Well-known Chinese news site Sina (NASDQ: SINA) recently reported that the U.S. government has approved the sale of the F-15EX fighter jet to the Indian Air Force. India has not finalized the decision to purchase it yet. The F-15 was originally developed by Macdonald Douglas (now part of Boeing) in the 1960s and was enhanced after 2018 as the F-15EX. The F-15 series did have glorious combat records, mostly set by the Israeli Air Force. However, it’s completely meaningless for India, since India has already owned many Russian Su-30MKI fighter jets, which are in the same class. The Indian Air Force has never owned any U.S. fighter jets before. Thus, it could become a nightmare for the Indians on logistics. It may be a better idea for India to buy a different Boeing fighter jet F/A18E/F Block III (also known as the Super Hornet). It uses the F414 engine, which is the same engine loaded in India’s domestic fighter jet MK2 and a few other models. This choice could lower the cost of maintenance and repair. The Super Hornet may also support India’s need for aircraft carrier fighter jets. The United States Air Force did plan to acquire 144 F-15EX fighter jets.
Source: Sina, February 13, 2021
https://mil.news.sina.com.cn/china/2021-02-13/doc-ikftpnny6644921.shtml