"Is the Air Force Getting Ready to Dump the F-15?"
by Kyle Mizokami
Mar 23, 2017
Source:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/military/aviation/a25799/air-force-dump-the-f-15/
If the F-15s were replaced it would be with updated F-16s likely brought up to the newest F-16V standard. The -V update includes the APG-83 Scalable Agile Beam Radar (SABR), an advanced radar system that uses hardware and software from the radars that equip the F-22 and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. SABR can identify and engage targets with AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided missiles at longer ranges than previous radars. The F-16V also gains the SNIPER advanced targeting pod, which is useful in identifying and targeting both air and ground targets with an infrared sensor.
What's driving this change? Cost. In 2013, the F-15 Eagle cost $41,921 an hour to fly, while the F-16C cost just $22,514 an hour. The replacement for the F-15, the newer F-22 Raptor, costs $68,362 an hour to fly, while the replacement for the F-16, the F-35, costs $42,200 an hour to fly. As more F-35s join the Air Force, their operating costs will make a dent in the Air Force's budget, and perhaps the cheaper F-16 could help.
