According to various sources, the 102 F16I's ordered will be replacing both the F-15 and F-4 due to cost reasons and the other, earlier varients of the F-16 which date from the 80's will alo be phased out. http://www.jinsa.org/articles/articles.html/function/view/categoryid/154/documentid/1286/history/3,2360,654,154,1286 Have a look at this source for example:

Thats interesting, I find it hard to believe that the IAF is cutting back that many aircraft. The order is for 102 and the numbers of the planes it is replacing: f-15 72 f16a/b 108 f-4 140 a-4 50 The have a current operational force of 532 combat aircraft. If they eliminate the ones in the article they would be left with 265. I donlt see them cutting there force that drastically. I can see the F-16Is replacing the A-4s, and the F-4s except for a few reccee birdes. Don;t expect them to pull any of the 15s or 16s for a while.

^_* Hi there Newbie from Canada posting> 1-USA 2-China 3-UK 4-Israel would be 2nd if no nukes were included 5-India 6-Russia 7-France/Germany 8-South Korea 9-Pakistan 10-North Korea 11-Taiwan!Japan honorable mention, italy, iran, I am not sure on the last 5 it may all be wrong, just my opinion. However North Korea can flatten South Korea and their whole adult population is the reserve, they can nuke California. If Russia had no nukes they would be not even in top ten. btw, i am pro usa in case you wonder, I do not like being canadian..pacifist liberals here..all my summers are spent in Philly land of my Eagles near the Jersey shore..so call me a qausi American ^_*

kuznet wrote: "However North Korea can flatten South Korea and their whole adult population is the reserve" Good grief, how do people get it so wrong on the two Koreas? Here's the basic problems for North Korea: 1. The country is starving 2. The equipment is old 3. Their army is not well trained 4. Their morale, motivation, etc. is hollow 5. They might have a nuke, that doesn't mean they have a re-entry vehicle yet. Building ballistic missiles is a whole different ballgame from a crude nuclear bomb. Now, the things people get wrong on S. Korea: 1. ROK has incredible training levels for a conscript army 2. Good equipment, both their native equipment and their purchases from US and others. 3. Very motivated if a war happens on the Korean peninsula, large numbers of well trained, motivated reserves, a determination to never allow the Korean war to happen that way again. 4. The support of the USA and Japan in strategic terms. North Korea's military, and indeed the whole country, is hollow. If they attacked South Korea it wouldn't even be a contest. If ROK attacks North Korea it will be over nearly as quickly. Stop listening to the bravado and bluster of Kim and look at the realities.

Facts are that the North Koreans have dug hundreds of miles of tunnels that can resist bunker buster bombs. Also they have stored tons of rations, artillery and other equipment. Kim is quite ready to humker down and flatten Seoul and over 1 million South Koreans would be gone in the 1st days from the shelling etc. Also note that all 38000 Americans would also be obliterated by Kim's artillery barage. Remember their whole country is the reserve over 15 million adults in a 22 million country. I strongly advise that most are unaware of his vast tunnel complex from where they are safe and can carry war even to Japan. I do not think much of the North's military however they have done things that would cost many American and ROK lives. Consider Hawaii and Tokyo, Guam, LA and San fran gone in the 1st days!

btw the North has the means to destroy the USA west coast with Chinese help with the tu-16 badger bombers that would come into play. They do not advertise this fact, but China would help the North if the North was to collapse, and lend the bombers to cartry nukes. The North has 1 missle TAEPONG3 can reach Los Angeles.. and I think you must seriously look at the tunnel complex, KIM can stay under for 1 year there untouched with all his armaments ande vast VAST supplies..I may be naive but I have studied the North's tunnel complexes over the years and that is the unkwnown fact by the general public. Pentagon officials are wary to attack the North beased on that sole fact, and my American buddies serving in Sand Diego have concurred to me they are fully aware of this tunnel fact. They are worried about this though their resolve to defend the South is great.

"They do not advertise this fact, but China would help the North if the North was to collapse, and lend the bombers to cartry nukes." - haha, China would NEVER do that because they would bring upon themselves their own destruction, not to mention NK's. China have an interest in not having an agressive nation right next door that could drag China into a war, possbily nuclear, whether they like it or not.

Very good point fall-out. Besides I don;t have the stats but doo the badgers have the unrefueled range to hit the US? NKs stockpile of weapons is smalland their strategic range weapons are iffy at best. It is an open question wether a"nuc proof shelter can be built. It might be possible to dig deep enough and sturdy enough to ride out one blast..but don;t worry the US would throw a half dozen..which would collapse anything. I agree with MG for the most part on his analysis on the two Korean forces. The only quibble I have is that the first day or two would be VERY ugly for the SKs. The NK threat lies in their Arty, SF forces and WMDs. When they try to move south they are toast but whuile still in their reinforced positons they would lay a world of hurt on the South Koreans and the 2ID

Ex98C, the Typhoon out performed the F-15 by a long way in a two on two mock dog fight over the Peak District in February, using top US pilots against, albeit good RAF pilots, who had only had there mean machines for a few months. You can upgrade the F-15 as much as you like, but the fact remains that the F-22 is in production shows that the thirty year old fighter is now a long way off the “Top Gun”. As far as the NK goes. If the Chinese bombers were to come over, and if they did actually get there hands on them and if they do actually have the fuelling capabilities to hit Americas West coast. Isn’t this all relying on the fact that, the USAF are asleep at the time. What are the F-22’s for? What the hell is Radar there for? And also why hit the West Coast? If you want to hit the US and hurt, hit Colorado, as this will not only destroy Aspen and the skiing industry there, but it will also eliminate NORAD. As has been mentioned. Its an absolute folly for nations other than the big five to produce nuclear weapons, as these tin-pot states can’t afford to build enough warheads or delivery vehicles in which to get the all important, second strike capability. Its useless having eight and firing them all off at once (assuming that NK have eight and a viable delivery vehicle, which they don’t) as you have immediately lost your nuclear capabilities! And your never going to use them anyway for fear of the US, Britain, France etc using them against you. If your commander and chief of some hell-hole, why would you openly seek your own demise? So what’s the point in the first place? And about the artillery. I seriously doubt that the NK’s have enough ammunition with which to grind the US forces, SK forces and Seoul into the dust, as it would take a massively industrialised nation, which is also wealthy to produce enough. Also it’s a folly keeping that amount of ammunition in storage, as it could be stored for over ten years. Well past the sell by date.

So what if NK sends a nuke to the west coast of the USA & maybe even canadia if something goes wrong the USA will know about it once it starts its engines also the america responce is if you nuke us you will have a ICBM coming your way over 60x more powerfully then what NK has now..