✈️ Full Specifications
| Designation | F-15EX Eagle II |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| Country | 🇺🇸 United States |
| First Flight | 2021 |
| Service Entry | 2024 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Length | 19.43 m (63.7 ft) |
| Wingspan | 13.05 m (42.8 ft) |
| Height | 5.63 m (18.5 ft) |
| Empty Weight | 14,515 kg (32,006 lb) |
| Max Takeoff Weight | 36,741 kg (81,014 lb) |
| Max Speed (Mach) | 2.5 |
| Max Speed | 3,018 km/h (1,875 mph) |
| Service Ceiling | 20,000 m (65,620 ft) |
| Range | 3,900 km (2,422 mi) |
| Climb Rate | 254 m/s (50000 ft/min) |
| Engine | 2 × GE F110-GE-129 |
| Thrust (each) | Dry 77.6 kN · AB 129.6 kN |
| Production | 20 |
| Unit Cost | $87.0M USD |
🌐 Operators
🔁 Variants
- F-15EX — Standard USAF variant
- F-15IA — Israeli derivative, in development
- F-15EX (Indonesia) — Export variant, 24 ordered
⚔️ Armament
Overview
The Boeing F-15EX Eagle II is the latest version of the F-15 Eagle and the first new-build F-15 entered into U.S. Air Force service in more than 20 years. Designed to replace ageing F-15C/D air superiority Eagles and to carry massive weapons loadouts that fifth-generation aircraft cannot match, the F-15EX is now the workhorse of the Air National Guard’s air-defence mission and is expected to remain in service into the 2050s.
Design & Development
The Eagle II combines the proven F-15 airframe with the digital fly-by-wire flight control system from the F-15SA (Saudi Arabia variant), the AN/APG-82(V)1 AESA radar from the F-15E Strike Eagle, and the new Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) — a comprehensive electronic-warfare suite that gives the F-15EX a sensor and self-protection capability comparable in some respects to fifth-generation jets.
Crucially, the F-15EX retains 22 weapon stations — including stations that can carry oversized weapons like the AGM-183A ARRW hypersonic missile, which is too large to fit inside an F-22 or F-35 internal bay. This makes the Eagle II uniquely suited to long-range stand-off strike against hardened targets.
Operational History
The first F-15EX (EX1) was delivered to Eglin AFB in March 2021, and the type entered initial operational capability with the Oregon Air National Guard’s 173rd Fighter Wing in 2024. The Air Force has committed to a planned buy of approximately 104 aircraft, with deliveries continuing through the late 2020s. F-15EX has been used in OPFOR (opposing-force) trials against the F-22 to refine 4.5-vs-5th-gen tactics.
Capabilities
The F-15EX has the longest legs of any U.S. tactical fighter currently in production, the highest payload, and one of the most powerful AESA radars. Where it gives ground to the F-22 and F-35 is in radar cross-section: the Eagle II is not a stealth aircraft. The doctrine that has emerged is to use the F-15EX as a “weapons truck” operating behind stealth penetrators, supplying long-range missiles and standoff weapons that the smaller fifth-gen jets cannot carry.
References
- Boeing F-15EX program documentation, 2020–2024
- U.S. Air Force F-15EX Initial Operational Test & Evaluation reports
- Air & Space Forces Magazine, “F-15EX in the Force Mix,” 2024
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