An unmatched combat record and enduring evolutionary upgrades cemented the F-15E's dominance over the F-16XL's innovative, yet ultimately sidelined, design.
By Kris Osborn, Warrior
During the height of the 1980s Cold War, the Pentagon chose to produce the F-15 Eagle fighter jet as part of its Enhanced Tactical Fighter program, a decision which left General Dynamics F-16XL offering as merely a short-lived emblem of creativity. In retrospect, the decision appears sound, given the massive extent to which the F-15E has surged into the future. Not only is today’s F-15E upgraded with paradigm-changing computing, weapons, sensing and radar, but its progress further inspired the creation of the 4.5-gen 4th-Gen “plus” F-15EX aircraft.
Was F-15E The Right Choice?
It is certainly easy enough to look back and question previous decisions about fighter jet design, development and choice, given that there are so many variables, yet it does seem like it would be difficult to question the Pentagon’s wisdom when it comes to their 1980s decision to pick Boeing’s F-15E over General Dynamics F-16XL offering. The famous F-25 Eagle can reach speeds of Mach 2.25, equivalent to an F-22 and among the best fighter jet speeds anywhere in the world. The jet’s combat record is also likely unparalleled as the fighter has 100 air-to-air kills with no losses, something which establishes that the F-15E has never lost a dogfight. It is unclear if the actual “performance” of the F-16XL would have accomplished this objective or substantially rivalled the F-15 Eagle, particularly because the F-15 has two engines and a virtually unparalleled thrust-to-weight ratio.
In a simple sense on the surface, there was a self-evident production and design reality related to the decision; the F-15E could be manufactured more quickly and easily as its fuselage and basic components were aligned with previous F-15C and D models. The F-16XL, however, departed from existing or previous F-16s by using a different, heavily modified design called a “cranked-arrow” delta wing. The design has a “bend” in its leading edge, making the aircraft fuselage look like a “bent arrow.” The “cranked arrow” configuration seeks to optimize performance by combining a highly-swept wing, something ideal for supersonic flight, with a “less-swept” wing able to support subsonic maneuvering. The design, therefore, sought to generate both supersonic and subsonic advantages, achieving both speed and maneuverability at different speeds and altitudes.
F-16 E and F?
Should the F-16XL have been picked by the Pentagon as the Enhanced Tactical Fighter in the 1980s, there would likely now be an F-16E and F-16F. As it stands no such aircraft exists, however the Air Force has taken massive steps to extend the service life of the F-16 for years beyond what was initially expected. Not only did Lockheed build a special, upgraded F-16 variant for international sales, but the company also retrofitted the US Air Force’s existing F-16 fleet with a host of performance-enhancing upgrades. At one point, Lockheed and the Air Force upgraded the F-16 with F-35 technologies such as an AESA radar.
Service Life Extension Program
U.S. Air Force modernization experts have described this Service Life Extension program as 12 structural modifications called a Time Compliance Technical Order. Part of this included upgrading F-16 radar systems from mechanically scanned radar (APG-68) to an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) (APG-83).
Lockheed F-16 weapons developers have also said the aircraft was getting new computers, software, targeting technology, and cockpit displays to ensure it remained cutting-edge and capable against advanced 4th-generation threats. As part of this effort, Lockheed even engineered a new “V” variant of the F-16, which continues to generate allied interest around the world with added missile warning systems, EW, and helmet-mounted cueing technology.
Kris Osborn is the President of Warrior Maven – Center for Military Modernization. Osborn previously served at the Pentagon as a highly qualified expert in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army—Acquisition, Logistics & Technology. Osborn has also worked as an anchor and on-air military specialist at national TV networks. He has appeared as a guest military expert on Fox News, MSNBC, The Military Channel, and The History Channel. He also has a Masters Degree in Comparative Literature from Columbia University.