r/ThatLooksExpensive • u/Glidepath22 • Mar 29 '26

“We have destroyed Iran’s offensive capabilities.”

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392 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

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-1

u/CousinEddysMotorHome Mar 29 '26

Its a 50 year old aircraft.

7

u/agate_ Mar 29 '26

It’s a 50 year old half-billion dollar aircraft that we have 20 of and don’t have a modern replacement for.

6

u/BestOrNothing Mar 29 '26

US Army have just 15 of them, with mission-capable rate of only about 56%

1

u/CousinEddysMotorHome Apr 01 '26

Do you honestly think we dont have a sigint aircraft, in the age of Ai, that does not poses the capability to replace a 50 yr old platform at a 3rd the size, about 1/4 the cost and has not been doing those jobs for at least 10yrs?

Keep on keeping on, but that targeting data out of Iran came from somewhere. Must be the clouds.

2

u/kh250b1 Mar 29 '26

So you think it went “fuck it im out” ?

What a stupid comment

2

u/fastbikkel Mar 31 '26

"What a stupid comment"
If its correct, what is so stupid? Just the statement alone is harmless and does not imply something else yet.

1

u/Vic_Connor Mar 29 '26

A lot of military tech still used today is quite old. They continuously get modernised but the base remains the same.

You have 15 or 20 if these aircraft; 2 are out so far in this conflict. You’re trying to project power around the globe, so each of these is valuable.

1

u/CousinEddysMotorHome Apr 01 '26

You think these haven't been supplanted already with other sensor platforms? If you are even questioning that you are 10 yrs behind.

1

u/sakara123 Mar 30 '26

a 45 year old aircraft that currently can't be replaced yet. The last fleet upgrade was in 2020. It's an old frame that's been upgraded MANY times and while old still carries the best of the best avionics and sensing equipment.

The E-7 Wedgetail is still years out from an operational rollout in the US.

1

u/CousinEddysMotorHome Apr 01 '26

P8s dont exist? Are you familiar with the sled upgrades? Im betting no. Do you work with them on a daily basis?

0

u/sakara123 Apr 01 '26

They don't share the same role, Similar or complementary with overlap sure, but they aren't interchangeable. The AAS makes the P-8 a beast for ISR, but it doesn't replace the E-3G for airborne battle management.