While Australia does not fly F-15s, the US has been more than happy to sell the Mach 2.5 air superiority fighters to Japan, South Korea and Singapore, a fairly unambiguous hint at whose air power they are intended to check.
Australia is a maritime nation and requires a maritime strike capability, something the USAF's current and planned fighters do not have.
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing).
The F-35A Lightning II is the Australian Defence Force's first fifth-generation air combat capability. It is a highly advanced multi-role, supersonic, stealth fighter which will meet Australia's requirements to defeat current and emerging threats. The F-35A is at the forefront of air combat technology.
Australia. The F-35 Lightning II is the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) premier 5th Generation fighter that will meet Australia's requirements to defeat emerging threats for decades to come.
MELBOURNE, Australia — American F-22 fighters are training in northern Australia alongside the host nation's F-35A jets as part of an initiative meant to improve interoperability between their armed forces.
Air Force has 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets which, in conjunction with F-35A Lightning II's and EA-18G Growlers, ensure that Australia's air combat capability edge is maintained. The F/A-18F Super Hornets achieved Final Operational Capability (FOC) in December 2012 and are based at Number 1 Squadron at RAAF Base Amberley.
The People's Liberation Army Air Force operates a large and varied fleet of some 4,000 aircraft, of which around 2,566 are combat aircraft (fighter, attack, and bombers). According to FlightGlobal, China has the second-largest active combat aircraft fleet and the third-largest total aircraft fleet in the world.
Based on earlier estimates, China has constructed at least 200 J-20 jets.
J-20 & F-22: Wingspan, Speed & Weapons
The Chinese J-20 certainly appears slightly larger than an F-22 or F-35 stealth jet fighter, given its dual wing configuration, an engineering method employed to optimize air flow and achieve improved aerodynamic performance.
59 F-15K fighters are currently in operation. The ROKAF expects to fly the jet until 2060. In February 2022, the South Korean government awarded Boeing a new contract to provide support and operational readiness to its F-15K fleet.
On 28 December, South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) approved a programme to upgrade existing F-15K fighters, plus acquire additional air-to-air tankers. The F-15K modernisation project is valued at KRW3. 46 trillion ($2.72 billion), and will occur between 2024 and 2034.
19/20 January 1991: F-15E-46-MC, 88‑1692, c/n 1101/E076, of the 336th FS, 4th TFW, USAF, was shot down by an Iraqi SA-2E missile during Operation Desert Storm. Both crew members ejected and were POWs.
Top Gun is Australia's premier adventure flight company. They offer adventure flights in high speed military jets and classic warbirds and have been thrilling passengers though the skies of Tasmania and mainland Australia for over 6 years.
It was a no-brainer decision — the F-18 had a much better avionics package & a heavier armament, including BVR missiles.
The retired F/A-18s are sitting in a hangar at the Williamtown RAAF base outside Newcastle. Washington's approval is needed because it owns the intellectual property on the jets that have been retired by the RAAF and which are being replaced by F-35s, of which Australia has ordered 72.
The J-20 is both faster and has a longer range than the F-35, while later models of the J-20 have supercruise – an ability to fly at high speed without afterburners. However, the Chinese fighter jet does have inferior stealth attributes to the F-35.
CHINA, RUSSIA CAN'T TOP OUR FABULOUS F-22 FIGHTERS
Now China has a fifth-generation stealth fighter, similar to the U.S. F-22, which has further closed what was once a virtually insurmountable gap between the two militaries in terms of technological capabilities – all thanks to continued intellectual property theft.
The Republic of China Air Force operates a total of 150 F-16A/B Block 20 aircraft, which are essentially identical to MLU aircraft.
China has the second largest air force in the world after the United States, which has the most significant air force strength. According to reports, the U.S. operates 10,000 more air platforms than China.
[31] China is now able to develop and produce advanced airframes, although it still lacks the capacity to build fully indigenous aircraft engines. While China has certainly made improvements, it still lacks the manufacturing expertise and tacit knowledge required to build modern turbofan engines.
The twin-seat F-14, which can fly at twice the speed of sound, is the Navy's primary fighter jet and has never been sold to China.
In 2007, Australia decided to retire all of its RAAF F-111s. The drawdown of the RAAF's F-111 fleet began with the retirement of the F-111G models operated by No. 6 Squadron in late 2007.
The acquisition of Canada's new fleet of F-35 fighter jets will occur as a staggered process. Acquisition plans for a number of aircraft are already confirmed, and this process will continue until the full fleet of 88 jets is acquired.