TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
The USAF has fighter bombers and then bomber bombers but the F111 nicely fit between both and had one farther role Sead in the EB111 since F111 was retired the USAF has been forced to make do with simple retrofits of a few F16C/D and borrowed EA6 intruders.
The USAF had intended for Raptor to take all the F15C/Ds out of service and then follow on with a replacement for the F15E but when F22 was cut that plan was scrubbed.
The F15E was the platform introduced that best fit some of the F111's mission role in that it does bombing but it's no Jammer and with the age of the F15C/D fleet when F22 orders were cut it seems that the USAF was put in a position of trying to reach optimum performance from what it has. F15E's pedigree is a fighter. It can strike sure but its still a air superiority air frame with a few changes it has proven a more then capable Gen 4.5 fighter and the possibility of Silent eagle pushes it into Gen 4.75. However its no jammer and as a fighter it has range and operations limitations.
In the End F35 has rolled in with potential for fine multiroler but its payload makes sacrifices and its not planned to be a true SEAD bird.
This is where LRS-B may role in. Its being hyped primarily for its Strategic bomber mission but it expands beyond that into the regional bombing of F111 and might open enough up to allow F15E to be cycled into a multi tasking bird allowing the oldest of the F15C/D models to stand down and letting Raptor go offensive. That said there would still be gaps and a new Jammer would nicely fill some of that.
X44 Manta was a technology demonstrator intended to push possible technologies for a Sixth generation fighter. It was never built. It was however a modified derivative of it was the option given by Lockheed Martin early on as a alternative to what we now call LRS-B. As was the Idea of resurrecting YF23. I have no idea where FB32 came from or even what that is, X32 was Boeing's Offer for the JSF program. That program is today the F35 Lightning II. X32 would frankly make a terrible bomber it had a tiny internal weapons capacity compared to X35, the wing and tail caused nothing but trouble the whole aircraft was going to need redesign if it had been selected for JSF.
In the end The USAF has gone to a LRS-B based more on a dedicated albeit subscale Bomber.
X44 and Boeing.
We.often forget that the F22A is a groundbreaking bird and was a massive program. Now as some have pointed out there is a passing resemblance between the X44 concept and some of the Boeing Concept art. Well remember that Boeing was the second largest contractor on the Raptor. Its often called the Lockheed Martin Boeing F22 because Boeing built nearly half the fighter. Lockheed Martin was the system integrator and designer but they partnered and the list of partnerships for the Raptor was a mile long even Northrop Grumman who's YF23 completed against Raptor was involved in avionics systems and components of the F22A. So seeing some resemblance is logical.
The USAF had intended for Raptor to take all the F15C/Ds out of service and then follow on with a replacement for the F15E but when F22 was cut that plan was scrubbed.
The F15E was the platform introduced that best fit some of the F111's mission role in that it does bombing but it's no Jammer and with the age of the F15C/D fleet when F22 orders were cut it seems that the USAF was put in a position of trying to reach optimum performance from what it has. F15E's pedigree is a fighter. It can strike sure but its still a air superiority air frame with a few changes it has proven a more then capable Gen 4.5 fighter and the possibility of Silent eagle pushes it into Gen 4.75. However its no jammer and as a fighter it has range and operations limitations.
In the End F35 has rolled in with potential for fine multiroler but its payload makes sacrifices and its not planned to be a true SEAD bird.
This is where LRS-B may role in. Its being hyped primarily for its Strategic bomber mission but it expands beyond that into the regional bombing of F111 and might open enough up to allow F15E to be cycled into a multi tasking bird allowing the oldest of the F15C/D models to stand down and letting Raptor go offensive. That said there would still be gaps and a new Jammer would nicely fill some of that.
X44 Manta was a technology demonstrator intended to push possible technologies for a Sixth generation fighter. It was never built. It was however a modified derivative of it was the option given by Lockheed Martin early on as a alternative to what we now call LRS-B. As was the Idea of resurrecting YF23. I have no idea where FB32 came from or even what that is, X32 was Boeing's Offer for the JSF program. That program is today the F35 Lightning II. X32 would frankly make a terrible bomber it had a tiny internal weapons capacity compared to X35, the wing and tail caused nothing but trouble the whole aircraft was going to need redesign if it had been selected for JSF.
In the end The USAF has gone to a LRS-B based more on a dedicated albeit subscale Bomber.
X44 and Boeing.
We.often forget that the F22A is a groundbreaking bird and was a massive program. Now as some have pointed out there is a passing resemblance between the X44 concept and some of the Boeing Concept art. Well remember that Boeing was the second largest contractor on the Raptor. Its often called the Lockheed Martin Boeing F22 because Boeing built nearly half the fighter. Lockheed Martin was the system integrator and designer but they partnered and the list of partnerships for the Raptor was a mile long even Northrop Grumman who's YF23 completed against Raptor was involved in avionics systems and components of the F22A. So seeing some resemblance is logical.
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