People are forgetting the F-15 already had Fly by Wire. It was overlayed ontop of the conventional flight control system and was there as part of the Stab-Aug or Stability Augmentation. So Fly By Wire with the F-15 is not new. What is new is that this Advanced Eagle has Just the Fly by Wire... not a conventional flight control system. Also, fly by Wire doesn't increase the number of missiles it can carry; it comes from the strengthened wings allowing an extra outboard wing pylon. Previous F-15 only had one pylon per wing. Now with the strengthened wing, there are two (2) pylons per wing. Also the maneuverability also comes from the more powerful GE engines.
Even though it is not publicly stated, at a certain level there must be deep concerns inside the USAF of the low operational availability rate for the F-35! This is why USAF has been forced to invest money into upgrading capabilities of its F-15 (from C/D variant to E variants and now EX variant). Additional capabilities have also been developed for the F-16 (latest variant F-16V) which USAF doesn't buy, but offers to Taiwan and other interested allies.
@tcp00234 ай бұрын
When the next generation NGAD fighter has not yet been mass-produced, the F22 will still be upgraded as planned