at the moment your speculations have no evidence to support them.

BTW, what you say about F-16 & F-18 is completely wrong. The F-18 was not a successor to the F-16, nor based on it, but a naval aircraft (the F-16 being land-based) based on the YF-17 (built only as a prototype) & has been built in far smaller numbers than the F-16. The original F-18 ceased production years ago, but the F-16 is still in production.
 
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