QUESTION ASKED: Can USAF Afford To Retire F-15 C/D Eagle?

The U.S. Air Force has invested years of work and hundreds of millions of dollars in keeping Boeing’s F-15C fleet flying well into the 2040s. But Lt. Gen. Scott Rice, director of the Air National Guard (ANG), recently shocked the aerospace community when he revealed the service is now thinking seriously about sunsetting the iconic Eagle two decades early.

Faced with tight budgets, the Air Force is desperately looking for ways to cut costs in order to invest in new capabilities. To keep the 1970s-era Eagle flying beyond the late 2020s, the service would likely need to spend $30-40 million per aircraft—an investment that may not be worth the price, officials say.

The Air Force probably cannot afford to repair the F-15 fleet while simultaneously bringing online new fifth- and sixth-generation aircraft such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), B-21 stealth bomber and new Penetrating Counterair (PCA) fighter, the head of Air Combat Command, Gen. Mike Holmes, tells Aviation Week. But at a time when Russia and China are pumping out large numbers of highly capable fourth-generation fighters, can the Air Force really afford to retire over 200 Eagles?

We’ve enjoyed air supremacy long enough that we take it for granted.