Delta Force
Banned
The F-4 Phantom served in a dozen national air forces, but the F-15 family has only served with six nations. How could it have served in a dozen or more national air forces?
Keep the Shah in power could well as Iran to the list.
Originally posted by Pangur
Didn't Iran buy F-14s?
Originally posted by Pangur
Didn't Iran buy F-14s?
Yes however I don't think that would have stopped the Shah
Maybe the Panavia Tornado aggrement breaks down and W. Germany, UK and Italy decide in the late seventies, that they really, really need modern ir-superiority fighter.
That don't work, because the Tornado is multifunctional combat aircraft (Bomber/Fighter), while back in 1970s, the F-15 was pure high performance fighter.
The F-15E Strike Eagle was 10 year away in future.
They bought the F-14 because they had a very specific tactical requirement for it, namely to stop overflights by Soviet MiG-25 reconnaissance planes. The Phoenix armed Tomcat was ideal for countering that, had the dynasty survived I've no doubt they would have eventually bought the F-15, maybe the F-15E to give them a deep strike capability.
The F-15E would have provided a lot more capability as a replacement for the F-111 than the F-18E/F. More range, heavier weapons load, and the fact is that the USAF uses the Strike Eagle in the role that had been filled by the F-111.Australia and by extension New Zealand always struck me as 2 nations that were screaming out for an F15E
Both nations have a massive area of responsibility to cover
Rather than plug for the F18 or in the case of NZ - Nothing! - IMO they should have gone for the F15E
Range, Performance, Pedigree - just everything
I know they are more expensive per unit and there was a fear of its presence would 'destabilising the region' which seems crazy to me - surely the point of having a decent Airforce is to ensure that no one is crazy enough to attack you?
Seems 'un-Australian' to me
Australia and by extension New Zealand always struck me as 2 nations that were screaming out for an F15E
Both nations have a massive area of responsibility to cover
F-15's for the RNZAF? Apologies for being blunt, but forget it, that's fantasy football stuff on cost grounds alone. Even if the RNZAF could argue the case, treasury would likely squash it, as they did for the RNZAF F-4 (the preferred option at the time the A-4 was purchased).
There is also the point that at the time of the F-15E's introduction selling a handful (and that's all it would be) to NZ would be politically tricksy, especially in NZ where anti-nuclear (and by extension anti-US) sentiment was a defining feature of the landscape from the mid-80's to the mid 90's. A related sentiment at the turn of the century saw the scrapping of "the deal of the century" to replace the A-4 with F-16's, and the disbandment of the combat wing in general.
F-15E's or any other F-15 for NZ might make practical sense, (or not, what exactly is it's maritime attack ability, which was a key RNZAF role?), but never likely to happen in reality.
The F-15E would have provided a lot more capability as a replacement for the F-111 than the F-18E/F. More range, heavier weapons load, and the fact is that the USAF uses the Strike Eagle in the role that had been filled by the F-111.
The RAAF already was operating the F/A-18A/B and had a lot of familiarly with the type, although the Superbug is almost a different aircraft then the original Hornet, and the cost difference was considerable (about 750M USD).