Aging Aircraft: USAF F-15C Fleet Grounded

"Array of Aging American Aircraft Attracting Attention" discusses the issues that accompany an air force whose fighters have an average age of over 20 years. One of the most obvious consequences is the potential for fleet groundings due to unforseen structural issues caused by time and fatigue. That very fear is responsible for the #1 priority placed on bringing new KC-X aerial tankers into the fleet to complement the USA's 1960s-era KC-135 Stratotankers. It can also affect the fighter fleet more directly.

Following the crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C aircraft Nov 2/07, the US Air Force suspended non-mission critical F-15 flight operations on Nov 3/07. While the cause of that accident is still under investigation, preliminary findings indicate that a structural failure during flight may have been responsible.

The F-15A reached initial operational capability for the Air Force in September 1975, and more than 700 F-15s remain in the USAF's inventory. Current F-15 flying locations include bases in the continental United States, Alaska, England, Hawaii, Japan and the Middle East, and the aircraft are active on the Iraqi and Afghan fronts.

Source : DID