So.
While no one's making an official announcement yet, it appears that
Seoul has chosen Boeing's F-15SE as their next gen fighter. This would
be good in many ways. It's an improved version of their current,
fresh-off-the-line F-15Ks, but with some fairly radicalized stealthing
up. It's lighter, still carries an 8 missile or comparable A-G warload.
South Korea already has most of the production and maintenance
facilities in place, which would need minimal adjustment for the
slightly different jet. I think it's a good choice for them, and I'm
surprised Japan didn't shooze it as well. Maybe after S. Korea makes the
official announcement, Japan will take a step back and reconsider it
over the LM F-35.
And if that happens, then maybe the USAF brass
will turn and say, "You know, the F-15SE really is a better bird and for
the money, too." I know the pilots and airmen feel that way. Look
what China and Russia are doing- they're modernizing/upgrading their
classic Sukhoi designs, and adding supplementary fleets of stealth
fighters. It makes perfect sense!
I hope that South Korea does officially select the
F-15SE, and that it has a reverse-cascade effect on national defense
purchases across the World. Does everyone really need the $170+
million per copy F-35? We do, but not in such big numbers. F-15SEs and,
if Lockheed Martin kicks and screams enough, we could jet get a bunch
of F-16Es as well. The Super Falcon as I call it is still a pretty
awesome jet, and almost as good as the F-15SE.
Feel free to comment in the space below!
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