USAF approached Boeing about building the F-15X...another sign of the F-35 off ramp!

via The War Zone.

Last week, the aerospace-defense community was overwhelmingly intrigued by a report from Defenseone.com that said Boeing was pitching a new variant of its 45-year-old F-15 Eagle line of fighters to the United States Air Force. Still, next to nothing is known about this initiative, including where it came from and what it entails exactly. Although it has been framed as a Boeing solicitation to the USAF, the opposite is actually true—the USAF began the discussion over a year and a half ago. Since then, ongoing talks have been kept incredibly hush-hush, along with the details of the aircraft involved—until now. 

Story here. 

READ THE WHOLE THING!!!!

As usual the article goes to great lengths to prop up the F-35 but like I said.  Read the damn thing!  It's beyond obvious that this USAF initiative is an off ramp.

Additionally its an effort to put the USAF back into the fighter business in a big way...or more specifically into the "killing the enemy airforce" business!

It also signals that the Missile Truck concept is alive and well.  Check this out from the same article...

With the help of the company's new AMBER missile carrying racks, the F-15X will be able to carry a whopping 22 air-to-air missiles during a single sortie. Alternatively, it could fly with eight air-to-air missiles and 28 Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs), or up to seven 2,000lb bombs and eight air-to-air missiles. We are talking crazy weapons hauling capabilities here. Keep in mind that the F-15C/D Eagle can carry eight air-to-air missiles currently, and the penultimate Eagle variant that is currently being built, the F-15SA, can carry a dozen.

My prediction?

This ain't about the F-15X teaming with the F-35.  This is about the F-15X teaming with the F-22!

The F-22 will quarterback future fights with the F-15X being the bull running back that bowls over the enemy with long distance missile strikes, while the F-22 maps out new targets.

Another prediction?

When the F-15X goes up loaded with 22 air to air missiles it'll still be able to knock down ground targets of interest.  If they can make an SM-6 capable of hitting ships then doing the same with the AIM-120D shouldn't be beyond the realm of possibilities.

It took long to get here but I'm pleased.

Our allies might be screwed with the F-35A.  The USMC and Royal Navy (and others that come on board) might be satisfied with the F-35 operating off LHDs. The US Navy might still be playing nice with the F-35C even though everyone knows they're all in with the Super Hornet.

The fiction wit the F-35 will continue but the truth is finally coming out.

It took too long but the USAF is finally serious about winning the air war again....and that new plan doesn't include the F-35 in any meaningful way...