U.S. Air Force F-15EXs Flying From Okinawa Could Fire Hypersonic Missiles At Targets 2,000 Miles Awa

[F-22Raptor]

We don’t know where the U.S. Air Force plans to base its new F-15EX Eagle fighters. But we know where the flying branch should put at least some of the upgraded F-15s.

Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa. Armed with the new AGM-183 hypersonic missile, the new F-15s could be the most powerful strike aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region—and a huge threat to any Chinese attempt to invade Taiwan.

The Air Force in 2019 surprised observers when it announced it would acquire F-15EXs from Boeing BA in order to replace 1980s-vintage F-15C/Ds. The service last bought F-15s—E-models—back in 2001.


The U.S. government in July signed $23-billion deal that could include as many as 200 F-15EXs. The first planes should enter service in mid-2021.

The Air Force justified the F-15EX deal on the grounds that the nine existing F-15 squadrons—three in the active Air Force and six in the Air National Guard—could re-equip with the new planes in months. Transitioning to F-35 stealth fighters would take years, service officials said.

“The F-15EX is the most affordable and immediate way to refresh the capacity and update the capabilities provided by our aging F-15C/D fleets,” said Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of Air Combat Command. “The F-15EX is ready to fight as soon as it comes off the line.”


But there was another reason. The twin-engine F-15 is big, fast and far-flying. It can carry larger weapons greater distances than the smaller, less aerodynamic F-35 can do. The Air Force and Boeing expect the F-15EX, with its new mission computer, will be compatible with the AGM-183—the first of an array of Mach-5-plus missiles the Pentagon is developing.

“The F-15EX carries more weapons than any other fighter in its class, and can launch hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weighing up to 7,000 pounds,” Boeing stated. Not coincidentally, the Lockheed Martin LMT-made AGM-183 appears to be around … 22 feet long.

The new missile began captive-carry testingaboard a B-52 bomber back in the summer of 2019. It’s unclear how fast the AGM-183 is and how far it can travel, but Pres. Donald Trump in rambling comments at the U.S. Military Academy in June referred to a hypersonic missile that can strike targets a thousand miles away.

A flight of F-15s with heavy payloads and aerial-refueling support can range around a thousand miles. With AGM-183s, the flight could hit targets 2,000 miles from base.

The area AGM-183-armed F-15EXs could hold at risk from Kadena is startling huge. Kadena Eagles could strike bases deep inside China. In the event of war, perhaps beginning with a Chinese attack on Taiwan, F-15s could hit ports, airfields and command centers across China’s industrialized eastern region.

The Air Force hasn’t announced yet whether, or when, the two F-15C squadrons currently in Okinawa will get F-15EXs. There are around 240 F-15C/Ds in Air Force service. Buying 200 F-15EXs might not allow the service to convert all nine of its Eagle squadrons.

But it’s clear that the units at Kadena should be a priority.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davida...personic-missiles-at-targets-2000-miles-away/

 

[vi-va]

Then you will only find Okinawa in history book.

 

[Feng Leng]

USA has a prototype but China already fielded the weapon.

 

[zestokryl]

Kadena Eagles could strike bases deep inside China

Please, do so. I wanna watch the show, starting just afterwards

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

We don’t know where the U.S. Air Force plans to base its new F-15EX Eagle fighters. But we know where the flying branch should put at least some of the upgraded F-15s.

Kadena Air Force Base in Okinawa. Armed with the new AGM-183 hypersonic missile, the new F-15s could be the most powerful strike aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region—and a huge threat to any Chinese attempt to invade Taiwan.

The Air Force in 2019 surprised observers when it announced it would acquire F-15EXs from Boeing BA in order to replace 1980s-vintage F-15C/Ds. The service last bought F-15s—E-models—back in 2001.


The U.S. government in July signed $23-billion deal that could include as many as 200 F-15EXs. The first planes should enter service in mid-2021.

The Air Force justified the F-15EX deal on the grounds that the nine existing F-15 squadrons—three in the active Air Force and six in the Air National Guard—could re-equip with the new planes in months. Transitioning to F-35 stealth fighters would take years, service officials said.

“The F-15EX is the most affordable and immediate way to refresh the capacity and update the capabilities provided by our aging F-15C/D fleets,” said Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of Air Combat Command. “The F-15EX is ready to fight as soon as it comes off the line.”


But there was another reason. The twin-engine F-15 is big, fast and far-flying. It can carry larger weapons greater distances than the smaller, less aerodynamic F-35 can do. The Air Force and Boeing expect the F-15EX, with its new mission computer, will be compatible with the AGM-183—the first of an array of Mach-5-plus missiles the Pentagon is developing.

“The F-15EX carries more weapons than any other fighter in its class, and can launch hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weighing up to 7,000 pounds,” Boeing stated. Not coincidentally, the Lockheed Martin LMT-made AGM-183 appears to be around … 22 feet long.

The new missile began captive-carry testingaboard a B-52 bomber back in the summer of 2019. It’s unclear how fast the AGM-183 is and how far it can travel, but Pres. Donald Trump in rambling comments at the U.S. Military Academy in June referred to a hypersonic missile that can strike targets a thousand miles away.

View attachment 652416

A flight of F-15s with heavy payloads and aerial-refueling support can range around a thousand miles. With AGM-183s, the flight could hit targets 2,000 miles from base.

The area AGM-183-armed F-15EXs could hold at risk from Kadena is startling huge. Kadena Eagles could strike bases deep inside China. In the event of war, perhaps beginning with a Chinese attack on Taiwan, F-15s could hit ports, airfields and command centers across China’s industrialized eastern region.

The Air Force hasn’t announced yet whether, or when, the two F-15C squadrons currently in Okinawa will get F-15EXs. There are around 240 F-15C/Ds in Air Force service. Buying 200 F-15EXs might not allow the service to convert all nine of its Eagle squadrons.

But it’s clear that the units at Kadena should be a priority.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davida...personic-missiles-at-targets-2000-miles-away/

This would be a great weapon to sell by the thousands to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. Instead of spending 100's of $Millions on positioning troops every year we could use it to create a missile swarm they could rain on China/North Korea. That's a lot of missiles.

 

[hualushui]

DF-17

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

They've gone full India at this point. Talk about counting chicken before they hatch.

AGM-183 is still in development phase. In addition the dimensions of the missile make it unlikely it has their claimed Mach 20 hypersonic boost glide capability - it simply doesn't have as much fuel as a ballistic missile or even large air defense missile like SM-3.