Possible way to implement the F-15 family soon™️

Game Discussion General Discussion
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Note: BRs are for ARB and assuming no BR decompression between now and when the vehicles are added.

What do you think?
  • Great idea!
  • Good idea, needs tweaks
  • Terrible idea!
0 voters

The F-15 is one of the most anticipated 4th gen fighters for War Thunder. For good reason- IMO it’s the coolest aircraft ever built.
However, with the exceptional flight capabilities of the F-15 and its ability to carry AMRAAMs means it would be a significant step up in vehicle capabilities, causing compression and powercreep. Otherwise, there would need to be a significant wait for the vehicle.

I have a suggestion of how to implement the F-15A sooner than later without it being OP- don’t give the F-15A AMRAAMs.

The F-15A:
The F-15A is the first variant of the F-15. Its most similar in-game equivalent is the F-14B, but with dramatically improved flight performance.
3,000km/h vs 2,200km/h
1.85TWR vs 1.24
342m/s climb vs 224
55lb/ft^2 vs 94 (lower is better)
It entered service in 1976. I would have it armed with AIM-7F (1976) and AIM-7M (1982) as well as AIM-9L (1976) and AIM-9M (1983). This would create a highly capable vehicle with great flight performance but without having to introduce newer, more capable missile types. The F-15A would then be available for adding at 12.7 soon™️ along with the Su-27, which conveniently uses already in-game R-73s and R-27s rather than the more advanced R-74s and R-77s.
The F-15A could historically carry AMRAAMs, yes. These entered service in late 1991. The F-15As were relegated to the National Guard starting in 1979 when the F-15C entered service. While the last one was decommissioned in 2009, by 1991 F-15As were exclusively used in secondary roles. For example, no F-15As flew in Desert Storm.

The F-15C:
The F-15C is an improved version of the F-15A. Flight performance is similar and the primary upgrades were in armament. New radar, AIM-9M and AIM-120A and B AMRAAMs. This would be at a TBD BR of ~13.3 or 13.7 depending on how compressed top BR becomes and the performance AMRAAMs demonstrate on less capable aircraft such as the F-4F ICE that should come first.

F-15C (Late):
This is the version of the F-15C is still in service today. Multiple-target-tracking radar, C and D AMRAAMs as well as AIM-9Xs at a TBD BR.

F-15J:
Japanese F-15 based on F-15C. Entered service in 1981. Same armament as the F-15A, same BR. AAM-3s can be carried, but probably shouldn’t to simplify balance.

F-15J Mid Service Improvement Program (early):
2004 upgrade of F-15J. New radar, AAM-3s (IR missile better than 9M) and AAM-4s (early AMRAAM equivalent). Same or similar BR as F-15C.

F-15J Mid Service Improvement Program (late):
2010 upgrade to the F-15J. AAM-4B (late AMRAAM equivalent) and AAM-5 (AIM-9X equivalent). Same or similar BR to F-15C (late).

F-15E:
Huge upgrade. Not gonna bother.

F-15I:
Israeli F-15E variant.

In conclusion: F-15A and J WITHOUT AMRAAMs or other more modern missiles could come in only a couple updates at 12.7 without excessive powercreep. Models such as the F-15C and F-15J MTDP with those more capable missiles could come in the next year or so at a higher BR.

Let me know your thoughts!

1 Like
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All this vehicle inclusion discussion is pointless until we get proper game modes, with proper mission tasks, to accommodate these advance weapon carriers.

3 Likes
3

F-15JSI is not in Service (yet), you are refering to F-15J-MSIP.

2 Likes
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Maybe. Information in English is difficult to find.
I didn’t look that deep into it, as only the F-15A and early J’s specifics were important, with the other variants just showing that there are still plenty of variants that can be added later with improved firepower.

5

I like this idea and fully support adding F-15s with AIM-7s first. +1

I’d like to add some of my thoughts on the japaneses F-15s:

Spoiler

F-15J should get AAM-3, but maybe not if it’s introduced now. They can still be added later and if necessary increase BR.

F-15J MSIP can carry AAM-4B (first AESA radar missile and superior to PD radar AIM-120) and AAM-5B (improved AAM-5) but limiting it to just AAM-4 and AAM-5 might make sense for BR progression, with a seperate late variant. AAM-4 are still AIM-120B/C like though and AAM-5 is much superior to AIM-9M so I’d still put it at a higher BR than F-15C.

For F-15C BR maybe an F-15DJ with AIM-120B/C and AAM-3 to compensate for the slightly worse flight performance of the trainer variant could work. Technically any F-15J can just be given AIM-120B/C, but this is a convenient excuse to get the DJ variant specifically. And there can never be too many F-15s.

The higher performance AAM-4B and AAM-5B could be added to an F-15J MSIP with experimental IRST, acting as the end of the line, late F-15 for Japan with the best equipment before the JSI.

The F-15JSI itself will be an upgrade similar to the F-15EX, but focused more on air to air rather than multirole like the EX. Exact information isn’t known as it isn’t done yet.

Maybe an F-15DJ MSIP foldered with the late J MSIP, mainly would be nice, this could be added with some more unusual systems in game like the pod mounted version of the IRST making it an interesting addition. I’d still rather see this as a foldered vehicle and mainly want it to have a later F-15DJ.

So basically (TL;DR) what I’d like to see for the “F-15 line” for Japan is:

Spoiler
  • F-15J with AIM-7M, AIM-9L, AAM-3 later
  • F-15DJ with AIM-120B/C, AAM-3
  • F-15J MSIP (early I guess) with AAM-4, AAM-5
  • F-15J MSIP (late with IRST) with AAM-4B, AAM-5B

Foldered F-15DJ MSIP with AAM-4B, AAM-5B

  • F-15JSI when that is done with the most recent armament available for it

Edit: This wasn’t meant to be a reply to a specific comment, sorry. I don’t want to seem rude, just suggest more F-15s

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give it a year, then sure

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Yeah I agree with your F-15J plan. Excellent ideas.

I think depending on the performance of the AAM-3 with it the F-15J would be 13.0, .3 higher than the F-15A. I’d prefer this option considering the other minor C-model changes the J gets access to over the A. But I anticipated Japanese mains being upset if their F-15 was a higher BR than the American one essentially because of a single missile, hence copy-pasting the F-15A armament.

The J MSIP is difficult to find information in English on, hence my incorrect naming of the vehicles. It’s a single upgrade program that has evolved in goals, scope, and capabilities over its history.
What you described is what I meant, with the early getting AAM-3s and AAM-4 and the late getting AAM-5s and AAM-4Bs. Like you mentioned, the early MSIP could carry AAM-4Bs and 5s but because those are such great missiles it’d be better to have an F-15J without them at a lower BR and one with at a higher one.
So the “early” would have AAM-3s, AAM-4s, and maybe AAM-5s at .3 higher BR depending on that last missile’s performance while the “late” would get all the missile options. A bit inaccurate, but allows more F-15s without overcrowding a BR.

I’m not very familiar with the F-15DJ except that they are combat-capable trainers based on the F-15D with capabilities similar to the J. These could work as suggested as foldered vehicles under their standard J counterparts. Or, they might make good event or premium vehicles- Gaijin’s gonna end up monetizing 4th gens eventually.

And you didn’t come off as rude at all, just excited like I am ;)

1 Like
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Let alone have them backed up by de-classified documents or whatever that criteria is…

Without this sort of information, they’re just wanting a balancing nightmare to be added, to further make this issue worse.

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Its a good idea, as soon as F-15 is added, we can get Typhoon and finally something competetive

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Unfortunately AFAIK the Typhoon has always used ASRAAM, AMRAAM, IRIS-T, etc. This would make it similarly capable to the F-15C, not the F-15A.

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Can be fitted with Aim-9L or Aim-9L/i or Aim-9M extremely easily, Whilst it entered service with those, its perfectly compatible with Aim-9. Could only run AMRAAM, but so is everything else at that BR soon, probably also the F-15, so doesnt matter that much there either

13

Yeah, I could see an AIM-9 only Eurofighter being a nice addition. Italy in particular has no other options before the full Typhoon, while Germany only really has the F-4F ICE and Britain would have to rely on Indian, Canadian, or South African vehicles.
Hopefully we get some air subtrees for these nations.

1 Like
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F-15C was introduced in 1979.
It couldn’t fire AMRAAMs as they didn’t exist yet.
AMRAAMs would come in the 1990s and F-15Cs were updated to fire them.
F-15C & J share the same armament.

15

Yeah, neither the F-15C nor J used AMRAAMs when they entered service.
The J reflects this in the plan with the J (early). The C (early) would just be a copy of the A, which is why it is not in the proposal. Instead, there is only the mid life configuration and later upgrades.

16

C has guaranteed countermeasures while A would require more research, as well as a slightly different model.

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The MSIP of 1983 added ALQ-135 countermeasures to the F-15A/B/C/D. This is the first part of the same program that added the APG-70 radar to the F-15C/D.

I don’t know if all F-15A/Bs got countermeasures but at least some did and that’s good enough.

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In no way or form should the Eagle be put in game it would desicrate its real life perfomance and be Mig target …104 to 0 man

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nope what?

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I don’t think this will be an issue past the introduction. I’d get being upset for having to wait for the F-15 (mainly sonce I really want it), and I think the solution would be simply adding the missile later, and introducing both at the same time.

This does make a lot of sense, the main reason I want the early one to have AAM-5 instead of AAM-3 is that the late one receiving AAM-5B would already make the earlier variant obsolete for the airframe. It would simply be sad to see no F-15J with AAM-5 as top missile.

It’s not really that inaccurate, only missing loadout options for the early one. With the late variant coming at a higher BR this is a nice way to move BRs more seamlessly, it was a pretty good idea.

They are twin seat variants, essentially the same as their J counterparts with the extra weight and drag of the second seat. I’d prefer to use one to fill the F-15C equal BR, as Japan does have AMRAAM they could equip. These aren’t commonly seen on F-15Js, but a DJ with them might be a good option. Also while Japan has no AIM-9M, the decrease in flight performance can balance out the difference between AAM-3 on the F-15DJ and AIM-9M on the F-15C.
As for the other DJ I suggested, I just like the DJ, so I thought an MSIP version with later armament would be nice.

I didn’t think of that, they probably will at some point. I have a feeling they will pick an aggressor squadron F-15DJ for that

Spoiler

I’d buy it…

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F-15DJ (Aggressor)
Or they use this one (I could see it being added with american weapons only to be honest)
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Good to hear, always excited about the F-15 o7

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Ok, well, I gave you the option of clarifying your statement, but you didn’t take it, so I’ll just write you off as actually limited in your ability to comment, and not worth taking note of in the future.