Remember this was outside Afghanistan......I believe it was two F 15s or F 16s that went down.
I remember one or two helicopters outside of Afghanistan (and one inside), a tanker version of a C-130, and a B1. I don't remember anything about F-16s or F-16's going down.
F-15s and F-16s are are less then the $50-100mil range you gave (esp. the F-16s) but then you can add in the cost to train the pilot. The biggest loss of course would be the pilots life if there was a fatal crash not the cost of the aircraft.
The B1 that went down costs over $200mil, but atleast all of the crew was rescued.
I understand the loss of aircraft when at war from difficult flying conditions etc.......however, I have a problem when the planes that crash occur during peacetime patroling or maneuvers.
Even in peacetime patroling and manuvers military planes have had a worse safety record then civilian airliners for a long time. Airliners are incredibly safe. Military planes even in peace time often operate at a higher tempo then civilian planes. They pull more difficult manuvers and practice things that they would do in combat. Even in straight level flight they would probably have a worse safety record then airliners (but maybe better then Cessnas and such)
As for age of the F-15s
"The first F-15A flight was made in July 1972, and the first flight of the two-seat F-15B (formerly TF-15A) trainer was made in July 1973. The first Eagle (F-15B) was delivered in November 1974. In January 1976, the first Eagle destined for a combat squadron was delivered.
The single-seat F-15C and two-seat F-15D models entered the Air Force inventory beginning in 1979. These new models have Production Eagle Package (PEP 2000) improvements, including 2,000 pounds (900 kilograms) of additional internal fuel, provision for carrying exterior conformal fuel tanks and increased maximum takeoff weight of up to 68,000 pounds (30,600 kilograms).
The F-15 Multistage Improvement Program was initiated in February 1983, with the first production MSIP F-15C produced in 1985. Improvements included an upgraded central computer; a Programmable Armament Control Set, allowing for advanced versions of the AIM-7, AIM-9, and AIM-120A missiles; and an expanded Tactical Electronic Warfare System that provides improvements to the ALR-56C radar warning receiver and ALQ-135 countermeasure set. The final 43 included a Hughes APG-70 radar."
af.mil
So the first flight was 30 years ago and the F15Cs (which are still in use) started to come in to service in 1979. The F16s are a bit newer but not a lot. The first one flew in 1976 (4 years later then the F15), and they started to come in to service in 1979.
Tim |
