How many past discussions have stipulated on just such a platform: a reduced-signature Eagle airframe

with F-22/F-35-ish techno-enhancements rather than an outright totally new design?

Looking at the conformal storage,

it seems to me it's hinting more of a first-few-days-of-war aircraft configuration (SEAD/DEAD with JDAMs or SDBs, etc), where reduced signatures means increased survival.

Past the first week of hostilities, when all that's needed are excellent bomb trucks, the stealthier conformal carriage isn't a necessity (bring back the old-school, multi-pylon FAST packs).

 

Certainly it's aimed at current Eagle customers who don't want the logistics burden of totally converting to Super Hornet types (F-15E-types still enjoy a payload-to-range advantage where inflight refueling isn't available).

 

Perhaps,

there could be an ulterior motive here we're not seeing: even a reduced signature Eagle that's still no dedicated F-35 or F-22,

where after those first few important shock-and-awe days of a conflict, stealth (at least by US experience) isn't a necessary rerquirement when bomb trucks are,

could be an effective trump card for LM and company to keep the F-35 costs under control....

At $100M, this Silent Eagle becoming air-to-grounders offers far more payload to surface targets than any F-22 can be quickly converted to now, and surely offers superior air-to-air over any F-35 variant (the Eagle does have that large radome),

and certainly might influence the more prominent penny-pinchers among US Congressmen/women who sign off on this stuff.

 

...and as was mentioned, it's a very attractive solution to current Eagle operators who don't want a totally new log chain (possibly costing well into the billions to totally convert to Super Hornets, the only obvious next-closest-in-capability design...also a Boeing plane), can't get F-22s, and aren't necessarily asking for F-35s (the twin-seat, twin-engine safety advantage of the F-15 airframe is obvious, especially for anyone of a maritime environment).

Who will be desperate soon to get any kind of new airframe to replace their aging F-15-C Eagles.

 

Japan is the other customer as well as an outside shot Boeing customer, India. Never forget the political when you factor in aircraft development!

Herald

Agreed, Herald.  Both Boeing and the USAF figures the Raptor's going to get massive cuts or outright cancellation, so this at least gives them some options.

 

I think it's a great idea.  And I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking Macross.  We need some VF-19s, dammit!

 

Sounds like the F-15SE is progressing, with an export order in the works.

 

"Separately, Jones says Boeing is "close to reaching agreements" with foreign industry as risk-sharing partners on the company's stealthy F-15 Silent Eagle. This converts conformal fuel tanks into internal weapons bays and adds a digital electronic warfare system. The risk-sharing deals are expected to coincide with an order for Silent Eagles by the host government."

 

It also says that USAF F-15s will be receiving IRSTs among other upgrades.

 

h*tp://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/09/18/332380/usaf-adds-irst-pod-for-f-15s.html

 

""stealthy 15 Silent Eagle""

 

Let 's not exaggerate Gentlemen ;-)

It 's not stealthy (far from it) and not silent either . If Boeing divided by two the original RCS (which would already be better than good) , the new Eagle 's RCS is probably around 8 to 10 square meter . Twice bigger than a Mig-21 , three times bigger than a M2000 and thirty times bigger than a Rafale . Since the Rafale is not a stealthy aircraft , the new Eagle is certainly not ... stealthy .

 

Cheers .

 

 

LMAO, well... now we know what the truck driver thinks...

 

 

 

 

SlowMan :

""@ Bluewings12
> the new Eagle 's RCS is probably around 8 to 10 square meter(Me).