How The USAF F-15EX Eagle II Fighter Program Is Evolving

The United States Air Force’s (USAF) F-15 Advanced Eagle strike fighters have been in use since 2013. Their first version, the F-15SA, was delivered to Saudi Arabia’s Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) in 2013. In 2020, the F-15QA was delivered to Qatar to support their military’s future strategy.

The Advanced Eagle Family

Both aircraft are members of the Advanced Eagle family, which also includes the powerful, next-generation strike fighter, the Boeing F-15EX Eagle ll.

Photo: US Air Force

The American-made Boeing F-15EX Eagle ll had its first flight on February 2, 2021, and will be introduced into the USAF fleet in July 2024. The F-15EX from Boeing is a game changer for the US Air Force. A few big items that make the strike fighter better are the upgraded systems and the increased capacity of payloads, which can now carry up to 29,500 lbs. Additionally, the strike fighter provides a smoother and quicker air wing transition compared to the F-35’s.

On July 15, 2024, the F-15X Eagle ll was unveiled at the Portland Air National Guard Base located in Portland, Oregon, US. The National Guard said that these newer models feature “improved fuel efficiency, radar and avionics. The F-15EX Eagle II model is an all-weather multirole strike fighter, which will work alongside the U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II.”

Photo: Google

During the event, Maj. Gen. Duke Pirak, acting director of the Air National Guard and the 142nd wing, described the F-15EX as the “cornerstone of the nation’s power.”

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Air superiority in the 21st century

Boeing has added air superiority features to the jet. The strike fighter has 12 hard points for cruise missiles. The aircraft can carry up to 29,500 Ibs of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles and multiple types of bombs. Furthermore, tracking and targeting were significantly improved with pods from Lockheed Martin.

Photo: Joe Kunzler | Simple Flying

Two common Lockheed Martin pods are the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR pod and the Legion Pod with AN/ASG-34(V)1, which has infrared search and tracking system capabilities.

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Additionally, speed is a big factor in constantly evolving. The F-15EX strike fighter is powered by 2 F110-GE-129 engines, generating a total thrust capacity of 58,000 Ibf. GE Aviation (now GE Aerospace) received the contract to produce the engines for the F-15EXes in June 2020.

In 2021,

General Electric

Aviation secured a firm-fixed contract from the USAF worth a maximum value of $1.58 billion for these engines to be used for the strike fighter. The USAF has said that the projected deliveries will support up to 136 strike fighters to meet the projected demand and that the most probable quantity of engines when all is said and done will be 329, with a final tentative delivery date set for 2031.

The F-15EX is the latest version of the proven, twin-engine F-15 fighter. It features state-of-the-art upgrades with fly-by-wire controls, digital cockpit displays, advanced avionics, and the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS).

The Boeing F-15EX is one of the world’s most modern strike fighters, with its upgraded capabilities and allied interoperability with Japan, Israel, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Poland and Qatar.

Adding fighting power

An additional customer for the strike fighter includes the Republic of Indonesia, which signed an agreement with Boeing in August 2023 for 24 Eagle ll’s. During the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding by Air Vice Marshal Yusuf Jauhari, Head of Defense Facilities Agency, Indonesia’s Ministry of Defense, took a tour of the companies’ facilities in St. Louis, Missouri along with some of Boeing’s leadership, which included Boeing Fighters VP and program manager, Mark Sears.

Indonesia’s Minister of Defense, Prabowo Subianto Djojohadikusumo, was also in attendance, stating the country was “pleased to announce our commitment to procure the critical F-15EX fighter capability for Indonesia,” while also mentioning that the state-of-the-art fighter will support their military efforts with the F-15EX’s additional advanced capabilities.

Long live the Eagle’s scream

The F-15EX is a very popular aircraft, especially because of all the advanced upgrades that make it a dominating force in the industry. Boeing officials believe that this jet can eventually be modified with a platform that resembles the EA-18G Growler. During the Farnborough International Airshow, Boeing’s Business Development Lead, Rob Novotny, explained this during an interview with Breaking Defense.

There’s a lot of conversation internally, could we turn this into a Growler, so we’re looking at some trade work.” – Rob Novotny, Business Development Lead, Boeing

Along with the F-15EX’s range, payload capacity and speed, the strike fighter can also be modified with upgrades in the future to include other types of weapon systems that will keep the aircraft ahead of the competition so it can fight in the times ahead. With that said, the F-15EX will provide deterrence and defeat aggression for the United States and its allies for years to come.