The tactical strike fighter F-15E "Strike Eagle" and a wide range of its versions will continue to operate in the 21st century in the Air Force of the current owners of these machines. Working side by side with the 5th generation aircraft, these aircraft fully compensate for the many serious shortcomings of the purchased F-35A stealth fighters. Possessing a high thrust-to-weight ratio (about 1.0), afterburner thrust midship is about 2484 kgf / sq. m and a relatively low wing load (475 kg / m2), the F-15E boasts a high pitch turn rate comparable to the F-15C versions, excellent acceleration and roll rate at the level of the F-16C. The maximum speed with air-to-air missiles on the suspensions is about 2300 km / h, which is significantly higher than that of the Mirages, Rafals and Gripen. The airframe designed on the basis of the two-seat F-15D has a higher service life, about 16,000 hours, which became possible due to a fifteen-fold reduction in titanium structural elements in comparison with the original F-15B / D airframes, as well as the cancellation of the idea of fixing most of the parts with 10 thousand. rivets. This is what allowed the family to maintain combat effectiveness in the new century. The Strike Eagle aircraft fleet, which is in service with the US Air Force, is also undergoing a phased upgrade of its avionics. In particular, the most modern powerful radar with AFAR AN / APG-82 (V) 1 of the Raytheon company is being installed on American vehicles, which replaces the rapidly aging AN / APG-70. The new airborne radar is based on the AN / APG-63 (V) 3 radar antenna array, intended for installation on fighters on the F-15C, but on the basis of a more efficient on-board computer of the AN / APG-79 radar of the F / A-18E / F multipurpose fighter "Super Hornet", thanks to which the new radar received the best performance from the 2 early modifications. The AN / APG-82 (V) 1 radar is capable of detecting an Eurofighter-type target at a range of 145 km, simultaneously accompanying 28 and “capturing” 8 targets. The radar's aerial combat capabilities are on par with the AN / APG-81 of the F-35A fighter.
Development programs for promising 5th generation aircraft systems are being implemented today in almost every more or less developed country in Europe, Asia and North America. But, despite the wave of progressive technological solutions of the XXI century, confirmed by an impressive portfolio of orders for such machines as the F-35A, the niche of modernized multipurpose fighters of the generation "4" and "4 ++" is still firmly entrenched in the international These aircraft will be head and shoulders above most of the export versions of the 5th generation fighters for more than a decade. Examples of such superiority were also observed in training battles between F-35A with Typhoons, F-16C and F-15E, where the maneuverability and speed qualities of the latter are a level higher than that of the much-publicized Lightning.
Numerous modifications of the F-15C "Eagle" and F-15E "Strike Eagle" deserve special attention here, which, despite the increased accidents in the Japanese Air Defense Forces, will continue to work side by side with the next generation aircraft in the Air Forces of many countries of the pro-American "camp. ". Thus, in the Israeli Air Force, multi-role fighters of the "4+" generation F-15I "Raam" (modification of the F-15E) are equated to the "strategic asset" of the Armed Forces as a whole. A feature of 25 two-seater vehicles is a large range (about 1300 km) when flying along a mixed profile, and about 1600 km in high-altitude mode with a one-time reduction to perform a quick "breakthrough" of enemy air defense with a targeted missile and bomb strike against strategically important enemy targets. Until recently, this allowed the Israeli Air Force to almost freely penetrate Iranian airspace and conduct long-range aerial combat with the outdated aircraft fleet of its Air Force, as well as attack strategically important objects related to nuclear research and the military industry (we are talking about enterprises that are not covered by a sufficient number of air defense systems "Tor-M1"). In addition, with a one-time refueling in the air and using the airbases of Saudi Arabia, the "Raams" could go to Iran from almost any air force (both the western one - from the side of Iraq and the Persian Gulf, and the southern one - from the direction of the Arabian Sea), which automatically "presented" Iranian air defense requirements, for which neither its aviation unit nor the ground was ready. The upgraded Hawks and the S-200V would not have done “a lot of weather” against the F-15I.
The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force is armed with 201 F-15J / DJ air superiority fighters. Single and two-seater vehicles (modifications of American F-15C / D), in the amount of 223 units, were built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries facilities under license from Boeing Corporation since 1981. Over 35 years of operation, as a result of various incidents on the ground and in the air, the Japanese aircraft fleet "Needles" lost 12 fighters, which outside a military situation is a very high accident rate, but for Japan these 4th generation aircraft remain today the main component of air defense. The most important element of the Air Force of the Land of the Rising Sun are 4 KC-767J tanker aircraft, 4 E-767s AWACS and 13 E-2C Hawkeye aircraft. Together with these aircraft, the F-15J can accomplish air-to-air missions (patrolling, interception, etc.) over almost the entire length of the Chinese sea borders up to Southeast Asia. The strategic capabilities of the F-15J gained new meaning after the approval of the Shinzo Abe government of a resolution on the authorization of the use of the Japan Self-Defense Forces on the territory of other countries in the event that allied states are attacked (as you know, there may be weight). Some F-15Js were upgraded by the installation of an optical-electronic sighting system IRST, which gave them new opportunities for conducting close air combat, and also allowed them to conduct covert surveillance of an air enemy in a passive mode.
An interesting fact confirming Israel's large regional ambitions for the use of the F-15I occurred on December 24, 2012, during the so-called "Raid on Khartoum". Then Hel Haavir was attracted to a targeted strike on the Sudanese defense enterprise Yarmuk, 2 F-15I Raam flights (a strike unit with an UAB on board and an air superiority unit to protect against possible retaliatory actions of the Sudanese “Falkrum”), the KC air tanker -707 and the Nakhshon-Eitam Gulfstream G550 electronic countermeasure aircraft. The total flight range with return was about 4000 km, of which 2500 km the aircraft were over the Red Sea. Due to the weak air defense of Sudan, the capital's arms factory was destroyed with impunity, which led to the loss by Hamas of decent arsenals of weapons. The "raid on Khartoum" can be classified as the combat training of the "distant asset" of the Israeli Air Force for operations in the strategic depths of the Iranian airspace, but Tel Aviv did not have long to rejoice.
After the embargo on the supply of Russian S-300 air defense systems to Iran was lifted, the balance of power in Western Asia changed dramatically not in favor of Israel. The Iranian Air Force and Air Defense will be armed with 4 divisions of the S-300PMU-2 Favorit air defense system, which in terms of basic combat qualities are almost on a par with the S-400 Triumph complex. Deployed "in a chain" along the western border and the coast of the Persian Gulf, 3 "Favorites" are capable of blocking the air route with a length of 1200 km (from Bandar Abbas to Kermanshah), the fourth, located north of Tehran, "closes" the sky over the capital and the central industrial agglomerations of Iran. A continuous air defense network in the western and central parts of the state will provide partial protection not only from combat aircraft and medium-range ballistic missiles of Israel and the Arabian coalition, but also from a possible threat from the Turkish direction, where the US Air Force is entrenched no worse than in the Republic of Korea. Despite the fact that only 4 S-300PMU-2 divisions will not be enough to control 100% of all "blind" zones in the difficult mountainous terrain of Iran, Israel's ambitions in the media have become more balanced and filled with a healthy share of analysts about the consequences of the aviation operations against Iran.
"Stirred" in Tel Aviv really in earnest. Many specialists urgently began to look for the concept of "hacking" the "Three hundredth" with the help of stealthy F-35A fighters, and even managed to find "ways" in a couple of days of searching. The Air Force command found a smarter solution, which consisted in a deep modernization of the Raam and the purchase of deeply improved F-15SE Silent Eagle with a reduced radar signature and new capabilities of the AN / APG-63 (V) 3 AFAR airborne radar. The interception ability of the Silent Needle is significantly higher due to its maximum speed of 2.3M, and the better maneuverability than that of the F-35A is due to the trapezoidal wing of a large area and better thrust-to-weight ratio with a normal take-off weight. The "moderate" stealth capabilities of the F-15SE allow the fighter to approach at closer distances to the Iranian air defense radar systems, but the restrictions are still in force, because thanks to Chinese specialists and the Russian and Chinese radar and air defense systems in service, the Iranian sections that are not covered by the 300 skies are under the supervision of Iranian versions of the famous air defense systems.
The most interesting Iranian modifications can be considered the Mersad air defense system (in Russian. “Ambush”), which is a modernized version of the American Hawk, a little-known version of the Buk air defense system called “Ra`ad” with launchers on a wheeled chassis and an Iranian copy of the air defense missile system. 9M38 - "Taer", as well as the S-300PT version, called "Bavar-373". All complexes were equipped with advanced interfaces and software based on the Chinese digital element base; in the PBU, automated workstations of the calculation are equipped with LCD MFI.
As part of the Mersad anti-aircraft missile system, there is not only a new 2, 7-fly SAM "Shalamcheh", but also a specialized low-altitude MRS for intercepting cruise missiles in difficult terrain. Ambushes will perfectly complement the small number of S-300PMU-2 battalions in the highlands of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE MAIN SPONSOR OF ISIL: NEEDLES AS A KEY TO QATAR'S REGIONAL SELF-SUFFICIENCY
But the Israeli and Arabian F-15I and F-15S will soon not be the only "Needles" in Western Asia. According to the latest information provided by the Reuters news agency, at a meeting of Barack Obama with the leaders of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, which took place on April 21 in Riyadh, the issue of approving a 4 billion contract for the supply of 36 F-15 tactical fighters from the corporation to Qatar was discussed. Boeing ". Most likely, we are talking about modifications of the F-15E or F-15SE. A contract for the purchase of 24 Rafale multirole fighters for the Qatar Air Force is also pending. But why does the small monarchy of the Arabian Peninsula need 60 fighters of the “4 ++” generation with a range of more than 1,500 kilometers, when the most powerful air forces of the flagships of the “Arabian coalition” - Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - are nearby? There are two answers.
First of all, this is an update of the outdated aircraft fleet of Qatar, which for a long time was based only on 12 multi-role fighters of the 4th generation "Mirage 2000-5 EDA / DDA". The vehicles had a limited list of combat missions to be solved, which were mainly reduced to the air defense of the close borders of the monarchy from fighter-bombers of the Iranian Air Force and the launching of missile and bomb strikes on Libyan territory as part of the Allied Air Forces of the coalition during Operation Odyssey. Dawn". Qatar was a kind of pro-Western henchman, whose behavior depends solely on the decisions made in Washington. But after IS raised its head throughout Central Asia and, in particular, in Syria and Iraq, the need to expand the range of "power tools" for Qatar became very urgent, since this state is the direct sponsor of the largest and richest terrorist organization in history. You won't go far with 12 Mirages, and it is necessary to adjust the military situation in your favor by supporting IS in Syria, and even without asking for the support of the Saudis, Turks and Americans, it is necessary almost every day. The second reason for such extensive military purchases flows smoothly from this.
The desire for independent action in Syria, and in the entire region, forced the Qatar Air Force command to act in the spring of 2014. The first step was signed a contract with the Airbus concern for the purchase of two A330 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker / Transport) convertible transport and refueling aircraft (TZS) to increase the reach of existing and future tactical aviation. Two aircraft are capable of transferring up to 90 tons of military cargo to Syria per flight, while 2 Rafale flights and 2 Strike / Silent Eagle flights (a total of 16 fighters) can be fully fueled (with PTB) another air operation in the Middle East. Apparently, the F-15 will more often perform strike functions, and the Rafali - the task of covering the first from the fighter aircraft of the Syrian Air Force or our Aerospace Forces. This is also indicated by other sub-clauses of the Rafali contract, which deal with missile armament. They provide for the purchase of medium-range air-to-air missiles MICA and long-range MBDA "Meteor". The latter, in one way or another, pose a serious threat to all types of fighters: equipped with a ramjet engine "Meteora" have high speed indicators in the final flight segment, and the ARGSN from the SAM "Aster-30" contributes to an improved "capture" of targets with a reduced ESR, which include fighters generation "4 ++". Making an anti-missile maneuver from Meteor, one can only hope for electronic warfare, dipole reflectors and simple luck. This is the most realistic tactic of the Qatari tactical aviation.
But both "Rafali" and "Silent Needles" are interchangeable in the tasks of conquering air supremacy. And, in cases of pursuit of a high-speed air enemy, the F-15SE, due to the 600 km / h higher maximum speed, will be more expedient than the Rafale, but only with AIM-120C-8 missiles. I suppose, of course, that the “top” in Doha is unlikely to be smart enough to engage in air combat with our Su-35S or Su-30SM equipped with Khibiny and RVV-SD missiles, but what does not happen in the chaos of modern military conflicts.
A very interesting fact is the type of “Rafale” versions purchased by Qatar. A total of 6 single cars, the remaining 18 are doubles (by analogy with the Egyptian "Rafale-DM"). Qatar "aimed" far away, because we all know that two-seat fighters are more tenacious and capable both in conducting aerial combat with several targets and in air-to-ground missions: the co-pilot can duplicate the first, play the role of a systems operator, or a pilot, what alternately unloads the aircraft crew; vivid examples of this are the Su-30SM and MiG-35S. Qatar's requests for strategic influence in the region are indeed supported in direct proportion to the viability of IS, and the preparation of contracts for the F-15 and Rafals is only half the battle.
The same "Rafalev" contract includes the supply of a large batch of SCALP long-range aircraft cruise missiles and AASM 125 modular guided munitions. ALCM SCALP have a range from 250 to 1000+ km; due to low radar signature and heavy tandem penetrating warhead weighing 450 kg BROACH, the missile is capable of overcoming powerful air defense and hitting fortified areas and underground infrastructure in the operational depth of enemy territory. The Qatar Air Force will be able to use this missile against some onshore facilities in Iran and against Syrian government forces in the south and center of the country, where the air defense systems of the Russian Aerospace Forces are not yet operational. Modular UAB AASM 125 differ in the minimum circular probable deviation (CEP) from the target within 1 meter, achieved by installing a semi-active laser seeker. This ammunition can also be used against the Syrian army from the southern directions, where the multipurpose aviation of the Western coalition dominates.
Knowing that Iran is taking an active part in the fight against ISIS, sending units of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to SAR, the Qatar Armed Forces have already taken care of building an anti-ship defense against the Iranian Navy in the Persian Gulf in case of a possible outbreak of conflict between Iran and the "Arabian coalition" … Qatar will be the closest first target on which the Iranian Armed Forces will strike. At the exhibition of military equipment DIMDEX-2016, which took place in Doha on March 30, the Ministry of Defense of Qatar signed another contract with the European consortium MBDA for the purchase of an air defense missile system equipped with French Exocet MM-40 Block 3 anti-ship missiles and Italian Marte-ER missiles. An additional amount of MM-40 Block 3 was purchased to re-equip 4 Barzan-class missile boats and 3 Damsah-class missile boats. These modifications of the Exocet anti-ship missile system are capable of striking not only sea targets, but also enemy coastal targets; and frigates and corvettes in service with the Iranian navy today have very weak air defense. There is nothing more serious than the Sea Cat shipborne self-defense air defense system in the Iranian fleet, therefore Iran does not have protection from the new "Exocets" in the naval theater of operations. But there are modernized Chinese anti-ship missiles of the C-802 type, called in Iran "Noor" and "Gader" with a range of up to 220 km, which is enough to completely destroy the Qatari fleet in the event of a preemptive strike.
The anti-ship missile "Exocet" MM-40 Block 3 is capable of descending to 2 meters in the final flight phase, which makes it a difficult target not only for surface ships with outdated self-defense air defense systems, but also for the most modern frigates, destroyers and cruisers with BIUS "Aegis" on board, the decimeter range of which creates problems with intercepting targets at ultra-low altitudes. It is known that in addition to Qatar, a coastal anti-ship complex based on the MM-40 Block 3 anti-ship missile system was also purchased by the Kazakh Navy for defense in the Caspian
On the territory of Qatar, there is a large American airbase El Udeid, where a B-52H strategic bomber was transferred from Barksdale airbase (Louisiana) the day before, and Doha is fully confident in American support in case of a regional war. But this will not save the monarchy from hundreds of Iranian operational-tactical ballistic missiles "Shihab-1/2" and MRBM "Shihab-3", which will be enough to "grind" all known underground command posts and launchers of the MRBM DF-3 Royal Saudi Strategic Missile Forces, and turn all Qatari military installations into ruins. Here, neither the Patriots defending El Udeid on land, nor the Aegis covering from the sea, will do anything: the number of missiles is overwhelming.
But this scenario of a big war depends on many military-political factors and preconditions that have not been created unambiguously to date, and it is not a fact that an imminent confluence of circumstances will show us a fundamentally different picture of the structure of this vast region of Asia. For this reason, the sharp increase in the Qatar Air Force by Rafals and the latest versions of the Needles is taking Doha to a new level of influence in the Middle East in a local game. And thanks to the A330 MRTT transport and fuel stations, the monarchy's military aircraft can appear in the skies of almost any new "victim" of the Western regime in North Africa and Western Asia, with which, through the mediation of ISIS and other terrorist organizations, the Al-Thani family will see a worthy benefit of sheikhs. …
