The President’s budget this year provides $117.5 million for F-15 fleet wide Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radar upgrades, of which approximately $32.5 million is for Air National Guard (ANG). However, the ANG still needs over $307 million overall in radar upgrades to ensure parity with active forces. Additionally, the President’s budget eliminates 23 ANG F-15s and the associated manpower.
This loss of aircraft will erode our national’s ability to project air dominance, defend the homeland through the Guard’s Aerospace Control Alert mission, conducted advanced training and ensure proper qualifications are met for F-15 pilots. Likewise, these reductions provide no significant cost savings and put the nation’s capability at risk.
The Air Force currently possesses 248 F-15C/D aircraft worldwide, with the ANG maintaining 130 (52 percent) of those aircraft. Of the 130 F-15 aircraft the ANG maintains, 74 possess the oldest APG-63v(0) radar system. This V(0) radar is a mechanically scanned system and has significant limitations in capability against most threats across the globe.
Upgrading the F-15 with the APG-63(V)3 AESA radar provides a significant technological advantage for both homeland defense and world-wide operations.
Additionally, the V(3) is dramatically easier and cheaper to maintain due to its sold state electronics. Studies indicate that the AESA radar generates approximately 800 percent more reliability than the V(0) radar. It also allows for true and effective multi-track and attack capability and increased capability against advanced electronic attack and small radar cross section targets.
An additional $190 million in funding additional is needed to maintain parity amongst the Combat Air Force’s F-15 in the Active and the National Guard.
Considering the Air Force will have to maintain F-15s for the foreseeable future, it is paramount to ensure additional upgrades to the ANG fleet while also maintaining the current and effective F-15 force structure.
