Absolutely no stealth features like the F-22 and F-35 fifth-generation fighters, so how can the F-15EX overcome the advanced Russian and Chinese air defense systems?
There is no denying the fact that the most advanced air defense systems, manufactured by Russia and China, are now more than capable of detecting stealth aircraft to some extent. This is the difficulty factor for American fighter jet developers, in a race for air mastery.
Russian media claim that their S-400 and S-500 air defense systems, can detect and destroy stealth aircraft; this may still be unverified in practice. And of course, there’s a big gap between simply “detecting” it and being able to actually shoot it down.
However, the perspective of the threat posed by air defense systems to the 5th generation fighter may be valuable, even to a small extent. While many might argue that, despite the growing threat of air defense systems, it only makes sense for fourth-generation aircraft.
With the advancement of radar technology, threats to fifth-generation stealth fighters are gradually becoming more real. So how can a 4th generation fighter like the F-15EX survive in this dangerous environment?
So what is the reason, for the US Air Force to order a large number of F-15EX fighters in such an environment of such global threats? The F-15EX will not be able to promote the air supremacy of the US Air Force, before two very annoying opponents, Russia and China.
Even to save development costs and time, the Pentagon “skipped,” or simply avoided, full system-level survivability testing for the F-15EX. These tests are the real gauge to see if the F-15EX can fit in a high-threat environment.The issue of ignoring the F-15EX’s survivability test was also political, when Ellen Lord, Director of the Pentagon’s Procurement Program, signed the F-15EX test waiver, on Jan. January 10, 2021 and notified to the US Congress on January 13, 2021; just a few days before she left office.
Current generations of advanced Russian and Chinese-made air defenses are designed with an unprecedented level of digital networking for rapid target information exchange, high-speed computer processing, and high-speed computing. the increasing support of artificial intelligence (AI).
China has long been known as the only country that buys and copies Russian weapons, but with the HQ-9 air defense missile developed and manufactured by the country, is developing rapidly; Currently, the US has discovered that China has placed HQ-9 in the areas around the East Sea.
HQ-9 or Hong Ky 9 is capable of fighting with many types of aircraft, including stealth fighters. This is an air defense system similar to Russia’s S-300 missile and even America’s Patriot, but China’s HQ-9 is considered to have a longer range, possibly up to 230 km.
As such, the threats to the US Air Force have changed, so why does the US Air Force continue to gamble with a 4th generation fighter, which can be a “prey” for advanced air defense systems. of Russia and China, ignoring stealth technology, but in fact the US still has the upper hand?
Although with the simple mindset of using a new 4th generation fighter, for local war scenarios, less threat to save costs. And an undeniable fact is that, since the F-22 entered combat service, it can only perform the task of “deterrence”; and combat missions, still carried out by 4th generation fighters.
But in the long term, the conflict between the US and Russia and China cannot but happen, so why did the US Air Force accept the F-15EX, to operate in the most threatened battlefields against these threats. Russian or Chinese air defense systems?
The F-15EX in terms of external configuration, still follows the technology of the 1970s, but it has improvements such as range, radar sensitivity, avionics, sensors and weapons. But no matter what, the F-15EX heavy fighter is still a completely invisible fighter like the F-22 or F-35.
The F-15 is a representative design of the fourth generation fighter of the 1980s, and despite being an improved version, the F-15EX does not have the stealthy fighter silhouette of the fourth generation aircraft. years like the F-22 or F-35; and so surely the F-15EX will be easily captured alive by Russian and Chinese air defenses.
Therefore, the F-15EX is also only suitable for the role of an airborne weapons “carrier”, not a means of breaking into a risky battlefield of Russia and China. And if the US does so, the Russian and Chinese air defense systems are waiting for the F-15EX. Image source: Forces.