>>528693291
>mogs it in any way that matters
That's not right and you know it. Sure the F-15E has a higher top speed but it doesn't even break mach 1 without afterburner. That limits its range in practice, which is already worse than the F-16XL. And the Strike Eagles' higher payload comes from it being a big twin engine gas guzzler. A trio of F-16XL could carry the same payload as a pair of F-15E, but deliver it farther and likely in less time at a lower cost. Remember that the majority of a fighter's lifetime cost is operation and maintenance, not initial acquisition. And remember how often F-16 was sent to interdict or service a ground target simply because they are easier and cheaper to operate than many alternatives, despite not being designed for that kind of mission. Export customers who can't afford too field as many different aircraft types would have loved it. Jokes aside, I bet the real reason it died is that some guys in suits decided is was McDonnell Douglas's turn. Who cares about efficiency when you have the consistently rising cold-war defense budget.