The wild plans to use the F-15EX in the early days of war

[@SandboxxApp]

Go to ground.news/Sandboxx to stay fully informed on military developments around the world. Subscribe through my link right now for 40% off their Vantage Plan, which is what I use everyday.

[@corporateempires9377]

Longtime fan, love your stuff. Interested in doing a video on how the USAF could use what they learned with skyborg and the X-62 to turn the 100's (they have well over a thousand aircraft there stored for not only all the us military branches, but also even some of our allies, but I thought I read somewhere that there was somewhere in the neighborhood of 500-800 that have varying degrees of maintenaince, like regularly firing the engines once a year and such) of still-maintained, fly-by-wire aircraft at "the boneyard", like recently retired f-15's, f-16's, and f/a-18's (sadly both the a-10 and venerable f-14 tomcat aren't FBW, so I think it wouldn't work but oh sweet jeebus if I'm wrong...) and use AI to turn them into a zombie fleet of some of the most capable combat drones the planet has ever seen. I think it was in the same article that I'm remembering the above figure of what could actually be made combat ready at the 309th, and iirc it was some ridiculously high amount of the aircraft that come there (like over 90%) that arrive there on their own power. Who cares if you send them out on a mission and half of their engines flame out the first time they engage an enemy (although I'm guessing critical fail rates would be much lower) since there'd be no bag of meat on board. Imagine how intimidating that would be to our rivals. Imagine if in the network of manned f-35's, f-15ex's, f-22's, f/a-18's, block 70 f-16's, and all the great fighters of our nato and pac rim partners, and all the 1000's of brand new drones, you also have a bunch of AI controlled, attritable, older, but still very, very lethal in their specific mission sets, 4th gen fighters?!?!? EDIT: I just realized, that's just at the boneyard right now, we've got loads of old 4th gen fighters coming offline over the coming years--if that works, it just means we have, what?, 1000 more 4th gen badass decoy/combat drones to throw in the mix! AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMBAT AIRCRAFT THAT EVERY OTHER NATION IN THE WORLD WOULD GIVE THEIR LEFT NUT TO HAVE! DOUBLE EDIT: I just realized that you have to consider the SIAWs, the growlers (both drone and manned), the C-130's (FBW, so again both manned and unmanned, loads of recently retired C-130's) that we could load up with automated Rapid Dragons and unleash hell, both real and electronically manifested, on our enemies. God I shudder at the thought...

[@matthewaa0467]

Best yet!

[@markboozer3234]

Love your show! Can you do a show about “Mald”’s? I would love to learn more about this amazing drone and how it protects our aircraft! Thanks 🙏

[@everypitchcounts4875]

How about the BOLT-1B hypersonic test vehicle and AFRL Dragonfly/Grasshopper

[@robert506007]

Please Pick your buddies brain on these SHARK systems. With the ever invreasing need for long range tactical like aircraft, The logistics maybe dull to the Layman but it will be critical until the range issue of US and Westeen tactical aircraft are fixed.

[@bradleyswaney6100]

The F15 is still a top-tier jet. The EX will be a great bomb truck. ❤

[@lukecreamer8426]

4x SM-6 loadout is no joke.

[@MRsolidcolor]

yes the have it backed up by the F35 and F22. things will get wild..

[@gregorygaunt9353]

Missile truck...

[@lo1lawl]

​@MRsolidcolor not backed up... These at the back up... They operate behind stealth

[@Canthus13]

Or missile carrier.. Or drone carrier. It could carry a shitload of air-droppable FPV drones in canisters like cluster munitions. Add a bolt-on glide package as needed.

[@sixgun1414]

B-21 Raiders would be the 1st layer F-35 F-22 2nd layer EA-18, F-15ex 3rd layer F-15, F-16, F-18 to mop up the airspace.

[@BV-fr8bf]

Add RQ-180s for top cover

[@rcstl8815]

Don't forget F-117 and B-1 and B-2.

[@xavierwilmerng6317]

@rcstl8815 the F117 is now a training asset, while the B1 is going away soon, likely the B2 will be the only one left of those 3

[@bluemarlin8138]

@@xavierwilmerng6317But the B-52 will still be around to fight the Romulans and Klingons.

[@xavierwilmerng6317]

@bluemarlin8138 oh yeah, new warp nacelles and everything, probably replacing the bomb bays with photon torpedo launchers as well 🤣

[@jloiben12]

F/A-18 Hornets with SM-6s: Can I see what I am shooting at? Not at all. Am I still going to get a kill? You god damn know it. Anything to keep the F-22 from getting a kill

[@lukecreamer8426]

The F-15 radar actually is pretty decent even out to that range - Growling Sidewinder often says "it can see your soul" - but the SM-6s will definitely benefit from cooperative engagement with stealth fighters up front.

[@verdebusterAP]

F-18 with SM-6 will use the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) as their radars are not optimized for ABW

[@brianv1988]

Believe me the kid will get his chance him and his raccoon Franklin are a force to be reckoned with

[@viruspter1dactl]

F22s will get aim260s and those out range sm6s by quite a bit.

[@timothybates8563]

If you know.... you know.

[@jajssblue]

17:50 29,000 lbs of armament is 3.2 Hummer EVs, for perspective. That's just nuts!

[@TheWildcard4542000]

That's as much as a B17 bombing raid in WWII, now that's nuts.

[@watchthe1369]

25,000 lbs of gas to top off stealthy planes in the initial phase? Imagine f-35's getting a boost from Guam f-15 buddy stores at a much higher speed after an early launch from their carriers. Stealth planes arriving days ahead of the expected time would definitely throw a wrench in an operations plan. Getting the 2nd or 3rd wave of heliborne assault partially shot down would mess with your ability to build up forces on assault landing zones drastically. Maybe put the ability to create such zone or take and hold an airport in question. A bunch of stealth fighters arriving early and seal clubbing your logistics aircraft before your own stealth fighters could engage? NASTY>

[@thudthud5423]

Okay, now I'm picturing an Eagle flying to a combat zone carrying three Humvees and soldiers inside them with oxygen masks.

[@StuSaville]

29,000 lbs of armament is the equivalent of around 2.3 million acorns. That's literally nuts!

[@wilfdarr]

It's 2 x ATR 72 worth of payload. It's insane.

[@xavierwilmerng6317]

You missed something, Alex! They could technically build a "Combat AWACS" aka "Eagle Eyes"(my notional name for it) with an Eagle EX. Give it a belly pod with AESA-based side looking radar, big wing pods adapted to carry additional AESA radars facing front and back as well as extra datalink radios and an AWACS interface mode for the rear widescreen. With a few tweaks to fuel and weapons carriage, then have it flying at maximum service ceiling(which btw is more than double the altitude of the E-3 Sentry)? You would potentially have something that could work like an E3 but be able to work contested airspace with no fear. Just strap a few missiles to it, no sweat. Threat over there? Yeetus Deletus with my onboard AMRAAM/CUDA/AIM260/9X2

[@everettputerbaugh3996]

The E-3 and E-2 have 3 (or more) people working the airspace. The "little bird" would need a healthy dose of AI onboard and both automation and "site seeing" require large amounts of electricity and cooling. Turn Anduril, Hermeus, and DARPA loose on the idea...

[@michaelmaroney1660]

​@@everettputerbaugh3996Too late. Raytheon started on this idea 3 years ago for the E/A-18s. Adapting to the EX would be plug and play.

[@danielhahn2897]

I had this idea as well. Obviously it could never replace a huge AWACS, but it would be better than nothing once the R37Ms start flying.

[@Yourmomshouse-f2p]

That's a dam good idea!!

[@xavierwilmerng6317]

@everettputerbaugh3996 you could turn these loose with a strike package instead of having them flying persistent. That persistence mission would still need aircraft like the E-3 and other AEW systems flying. But once you had to penetrate contested airspace, a forward-deployed "Eagle Eye" could technically serve as a combat-capable mini AEW that would be specifically watching the strike package's backs, sides, and top. If it had EW systems onboard, it could also serve to deteriorate enemy systems like a Growler while having better situational awareness. Anyone going after the mini AWACS is going to learn a tough lesson on why an Eagle is not to be messed with.

[@sclarin2]

Just got power and internet back after the hurricane and there's a new sandboxx video? America F-Yeah!

[@fakecubed]

Hope you and yours are well.

[@atomf9143]

Oh goodness. Stay safe, man. Flooding doesn't look like it's going away for a while.

[@rickb9327]

When you wrote: America F-Yeah, did you sing the song from the movie?

[@rowanhaigh8782]

Hope you and yours are safe and well. ❤

[@gsurtos6588]

are u using starlink? or just regular broadband?

[@isaacbrown4506]

Can we get a video about the next generation refueling tanker? That looks pretty interesting, and obviously, it's an extremely important part of maintaining air dominance.

[@jajssblue]

F15EX: For when your Last Gen is better than most Next Gens.

[@sgt.grinch3299]

When the last generation of commanders had substantial air combat and mission planning over today’s leaders.

[@Waldohasaskit210]

Better at what?

[@jajssblue]

@@Waldohasaskit210 Maybe watch the video. Plus he has another video dedicated to the F15EX.

[@madkabal]

​@Waldohasaskit210 carrying ordinance. About it really.

[@patclark2186]

@@Waldohasaskit210 You asked better at what? So maybe better at ..Being fielded in the required numbers. Guarding the Nations borders from air attack Keeping maintaince costs down. Fitting into existing infrastructure and training routines Using legacy weapons in a long war. Interchangeability with existing foreign stocks. Oh.. affordable.. or at least known costs.

[@Tam0de]

Starscream's original alter ego still going strong after all these years. Still as beautiful as she is deadly. She literally gets better with age.

[@DoctorNERO616]

I had Thundercracker

[@The_ZeroLine]

The F-15EX is the most badass platform of any type to ever fly (imo anyway). Thanks to our international partners like Qatar, SA and others for making it possible (by footing 90% of the bill).

[@MayomiBravo]

The F14d should still be

[@The_ZeroLine]

@@MayomiBravo Great aircraft. The fact that it’s a carrier means if we’d got the Super Tomcat it’d likely be the baddest boy ever.

[@ogdocvato]

2 Raptors or 4 F-35s would obliterate 10 F-15EX. If the USA had built 700 Raptors like they had planned, the F-15EX would not have even been imagined. The Eagle II is a quick fix for a terrible lapse of judgement.

[@realdreamerschangetheworld7470]

The F15-EX is my favorite plane ❤ (with much love also given to the Raptor of course).

[@MrTmax74]

It's range would be really helpful in today's world. Same with the f-23​@@MayomiBravo

[@stefancloete8130]

One of my favorite channels, thanks for your work bro! You communicate super well and clear. Thanks all the way from South Africa 🇿🇦 🇺🇸

[@waynebinks1091]

Thanks again Alex! You are the best source "on the planet!" for all the awesome stuff in military aviation present and future coming down the road. I watch almost everything you put out there and really depend on and enjoy your pieces to stay informed and entertained on various aviation topics. You present complicated concepts in such a way that even armchair aviators like me can understand. Keep up the good work!

[@bryonslatten3147]

I was a fan of the Silent Eagle twelve years ago when the Air Force canceled it. Happy to see the EX make it to the force.

[@Sect10n31]

Being able to carry almost 30k lbs as a long range mach 2 aircraft also means that the F-15EX can quickly airdrop logistics to island hopping littoral units in the Indo-Pacific.

[@andrewyork3869]

Wonder if cruise missle could deploy usable amounts of supplies. Alternatively this could be a interesting application for those recoverable cruise missiles that they are deploying from C130s.

[@r.s.w.k4569]

F15 prob goes out to about 750 miles with external tanks and a standard battle load and flight profile. If you stuffed it with 30k lbs ordnance, it would range out to 300 miles max, prob less.

[@Sect10n31]

@@r.s.w.k4569 Mid-air refueling will help extend the range.

[@Sect10n31]

@@andrewyork3869 NSMs, JSMs & PRSMs missiles airdropped by F-15EXs can rapidly resupply island-hopping littoral units equipped with HIMARS.

[@LackofFaithify]

It's like those sorts of roles are something, oh, anything but a valuable human pilot should be doing. Unless we just suddenly got a massive bump in recruits from the airline industry, in which case, have at it.

[@tiny_tex]

airframe designed before Saigon fell: "watch me turn into an electronic warfare, tanking, drone commanding, missile truck" F-22, still waiting for its first kill: "WHY WONT YOU JUST DIE"

[@LeonAust]

Study recent war games not some dam war 40 years ago!

[@tiny_tex]

@@LeonAust what are you on about

[@LeonAust]

@@tiny_tex The F-35 is defeating 4.5 gen non stealth aircraft in major war games at a ratio of 7 to 1. Your 4.5 gen F-15EX will last 30 years but just in a few years China will have a 5th gen aircraft that will be superior to the F-15EX. Do not buy F-15EX non stealth non 5th gen aircraft and but more F-35 5th gen or come out with the 6th gen NGAD. F-15EX is a sitting duck that cannot enter a battlefield with the help of 5th gen aircraft....so why by it!

[@billaronec311]

I think you should do an episode just on upcoming tankers.

[@Clinicallyconfused9]

1:41 He said the thing!

[@AndrewGasser]

Missile Trucks are real

[@Ryan256]

This channel is awesome. I had no idea the F-15 could carry such a gargantuan payload! Rapid refueling is a creative idea.

[@Xenomorphine]

Waht something is capable of and what it will fly with are very different things. The maximum load will typically induce too many range, speed and agility penalties to be used. It's why Russia never has Flankers fly with their maximum loads.

[@wilfdarr]

​@@XenomorphineNo, Russia never flies at max load because it cracks their wing boxes! When a western plane cracks a wing box, it's repaired (albeit at great expense): when a Russian wing box gets cracked you can't replace it because they don't build their planes the way we do, the airframe is scrap.

[@OneBiasedOpinion]

The F-15 is one of the most powerful jets in terms of raw thrust that America’s ever designed and put into production. It was the first aircraft in the world that had the capability to go 90° vertical to the ground and accelerate straight up without falling out of the sky. I’m not at all surprised it has the horsepower to haul that much ordinance.

[@fakecubed]

First I've heard that the USAF actually has a stealth refueling system in the works. Long overdue. Could you make a video on that?

[@MetalFalcon99]

Like a stealth tanker

[@andrewyork3869]

I think the stingray is stealth and he has a video on. I have my doubts we will here anything before war with China breaks out. Alot has changed after Russia invaded Ukraine. Historians will scratch there heads as to why we didn't recognize how important that event was.

[@fakecubed]

@@MetalFalcon99 Yeah, but there's actually a program to build such a thing? It was an obvious gap in capability, that should have been filled a long time ago. Other than a little model of a hypothetical aircraft from a few years back at a defense contractor conference, I was unaware of any movement towards a real acquisition.

[@gforce03XX]

We got to see the F15ex perform at the McMinnville Airshow this past month 🇺🇸

[@leeriterii2128]

If it isn't broke don't fix it. But still use 2024T3 to fix anything in a pinche. Trump 2024

[@The_ZeroLine]

The EX’s radar is so powerful, it can hit a lot of aircraft and other targets from beyond stand off range even without LO aircraft designating targets for it.

[@stupidburp]

Yes it is like a mini AWACS.

[@BlyGuy]

Iirc, it can also be used as a signals/comms jammer

[@xavierwilmerng6317]

They could technically build a "Combat AWACS" aka "Eagle Eyes" with an Eagle EX. Give it a belly pod with AESA-based side looking radar, big wing tanks adapted to carry additional AESA radars facing front and back as well as extra datalink radios. With a few tweaks to fuel and weapons carriage, then have it flying at maximum service ceiling(which btw is more than double the altitude of the E-3 Sentry)? You would potentially have something that could work like an E3 but be able to work contested airspace with no fear. Just strap a few missiles to it, no sweat.

[@stupidburp]

@@xavierwilmerng6317 Probably better off with the optics pod, electronic warfare pods, plus some fuel pods and weapons. A team of 2 or 4 F-15EX can cover all directions periodically by having different flight paths and timing. A racetrack oval or a circular path for example, with even separation between them. An AESA radar has a pretty wide cone of coverage and the primary threat directions are likely to be known Also keep in mind that in addition to all the pods, F-15EX has EPAWSS built in by default with a variety of sensors and other features fused into a system

[@wilfdarr]

​@@xavierwilmerng6317Yes it can get up there, but it would be trading a lot of loiter time to see only a few extra miles over the horizon.

[@texasranger24]

4:28 to skip the advertisement

[@politenessman3901]

I just go make a coffee during the ad and let it run, he gets the money and I get my coffee.

[@PasleyAviationPhotography]

Thanks, that's frustratingly long. Most videos I'd give up on, almost did here too.

[@UnderEuropa]

​@@PasleyAviationPhotography if you're on desktop then just use the J, K, L keys to skip around

[@bobkohl6779]

Getting annoying aren't they

[@bobkohl6779]

Seems he's creating content to get advertising pay

[@OhYeah-qx9qn]

"The Eagle II will be let off its leash", be afraid, be very afraid!

[@LeonAust]

F-35 in war games..........nope I am not afraid.

[@CharlesFosterMalloy]

One of the best presentations on the F-15EX I’ve seen - no, The Best One.

[@Rokugou3224]

"I'm Alex Hollings!... And this!... IS AIRPOWER!" that never gets old

[@JonnyPhive]

I could see f15EX being excellent at the wild weasel role. Having a WSO drastically reduces the workload and having an extra set of eyes is nice too.

[@bobbyquack4908]

It just makes sense to keep building the F-15 EX anyway. It's Badass and the production infrastructure is already there.

[@maleprincess62]

Alex, the conclusions to your videos are always AWESOME. I loved that closing line.

[@mattstevens9170]

I was lucky to be able to fly an f 15e and it was an experience ill never forget I loved it I flew it by myself for 2 hours and begged the mjr to let me keep going but I was a civi on a promo tour sort of thing and I realized I made a mistake and should've applied to the usaf academy instead of play sports

[@davidl.howser9707]

ALEX, These videos are so informative. Just amazing. My go to..... to watch. My heart picks up speed when I find a new SandBoxx News, Air Power video is available to watch, and learn SO MUCH from !

[@drmarkintexas-400]

🎖️🏆⭐🙏 Thank you for sharing this

[@EvLuvsMinPins]

another excellent segment, Alex.

[@ricoma6037]

You sold me. Put me down for 1 F-35! 👍

[@ThomasBestonso-zr4ko]

The Amazing flying munitions vehicle , 22 air to air daggers ... all the Bells & whistles and more power than ever ... awesome !

[@erasmus_locke]

It's crazy with how capable the F-15 is you think it's a 5th gen fighter not a 4th gen. But like you always say those labels are a bit misleading

[@ginacalabrese3869]

I've heard it referred to as Gen 4.5.

[@LordOceanus]

Honestly i feel like the line between 4th and 5th gen is really blurry. It only becomes obvious if Stealth is your one and only defining factor. The other common factors such as self protect radar jamming, AESA radar, supercruise, LRIR, advanced avionics, and multirole capabilities are all found on different 4th gen fighters from around the globe. Networked Data fusion is a USA only tech at the moment (in terms of widespread deployment) so that one is not much of a defining point either. Really the advantage 5th gen aircraft have over 4th gen comes down to broadly newer systems (except those systems are now often found on 4th gen aircraft as well) and stealth.

[@fakecubed]

Definitely a 4.5th gen.

[@spxram4793]

true. The F-35 serve a certain mission category - "badass" is F-15 and F-22

[@LeonAust]

it ain't 5th gen its 4.5 and no more! If it came up against a F-35A stealth the F-35 would run rings around it!

[@royalukas8144]

Thanks, Alex. Another home run report!

[@DylanFallon-642]

The F-15 Eagle: the only aircraft good enough to be it's own namesake and successor.

[@PeteCasey-i4m]

As usual Alex, Great job! Be careful, if you keep raising the bar this high - this fast you'll have more difficulty reaching the standards you've previously set. ✈

[@fahadkelantan]

Hey Alex. Would you please cover the new EA-37B Compass Call?

[@papijay7]

Awesome piece Alex. Great job!

[@granatmof]

US Air Force : turn cargo planes into missile deployment platforms Also US Air Force : turn most successful fighter platform in history into refueling tanker

[@johnathancache1229]

Nice report and insight. Great Video!

[@Joakim-j7h]

The truth is that Stealth could be obsolet just as fast as any other tech, WHEN/if that happens the lack of said tech is no longer a disadvantage. Speed and manouverability will never go out of style in the world of fighter jets though.

[@michaelpease2103]

I've been saying this to my friends and family recently but they're too engrained in past victories and normalcy biases to see my point. I will never understand why people constantly underestimate our adversaries. There is ZERO benefit and insane risks from that line of thinking.

[@7134-b1d]

You saying stealth could become obsolet just shows that you have no idea about how stealth or mordern bvr combat works.

[@12pentaborane]

Stealth is just the next step after speed and maneuverability. Stealth works in the same physics space.

[@christiantroy3034]

Neither will capacity

[@bigearl3867]

My great uncle once told me after I got stabbed, "If a man is close enough to touch you then you've let him get too close".

[@wash_out]

I love your apolitical approach and the good stuff all around. Rock on Alex! 💪

[@texasranger24]

Could you do a video about the future of Shorad? Will short range air defense provided by the laser stryker? Will the Bradley replacement IFV XM30 function as an anti air cannon? Should the US look at the SkyRanger / Skynex / millenium gun system? And will there be a Stinger replacement with a better battery, targeting, and most importantly more affordable? Or is this affordable future the APKWS guidance upgrade for the cheap and plentiful Hydra 70mm rocket? Should we slap that on Avenger Hummvees? Or IRIS-T? And how are M-shorad Strykers doing? The new EAGLS?!

[@lazrus7049]

amazing episode. thank you.

[@RedTail1-1]

I wish the 104th FW was getting the F-15EX Eagle II instead of the F-35A Lightning II... Also I am so tired of the ground news ads... I'd rather see RAID...

[@00calvinlee00]

Our 111th FW guys flew Hogs alongside your 104th guys when they still had Hogs. Now our guys would love F-35s or F-15s. Like the 174th, our 111th now flies drones...😔

[@brianv1988]

I love the way the F-15 intake on both sides move up or down with the angle of the aircraft to enhance air flow

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

Yea, man! I recently noticed that as well just a few months ago, and it was a 🤯 moment haha I thought it *_might_* also function like canards, but... seems it's just as you said: to impact the speed of inlet air.

[@brentfrank7012]

Dude, love your videos but good lord shorten them up.

[@elguapo1026]

ANOTHER killer video and music Alexx!

[@Evan_Bell]

0:37 Does F-16 mean nothing..?

[@anindyamukhopadhyay8]

Very Good analysis Mr Alex Hollins Ji

[@user-McGiver]

It's like having Chuck Noris serving as a cook just because he can... up until he gets into the fight... because he can... nothing wrong with having a hobby...

[@spxram4793]

Chuck Norris erhält bei Praktiker 20%... auch auf Tiernahrung! 😂 hey guys a joke from Germany

[@russelbrown6275]

He was in the Air Force and learned martial arts while serving in South Korea. His dojo was near Osan AFB in paeyongtek

[@lewiskemp5893]

Chuck for president. I'll vote

[@KJG57]

BRAVO..👍 Keep up the good work..😀Thank you..✌

[@biggnasty989]

Fuck yeah bro!!!

[@robertnastasi4738]

I would like you to cover anything. I love it all. GREAT GREAT work every time.

[@LGB-FJB]

In a fight between a F15 and a J20, my money is on the F15.

[@Defender78]

Wish there was a timeline that had us watching videos about the F-14G-EX and getting all excited

[@antilarge7860]

One is a combat aircraft the other is propaganda

[@riskinhos]

before the F-15 detects the J-20 the F-15 would get tons of missiles coming their way and would be destroyed every time. if F-15 was so good then F-22 and F-35 wouldn't exist. stop being silly with your non sense bias.

[@MattyJ55046]

@@riskinhos sure but in the real world the f-15 would have an awacs or stealth fighter painting targets with it and peg the j-20 from over 100miles away.

[@Gungnir762]

The CCP is lagging behind in engine design.

[@crimsionCoder42]

The Growler version of the f-15ex is a must. Go back to drop tanks for fuel and build the next gen jamming pods into the conformal underwing tanks. Top it off with the FLIR-21 system so the EX can detect LO fighters like the J-21. That combo could cover allot but I see the EX flying escort for early warning assets, bombers and tankers. Add in the aim-174b and HARM, you have a powerful SAM hunter. Especially if you upgrade its radar to specialize in EW by taking the same tech from the f-35 radar and scaling it to the F-15s antenna size.

[@StrikeEagle15E]

Can someone, anyone, explain to me why the hell current leaders can’t learn the lessons taught by the LONG lives and successes of the A-10, F-15 and F-16? Simply put, a mix of specialized aircraft will always be more capable and cheaper than trying to build a single platform that will do it all.

[@FactCheckerGuy]

The experiences of the F-15, F-16 and F-18 show the opposite. General fighter-bombers should be multi-role. The F-16 and F-18 started out multi-role and were big successes. The F-15 airframe started out specialized, became multi role and was a huge success. The A-10 was pretty good at ground support 40-50 years ago, but wouldn't last 5 minutes against modern air defenses. The Soviets/Russians started out building very specialized platforms, learned from our experience and started making multi-role versions. Of course, there could always be circumstances in which a specialized platform is best, but the major lesson of the last 60 years has been that most fighter-bombers should be multi role. It reduces costs and provides much greater tactical flexibility.

[@drfang68]

Multiple airframes require separate logistics chains to maintain them and train the crews that service them. It is far cheaper and easier to upgrade avionics to allow one airframe to fill multiple roles, and fast development and manufacturing processes allow the US to build new craft as needed in greater numbers. The future will use packs of stealth drones that act as ordinance wagons that can be operated by forward stealth aircraft, and they are far cheaper to replace if they are destroyed.

[@ChrisMcChesney-p1d]

Not discounting that the F-15EX is an awesome aircraft, here's a though exercise for Alex and the audience. What would a B-1B modified with a current generation AESA radar and loaded down with a belly full of AIM-174B (aka SM-6s) and the latest AIM-120s do for the air superiority missile truck role? The combination of a massive payload and massive range / loiter would mean the ability to hang out at standoff ranges and wait for the call while not requiring as many tankers and other support assets.

[@themastermason1]

Wow, I'm early. I'm also amazed it took this long to put fly-by-wire in the F-15

[@djoswald9128]

Rock On 🤘 Sandboxx News.!.

[@jajssblue]

If we ever see viable laser systems for missile defense, it might be a way for these 4th Gen systems to be much more survivable.

[@solarissv777]

or even with reliable small missile interceptors. Something like 70mm stinger K (command guided) put into large pods, similar to those, used on helicopters for ground attack rockets. One pod can carry up to 19 rockets (also 70mm). Yes, stingers have range of just 5km, but one can carry them much more then enemy long range missiles. And if you can make them intercept said missiles...

[@bobjohnson3940]

Very interesting times. Great time to be a military enthusiast. Cheers Alex Hollings.

[@wayausofbounds9255]

An F-15EX could be decked out as lots of tools. an F-15 growler, or F-15 refueler. I mean if the EX can super cruise image how well it would work as a support vehicle to a flight of F-22s.

[@swiftycortex]

Love you vids Alex! Thank you so much

[@colbunkmust]

F-15EX is when you gas station attendant can out-shoot John Wick.

[@jerrodbrown5475]

Fun, exciting, and inspirational vlog. Thank you Alex!

[@petecomps7260]

Air Power is the best source of aeronautics news "on the planet."

[@ARGONUAT]

Hey Sandboxx. Know this fact. Alex is the Ernie Pyle of our military generation. We love this guy and the great work he does!

[@russelbrown6275]

I’m thinking you meant Gomer Pyle

[@ARGONUAT]

@@russelbrown6275 Just a tiny bit. He’s likable that way as well.

[@MilushevGeorgi]

Man if they can send a couple to Ukraine

[@isaacbrown4506]

Been saying that for months. If we sent them our modern F-16s, 15s and EXs along with their modern load outs and some JASSM-ER this war would be going a whole lot differently. They've been fighting with almost no air power and it really shows in the lack of progress.

[@wedgeantilles8575]

@@isaacbrown4506 well, but that is the point, isn't it? To keep it going. You don't seriously think we want them to win, do you? We could enable their victory any time we wanted.

[@jamstagerable]

Providing the means to 'win' that war as quickly as possible is not the objective. They have explained in no uncertain terms what the goal is.

[@isaacbrown4506]

@wedgeantilles8575 Most of us do want them to win. The government is playing a different kind of game, though, because everyone is shook about nukes. Which is absolutely ridiculous. There's no way he'd resort to nukes because he lost a war that he started.

[@ItsJoKeZ]

​@@wedgeantilles8575 quiet ruskie.

[@corporateempires9377]

Haven't started it yet, so nobody tell me how it ends! 😝 Seriously, just wanted to say you're alex hollings and you know what your viewers want to see! Been pining for some content (even print) about the F-15EX the past couple weeks and, low and behold, my favorite air power youtuber reads my mind! What a way to start my week, thanks Alex Hollings!

[@davidpalmer4184]

Thanks Alex, as always, I love your work

[@Rittzzakajtheg]

0:32 Boomer!

[@bryanrussell6679]

In the first two minutes, that's the most I've ever noticed the F-15's engine air intakes moving. Cool footage.

[@RGNSS-hn8ew]

🇺🇦 ❤️ 🇺🇸 ❤️ 🇬🇧 ❤️ 🇦🇺

[@MrCateagle]

For the tanker option, use a flying boom version of the buddy pod used in F-105 flight testin 2:49 g and the standard buddy tank for probe and drogue operations.

[@williamromine5715]

I was born in January of 1942. It is amazing how far air power has come in my life time. Sometimes I feel like it is science fiction. I appreciate how these videos explain how far modern air power has come.

[@jameswalker7899]

An impressive presentation. Warmest compliments. Thank you, sir. :)

[@timandsuzidickey9358]

Great subject... Thanks. !!

[@kj1483]

17:24 Growler 17,750 pounds hard point load capacity = 8 metric tonnes for carrier based aircraft. Eagle 2 is a Runway ground based plane can carry 29,000 lbs = 13 tonnes

[@MrCateagle]

For an EF-15EX, an avionics package replacing its M61 would have a nice scoop for cooling air is readily available in the opening for the gun

[@Waldohasaskit210]

I'd love to hear your take on the Economist article of General Randy George and his experiments in how "transforming in contact" could change the future of military procurement.

[@danielhahn2897]

I'm picturing a cross between wild weasel and Growler. Those new jambing pods can go on the new outboard weapons stations 1 & 9. The CFT's could be reconfigured to hold 4 HARMs. The main wing stations could each hold something big and nasty, plus a aim 9x and aim 120D each. Throw a fuel bag on the centerline, and you're loaded for bear. Or, make a HARMS rack for the main wing statuons, and bring even more.

[@stupidburp]

These are all good ideas. I made similar suggestions in the past. But I still think that a light refresh of stealth features could be worth the investment. Not all in full stealth but just some saw tooth edges on panels and other structures, the canted tails as proposed in the earlier design concept, and serpentine engine air intakes with trapezoidal openings. The side fuel tanks could be replaced by permanently attached wing body angled structure to make room for the bending air ducts and fuel tanks could be relocated to inside and around the bends. These changes could potentially give the refreshed Eagle a radar cross section slightly lower than the latest block 3 Super Hornet which would be pretty good for it's size, role, and cost.

[@myplane150]

Oh, man. I'm feelin' spoiled. All these awesome videos in just a few days. Love this site!!!😁

[@corporateempires9377]

Love your growling eagle concept! but i think you should have mentioned (or did and I missed it) about how the EX's added power in their new engines is important in electronic warfare. As any radio nerd knows, the more power you can pump the farther you can reach (in both detection and offensive capabilities).

[@eddielongshanks9740]

Bro! More obvious to me is "Eagles with Frickin Lasers!" They can carry the weight, have the electrical power needed from those engines, and of course air cooling from flight... Beam weapons are a no brainer for that platform imo... And loved the shout out for those RAVENS! I used to fix F-111D's at RAF Upper Heyford, and those EF-111's were housed on the other side of the base... 😁

[@JohnMGibby]

Alex, that ending sentence was the perfect punchline to the whole video. Delivering gas one week and delivering destruction the next. LOL As always, great video!!!

[@MultiSerge1980]

You forgot that the F-15E was developed and is still used as an air-to-ground bomber, The F-15EX is capable of having Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT's) that have 6 stations each that can carry up to 6 MK-82 500 lb bombs or 4 500lb infrared bombs plus 4 -12 AIM-120 and 4 AIM-7 missiles and many other air to ground loads.

[@erod19969]

Yes! Let's have fun and talk about the buddy tanker option.

[@choctaw2sticks193]

America does make the best military equipment. thank ya, Alex, love the channel . . .

[@petermcguire8260]

I love the idea of the F-16EX giant size mistle truck. What it needs is to understand the difference between hoping for a hit in the old days and knowing you can put it into the air intake. I suppose you could start off with a couple expensive test shots with your hypersonic missiles. But then followed up in subsequent rounds with just small cruise missiles and I mean small running a couple hundred miles an hour. Because you will turn them back if they don't shoot it down and yours is cheaper. We have seen that rockets hit rockets in space. A thousands of miles an hour. We should bring this down to our near airspace!

[@topazsunbelt5458]

Loved the F-15EX to be Growler too with IRST capabilities! Update gun to 25mm 7 barrels rotary gaitling guns!

[@gregparrott]

The aerial refueling capable F-15 sounds like an EXCELLENT idea! It can fly much lower to the ground or water to conceal itself, can carry a 50% larger payload that the fabled B-29 (30,000 vs. 20,000 lb), can get into and out of contested space at better than Mach 2, can potentially use that speed to exhaust an anti-air missile's fuel load when it's fired from afar, and, while it's doing that, it could carry a couple anti-air missiles, in case the opportunity arises. While not mentioned here, I understand some radar reflecting chaff can be light enough to float in the air for quite a while , so an alternative to a fuel tank pod could contain a LOT of chaff to diminish adversarial radar reception. What is there NOT to like?

[@michaelkearney9314]

ThankYou 😎

[@peterweller8583]

Thanks Alex

[@davidtyer2373]

I got inspired by Alex's idea to make the F15 EX a tanker, and when he suggested the F15 EX could get fuel from a big tanker and take it to the fighters while remaining powerful enough to be in the same areas as the fighters it's refueling, I ran with that idea. So what I came up with is a whole new refueling paradigm. The idea is to create a large fleet of refueling drones, that can attach THEMSELVES, in flight, to fighters they are going to refuel, using the attachment points for external fuel tanks. The first benefit to this scheme, is that the fighter can continue flying and operating, albeit with varying amount of degradation to it's flight capabilities, while being refueled. It can still detach the drone if it needs to maneuver normally. Also, I envision we should be able to design adaptive air frames by now, and have onboard AI learn to fly with different air frame configurations. This is an advanced idea, but applying it to these refueling drones would enable them to adapt their aerodynamics to best fit the plane it is attaching to, thereby minimizing the degradation to normal operations. Since it would only be a little larger than a normal external tank, it's not unprecedented, and you could almost consider this idea to be to simply to make external fuel tanks able to detach and land, refuel, and return to the plane autonomously. It fits with the idea to make F15 EX's into tankers in that my idea would also likely just be a go between, between the existing tankers and the fighters. But my key idea is that the refueling process can have less degradation to normal plane operations, and in fact, even a fully fueled plane can choose to get a drone tank dock with it so it has MORE fuel than normal, and very rapidly, just as an external fuel tank provides. It means that if the fighter ditches the external tank, the tank is not lost--because it's a drone and just flies back to safety if possible. ALSO, the drone could be used as a countermeasure (if it can eventually be cheap enough to attrit) during battle. I think my idea is way better than the idea of trying to make a next generation more traditional tanker plane that's stealthy. Technically, if you can master adaptive air frames, it opens up a whole new world of possibility, including better stealth, and what better way to get started by setting the smaller goal of making small tanker drones that can adapt their airframes to suit aerodynamics of different fighters they attach to. Essentially, I envision the cheap version of the tanker drone being a fuel bladder, so it's flexible and can morph shape with the airframe--if it has that more expensive capability. This way, you make a minimally viable cheap version, that already provides some pre-requisites needed for the more expensive version. To clarify some basics after re-reading, the cheap version might be the shape of a normal external fuel tank, but have foldable drone prop arms. The more expensive version might be able to morph from tube shaped to semi-wing shaped.

[@TonyN737]

That was awesome. I’m so happy to know that my favorite plane will keep on kicking add long into the future. Having a backseater whose job is to control droned is the cool thing I’ve ever heard of.