Boeing F-15EX/QA and related variants

Well the F-15E already wasn't just the Eagle...

... So it has to be F-15F Super Eagle.
The only acceptable choice.
 
Because the USAF are dopes when it comes to naming conventions. Some they get are great, Eagle, Raptor, Raider. Then pull stupid crap like B-21, F-35, anything "II" in it. The latter inevitably gets a nickname from the front line guys.

The reason for the F-35 being the Lightning II was it also translated well for all of the other air forces using it. Also the P-38 built by Lockheed and the BAC Lightning. Yeah, it's stupid marketing, but marketing usually is. You note in your paragraph that the Raider is a great name and then say the B-21 has a stupid name. You really need to make up your mind. ;)

Although, what I think you're trying to say is the designation system, not the name. Aka B-3 instead of B-21. Once again, marketing. As for the F-35, I think they did what they did because there are reports that a YF-24 was flown and if they had followed standard convention, the F-35 would have been the F-25. Then everyone would be asking what happened to F-24? The collective shrugging from the USAF would have been more laughable than simply saying we're going to change the X to an F.

The one that was stupid to me was "Fighting Falcon." I know they didn't want to call it the Viper because of BSG, but the pilots call it that anyway. Although, now they try to claim it's because the YF-17 was named the Cobra, which is complete bullshit. I remember AvWeek quoting the USAF saying they weren't going to name it after a sci fi TV show fighter back then.

Of course they're program names are even dumber. Go look up, "Soaring Otter." Soon to be followed by Swimming Centipede and Gloating Wombat. OK, I made those last two up.
 
As for the F-35, I think they did what they did because there are reports that a YF-24 was flown and if they had followed standard convention, the F-35 would have been the F-25.

If only there had been that much thought put into it. Nope. If you go watch the video of the stuffed suit announcing the X-35 winning, he gets asked by a reporter, "so what will be it's official designation?" Suit responds, "Uhhhh, F-35?" And nobody dared correct him.
 
Because the USAF are dopes when it comes to naming conventions. Some they get are great, Eagle, Raptor, Raider. Then pull stupid crap like B-21, F-35, anything "II" in it. The latter inevitably gets a nickname from the front line guys.

The reason for the F-35 being the Lightning II was it also translated well for all of the other air forces using it. Also the P-38 built by Lockheed and the BAC Lightning. Yeah, it's stupid marketing, but marketing usually is. You note in your paragraph that the Raider is a great name and then say the B-21 has a stupid name. You really need to make up your mind. ;)

Although, what I think you're trying to say is the designation system, not the name. Aka B-3 instead of B-21. Once again, marketing. As for the F-35, I think they did what they did because there are reports that a YF-24 was flown and if they had followed standard convention, the F-35 would have been the F-25. Then everyone would be asking what happened to F-24? The collective shrugging from the USAF would have been more laughable than simply saying we're going to change the X to an F.

The one that was stupid to me was "Fighting Falcon." I know they didn't want to call it the Viper because of BSG, but the pilots call it that anyway. Although, now they try to claim it's because the YF-17 was named the Cobra, which is complete bullshit. I remember AvWeek quoting the USAF saying they weren't going to name it after a sci fi TV show fighter back then.

Of course they're program names are even dumber. Go look up, "Soaring Otter." Soon to be followed by Swimming Centipede and Gloating Wombat. OK, I made those last two up.
Of course it's marketing, doesn't change my opinion of the practice. I'm critical of both designation and official naming. As Sferrin noted, the F-35 is only called that because as I recall, a senior marine corps G.O. called it that and they didn't want to publicly correct him which would hurt his feelings I guess. In any case it was earmarked to be designated to be the F-24, LM even had design documentation with that already, and it ended up costing a fair amount of money as they had to go through and change them. I'm fine with Lightning, or thunderbolt etc. just no need to keep adding iterations to the name. The USN does this with ship names that have been reused. They don't have "USS Enterprise VIII", just USS Enterprise. Perfect. I'm just saying call it "F-35 Lightning" or "C-17 Globemaster" etc. Instead the F-35 is now known as Fat Amy...
 
Some proposals I like, which have been posted on Twitter:
F-15F Yeager - After Chuck Yeager of course, but also think or pronounce his name in German. "Jäger" = hunter or fighter ;):cool:
F-15F Starscream - After the Deception toy from our childhood.
F-15F Eagle III - after the Fisher P-75A and then after legendary F-15A-D.
F-15EX Maschine ..... and any other word combination with the anagram "5EX" ;):p
Time will tell us, which official - or inofficial - designation and name the F-15EX will finally get.
 
Rumors around 20 F-15EX for Korea:
the F-15K, the flagship of the Air Force, is also old, so the time to improve its performance is coming. The existing mechanical radar is replaced with the latest active array scanning (AESA) radar, and avionics equipment is also subject to replacement. The cost of performance improvement alone exceeds the 5 trillion won, costing 90 billion won per F-15K. Recently, the price of the US Lockheed Martin stealth fighter F-35A has dropped to less than KRW 90 billion per unit. Some people are talking about a specific amount, such as about 3.4 trillion won for the F-15K performance improvement project cost, and 5 trillion won for the introduction of 20 F-15EX units, including about 2 trillion won.
 
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Sounds like the old habit of incrementing a number past an appelation: Mirage III, IV and V (instead of the odd F-1 designation). Spitfire I, II, V, IX... Mustang I, II and III...
I see it as relatively rational. The linage is not denied but the fact that it constitutes a significant improvement is noted.

But bald Eagle as suggested by @TomS would have been terrific.
 
Well, I guess there is some consolation in that they didn't name it the "Fighting Eagle" to bring it in line with the F-16. We're also lucky they didn't use digital development, because then it would have been the eF-15EX. For the record, I would have simply called it the F-15F Eagle. Or possibly even F-15U for USA, since the S was for Singapore, the Q for Qatar, and the SA for Saudi Arabia.
 
I'm actually fine with not changing the name, but I do wish they'd gone with F-15F or 15G or something that fit the normal numbering convention. I honestly didn't think's name needed to change at all, but then again I suppose Echos are 'Strike Eagles' so some slighter permutation of the name was called for.
 
Well, I think I'm going to start calling it the Sea Gull.

It's a dadjoke shortening of Super Eagle (or could be Second Eagle or Special Eagle...or Sequel...whatever, you get the point).

I suspect that would have been the inevitable nickname for the F-15N Sea Eagle. :)
 

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