AF’s first F-15EX arrives at Eglin AFB (2024)

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AF’s first F-15EX arrives at Eglin AFB? ›

The F-15EX, the Air Force's newest fighter, touched down at Eglin Air Force Base March 11. The aircraft will be the first Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end, through combined developmental and operational tests. “It's a special day for the base and our mission,” said Brig.

The F-15EX is expected to replace the F-15C/D in performing homeland and air defense missions and also serve as an affordable platform for employing large stand-off weapons to augment the frontline F-22 and F-35. The first aircraft was delivered in 2021 and operational service is expected in July 2024.

Boeing is preparing to deliver the first combat-configured F-15EX Eagle II fighters to its US Air Force (USAF) customer. The US airframer has already handed over six F-15EXs – the latest variant of the 1970s-era multi-role fighter – to the USAF, the type's first and so far only customer.

The preferred location for the new F-35A squadron is Barnes Air National Guard Base, Mass., while the F-15EXs are slated for Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, La., and Fresno Air National Guard Base, Calif.

The F-35 is stealthier and has better sensors, but the F-15EX can carry a greater weapons payload (unless the F-35 is flying in beast mode).

F-15EX promises higher speed, longer range, increased 29,500 lb payload (including two additional weapon stations), and lower operating costs than previous variants. The type also boasts the longest stand-off air-to-air engagement range of any fighter in the USAF inventory.

Why the F-15EX Is Such a Badass Plane. The Eagle II boasts capabilities that even fifth-generation fighters don't have—all in a fourth-gen disguise. Boeing's vastly experienced F-15 chief pilot says he never went faster than Mach 2 while flying the F-22 Raptor in the Air Force.

The F-15EX is a two-seat combat platform with fly-by-wire controls, a substantially more powerful mission computer, new co*ckpit displays, a digital backbone, and the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) which is an electronic warfare and threat identification system.

This F-15EX, the third Boeing has so far produced for the Air Force, took its first two flights on Oct. 27 at Boeing's St. Louis, Missouri, factory, the company said, and published a video of a flight in a social media post.

Under the recent contract, the USAF will pay $90 million for each F-15EX in production Lot 2, with the cost spiking to $97 million each in Lot 3 before sliding back to $94 million in Lot 4.

What AFB has the most fighter jets? ›

Located west of Phoenix, Luke Air Force Base is home to the 56th Fighter Wing, the largest fighter wing in the world and the Air Force's primary active-duty fighter pilot training wing.

Luke Air Force Base is home to the active duty 56th Fighter Wing and the U.S. Air Force Reserve's 944th Fighter Wing. Luke is the largest and only active-duty F-16 training base in the world with more than 138 F-16s assigned.

The Air Force's fiscal 2025 plan would buy only 18 F-15EXs instead of the 24 called for in the previous budget and end procurement there, at a total of 98 airplanes instead of the previous goal of 104.

The F-15EX is designed for interoperability within the joint force. It's a lethal, survivable weapons system that provides the range, maneuverability and lethality where & when it matters - across the entire mission profile - to deter and defeat aggression.

For example, the Air Force spokesperson said the F-15EX's flyaway cost encompasses the “Major End Item (Airframe, EPAWSS [Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability Suite], Engines, Radars and all other associated subsystems on the aircraft), as well as other applicable costs such as Production Non-Recurring ...

So, while the F-22 may hold an advantage in a traditional dogfight scenario, the strengths of the F-35 lie in its versatility, interoperability, and advanced avionics. Nevertheless, in a head-to-head matchup, it seems likely that the F-22's superior kinematic performance would grant it the upper hand.

Boeing says the F-15EX has a 28 percent larger payload than the F-15E, with two more weapons stations. The extra stations add loadout flexibility, company officials said. The F-15EX's central pylon can carry a notional 22-foot, 7,000 pound weapon.

The first Eagle (F-15B) was delivered in November 1974. In January 1976, the first Eagle destined for a combat squadron was delivered. The single-seat F-15C and two-seat F-15D models entered the Air Force inventory beginning in 1979.