"Kevin Brooks" wrote in message ...
"JD" wrote in message
om...
rec.aviation.military added.
"Brash" wrote in message
u...
They should lease 24 F-15E's until JSF come on-line.

JSF = F-35?

The Air Force should lease F-16Es (http://tinyurl.com/2vdm7) as a
replacement for the F/A-18 until the F-35 is ready for production,
which may take a decade longer than anticipated based on the F-22
experience.

How many Block 60's have you seen offered for "lease"? The only lease deal
for F-16's that I know of is the Italian one, for refurbished old F-16 ADF
variants.

But we have a special relationship. It is something we should be
considering. Only a fool thinks that the F-35 will be delivered on
time.

To replace the capability of the F-111, simply lease F-15Ts, which is
a vastly more capable long range strike aircraft than the F-35 anyway.

Again, how many F-15's of *any* type, much less the Tango, have been leased,
or offered for lease?

Off hand i don't know, but that doesn't prevent us asking for them.

Any concerns over range are immediately dispelled now that we are
getting refuelling capability.

These aircraft are proven, modern and cheaper.

An F-15T is cheaper than what the F-35 is supposed to cost?

Certainly. The latest F-15 is in production for less than half of the
production cost of the F-22, which is marginally more expensive than
the proposed cost for the F-35.

As always, we won't get the best, most cost effective solution as ego
and politics intervene.

But you may get a more realistic one than the lease of late model variants
that are the least likely to be offered on lease.

Granted, but it doesn't hurt to ask and it is a better plan than
putting missiles on Orions!