Given all the "it sends the wrong message" debate around this proposal.
People are missing the underlying money & maintenance reasons the USAF wants to do this F-15C change out at Kadena AFB, Okinawa.
Air Logistics🧵
1/
People are missing the underlying money & maintenance reasons the USAF wants to do this F-15C change out at Kadena AFB, Okinawa.
Air Logistics🧵
1/
https://twitter.com/defense_news/status/1587520558647877636
The 1st F-15C's were delivered into USAF service in September 1979 (see link).
We are in October 2022, AKA 43 years ago.
Using F-15C's in 2022 is akin to the 1979 USAF using a P-36 Mohawk from 1936.
F-15C's are _OLD_.
2/
globalsecurity.org/military/syste…
We are in October 2022, AKA 43 years ago.
Using F-15C's in 2022 is akin to the 1979 USAF using a P-36 Mohawk from 1936.
F-15C's are _OLD_.
2/
globalsecurity.org/military/syste…
Kadena AFB in Okinawa is right on the Pacific ocean and the salt air simply ages air frames faster.
You really don't want to base a late 30 to 40 something year old airframes in a base laden with salt water air
The accelerated corrosion from salt air causes airframe cracking
3/
You really don't want to base a late 30 to 40 something year old airframes in a base laden with salt water air
The accelerated corrosion from salt air causes airframe cracking
3/
....which is one of the reasons why carrier planes are built as robustly as they are.
F-15C's _ARE NOT_ carrier planes.
Additionally, the original equipment vendor base for F-15C's is extinct.
4/
F-15C's _ARE NOT_ carrier planes.
Additionally, the original equipment vendor base for F-15C's is extinct.
4/
There is a small base of specialty vendors that charges huge amounts for buys of 'legacy' air frame parts that take a minimum of a year to provide a replacement part for a lot of reasons including converting 1970's paper & mylar files to CATIA electronic data, tooling set up
5/
5/
...1st article testing approval and intellectual property licencing of down level parts in subassemblies.
The USAF really does need to move its remaining F-15C's to places less prone to salt air aging until there are enough F-35 & NGAD to replace them.
They'll fall apart
6/
The USAF really does need to move its remaining F-15C's to places less prone to salt air aging until there are enough F-35 & NGAD to replace them.
They'll fall apart
6/
...too quickly if they don't.
The other money reasons to go with maintenance is the rotation of a couple of squadrons of F-35 or F-22 every few months through Kadena "spreads the salt air aging" across the 5th Generation fighter fleet.
7/
The other money reasons to go with maintenance is the rotation of a couple of squadrons of F-35 or F-22 every few months through Kadena "spreads the salt air aging" across the 5th Generation fighter fleet.
7/
Plus the USAF doesn't have to pay dependent family permanent change of station costs.
Whether this six-month TDY versus permanent basing 'cost savings' actually does so or simply results higher training costs to replace more mid-career fighter pilots & maintainer...
8/
Whether this six-month TDY versus permanent basing 'cost savings' actually does so or simply results higher training costs to replace more mid-career fighter pilots & maintainer...
8/
...losses to the airlines I'll leave to others.
The actual costs of military basing is never simple because people aren't as predictable as air frames.
9/9 End.
The actual costs of military basing is never simple because people aren't as predictable as air frames.
9/9 End.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
