Authentic Media: The F-15EX
Fighter Pilot Podcast
Tucker "Cinco" Hamilton, Retired U.S. Air Force Fighter Test Pilot
4.9 • 2.1K Ratings
🗓️ 31 August 2023
⏱️ 41 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, Mike "Pako" Benitez joins "Roger" to discuss the history and evolution of the F-15 Eagle. He explains how the F-15 was developed in response to the Soviet Union's MiG-25 interceptor and how it outperformed everything that came before it, becoming the premiere fourth-generation fighter.
The F-15's enduring design allowed for changes in software, engines, and avionics, making it a versatile and reliable fighter. Host and guest also discuss the advanced features of the F-15EX, which works in conjunction with other aircraft to create a formidable force. The speakers also discuss the limitations of the F-22 and F-35 and the importance of having more than one fighter production line.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Thanks to our sponsor, National University. National University knows how important flexibility is |
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| 0:23.2 | GI Bill while offering veterans help to cover what the GI Bill may not. To find out more, |
| 0:27.7 | visit nu.edu-forthslash-v-e-t. |
| 0:31.0 | Hey, everyone. Vincent, ILO, Carl Sangello, and this week on The Fighter Pilot Podcast, |
| 0:35.8 | we're trying something different. We're airing an authentic media snapshot, as we call it. |
| 0:40.7 | It's a portion of one of the shows that are military aviation-based from our friends |
| 0:45.7 | over at Authentic Media. I think you're going to enjoy it. Here we go. |
| 0:59.2 | This is Authentic. All right, welcome to the show. We're here talking with Mike Paco-Banitas, |
| 1:06.3 | F-15 Strike Eagle Weapon Systems Officer. Welcome Mike. Thanks for having me. |
| 1:11.9 | Appreciate you being here. All right. Well, today we're going to talk about the F-15 EX, |
| 1:17.1 | but before we get into the EX, let's talk about the F-15 itself, the base eagle where it came from |
| 1:23.9 | and how it evolved. Mike or Paco-Banitas, I'll call you. Why don't you talk us through that? |
| 1:29.0 | Yes. The tweet-level summary is that in the 1960s, the Soviet Union shocked the West with |
| 1:36.9 | an aircraft called the MiG-25. It was an interceptor and it could fly Mach-2, Mach-2.5, |
| 1:44.0 | then up to Mach-3 with some very detrimental to his engines. That had shocked the Pentagon into |
| 1:51.8 | developing a counter to the MiG-25. The requirements for the F-15, what became the F-15, |
| 1:59.0 | were largely based on the MiG-25. At the time, they didn't know what it couldn't |
| 2:05.4 | do. They just saw a fighter type of aircraft going very, very high, very, very fast, and so that led |
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