Could the F-15EX Transform the U.S. Defense Industry?

[rangerrebew]

Could the F-15EX Transform the U.S. Defense Industry?
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By Robert Farley
September 12, 2020
 

Can Boeing, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Air Force use an old fighter to teach the U.S. aerospace industry new tricks?

As was widely reported in July, the Air Force has decided to acquire a large number of F-15EX fighters over the next several years. The F-15EX was initially expected to replace the elderly F-15 C/D, but the latest reports indicate that it may also replace the Air Force’s fleet of F-15Es.

Essentially, the F-15EX concept binds generations of technological innovation into the very old F-15 airframe. The F-15EX uses the classic F-15 frame but incorporates a host of technological improvements developed over the course of the last thirty years.

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2020/09/12/could_the_f-15ex_transform_the_us_defense_industry_577191.html

[PeteS in CA]

The B-52, C-130 (and the C-5?), and A-10 are older and have been much upgraded over their lifetimes. USAF, Boeing, and Lockheed have considerable experience in incorporating new technologies into veteran designs. So I think "transform"  is a significant over-statement.