According to several corroborating sources, the 2020 US Air Force budget plan will incorporate the order of 8 F-15X fighters, the ultimate version of the Boeing fighter that established itself as a benchmark for more than 20 years. The objective would be both to assess the performance of the new aircraft, as well as the advisability of replacing the 230 F15 C / D currently in service. And this, in spite of a real opposition from the US Air Force, which preferred to have more F35 rather than to receive new fighters of “previous generation”.
However, studies conducted by the Pentagon and Congress show that the US Air Force cannot receive more than 90 F-35s each year without destabilizing its operational effectiveness. In fact, in addition to the fact that the F35A does not yet have all the expected operational functionalities, and that the devices delivered today will still have to return to the factory to be updated with the latest standards, it is above all the delays in transforming a squadron onto an F-35, which are problematic, and which limit the renewal rate of aircraft equipping Air Force squadrons.
The transformation of a squadron of F15 C/D to the F15X could be done, however, very quickly. In addition, the F15 airframe has shown that it can exceed 20.000 flight hours, where the F35A is limited to 8000. Finally, at less than $80 million, and with a maintenance price per hour of flight of $25.000, the F15X proves to be an economical solution for the US Air Force.
It would not be the first time that the US Air Force had a device imposed against its will. This was the case of the F4 phantom II, developed for the US Navy, which took over from the disastrous Century series, although acclaimed by the Air Force. It was the same for the A7 Corsair II, then for the A10. Even the F16, which became the backbone of the Air Force for 30 years, was not in favor, preferring the F15 and F111 in its day.