Boeing F-15EX Eagle II
The Boeing F-15EX Eagle II is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. The aircraft resulted from the U.S. Department of Defense' Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (OSD CAPE) study in 2018 to recapitalize the aging F-15C/D fleet due to inadequate numbers of F-22s, delays in the F-35 program, and maintaining diversity in the U.S. fighter industrial base through Boeing's St. Louis division (former McDonnell Douglas). 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.
| F-15EX Eagle II | |
|---|---|
| An F-15EX Eagle II from the 40th Flight Test Squadron flies above Northern California, May 2021. | |
| Role | Multirole strike fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Defense, Space & Security |
| First flight | 20 February 2013 (Advanced Eagle) 2 February 2021 (F-15EX) |
| Introduction | July 2024 (F-15EX, planned) |
| Status | Active |
| Primary user | United States Air Force |
| Produced | 2011–present (Advanced Eagle) |
| Number built | 126 (all Advanced Eagles) 6 (F-15EX) |
| Developed from | McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle |
The F-15EX is a member of the F-15 Advanced Eagle family of aircraft, a further development of the F-15E design that began with the F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) which first flew in 2013 and continued with the F-15QA (Qatari Advanced) which first flew in 2020. The Advanced Eagle in the F-15EX configuration represents the current baseline in F-15 production.