1st Air Force composite Air Dominance Wing Operational

[Wayne S]

Where did you get this "restricting maneuvers speeds and G-limits" idea? If true, you believe the USAF will accept it? No way.

They have no choice in the matter.

No General has bigger brass in their paints right now then Gates. Mr DOD runs the show, "IF" they want to stay out past 10pm or leave a light on, They can do it when they get their own house.

[Waco]

1st Air Dominance Wing (F-22) at Langley

As I said before (after reading the article the first time), there is no such organization. The 1st Fighter Wing at Langley included F-22s and F-15s, but will shortly give up its F-15s and the 71st Fighter Squadron will be closing its doors. There will be no operational wing in the USAF that operates F-22s and F-15Cs together, although they will likely be paired into an Air Expeditionary Wing at some point in the future.

On the other hand, the F-15 is one of the best in that regard.

May I ask what data you are using to make this statement? The article says nothing about maintenance reliability rates for the F-15, and since an F-15 broke in half a mere 2 years ago, I'd like to know what information you are using about maintenance reliability rates.

The number of F-16 will decline rapidly in coming years. But the number of F-15 remains in service will be stable in the foreseeable years in the USAF forecast.

Actually, the number of F-15s in service in the next several years will drop precipitously, leaving less than 200 in total service. There will still be hundreds more F-16s than F-15s in service. Again, however, the article actually says nothing about this.

Future air war will be fought in a network centric environment. The F-15 is a critical element to meet the USAF plan. It is neither a cheap way to fight nor keeping it for weekend warriors.

If you are using "weekend warriors" as a rather derisive term for the Air National Guard, then you should note that the article's listed beddown locations for F-15Cs equipped with the APG-63v3 RADAR are all ANG F-15C wings. Not a single one of those listed locations is an active-duty F-15 operational base.

USAF air dominance strategy

I believe Maj Giggy is explaining a tactical employment concept for using mixed-force fighter employment with F-15s and F-22s, not a comprehesive, USAF-wide strategy. As the 125th Fighter Wing's chief-of-weapons and tactics, he's explaining how they envision one possible employment method for F-15s and F-22s to work together. It is going to be difficult for those forces to train to this end, since there will be no more co-located F-15 and F-22 units. This training will thus be relegated to the realm of Red Flag style exercises.

At any rate, since a similar version of the article states that Maj Giggy was speaking to the press at the delivery of the FIRST F-15C modified with APG-63v3, I'd say there is a way to go before his discussed operational concepts become reality.

I found the comments about airborne ballistic missile defense to be far more interesting. I would love to see a video of the first attempt to make this happen, and I wonder what the flight profile will be like. I know for a fact that the old ASAT profile for the F-15 was both demanding and pretty eye opening. Based on the what I imagine it would take to intercept a ballistic missile, I suspect this flight profile would be similarly eye-opening.

[Wayne S]

As I said before (after reading the article the first time), there is no such organization.

Sounds like a Federation put together by The Rock and Hogan.

Edited April 20, 2010 by Wayne S

[GreyGhost]

I thought this was for Ballistic Missiles ...

Of course it has other uses too ...

Gregg

Edited April 20, 2010 by GreyGhost

[Jonathan_Lotton]

In case anyone was interested...

Maj. Giggy is Todd "Merkin" Giggy from the short lived "American Fighter Pilot" series.

[MattC]

The Air Power Australia is a well known unreliable site. The cost chart may actually existed at one time when the USAF tried to sell congress the F-22 program. But the reality has long sunk in. Do you know the date of this cost chart?

I don't know anything at all, I just put it there. As for it being unreliable, who cares? All of us (except possibly Waco/Murph and a couple of others) are pretty much talking in a speculative manner about all of this. I get a bit sick of people making out as if they have access to a 100% accurate gospel which nobody else can see.

I'm not talking specifics here, or any particular person, but the reality is that you can sit there and write "x is better than y because it has a lower cost or more capability" but wrapping it up in pseudo-military jargon doesn't make it any more valid, accurate or informed.

[Wayne S]

All of us (except possibly Waco/Murph and a couple of others) are pretty much talking in a speculative manner about all of this.

Even those who the press talk to are speaking in a "speculative manner".

[Kei Lau]

As I said before (after reading the article the first time), there is no such organization.

I believe Maj Giggy is explaining a tactical employment concept for using mixed-force fighter employment with F-15s and F-22s, not a comprehesive, USAF-wide strategy. As the 125th Fighter Wing's chief-of-weapons and tactics, he's explaining how they envision one possible employment method for F-15s and F-22s to work together. It is going to be difficult for those forces to train to this end, since there will be no more co-located F-15 and F-22 units. This training will thus be relegated to the realm of Red Flag style exercises.

At any rate, since a similar version of the article states that Maj Giggy was speaking to the press at the delivery of the FIRST F-15C modified with APG-63v3, I'd say there is a way to go before his discussed operational concepts become reality.

Waco, it is good that you read the article. That's the whole purpose of my posting the links. Take whatever you want after reading it. Time will tell what the term "composite 1st Air Dominance Wing" means.

Keeping old airplanes flying is neither cheap nor technically easy. But the USAF has a comprehensive plan to make best use of all the resources they have. The 2007 article in the Air Force Magazine gives a better picture and should be a reliable source. It may have evolved in some minor details, but the overall plan is the same.

I am very pround of the US armed forces. Not only they have good plans to keep America safe. One overriding requirement of the AF is to "bring the pilot home". The airplanes were designed and built and maintained for this purpose.

[Jake]

Waco, it is good that you read the article.

"Knowledge is good."

-Emil Faber