The United States Air Force’s F-15EX Eagle II has raised the bar for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat capabilities.
During a test flight over the Gulf of Mexico on November 29, the F-15EX took a giant leap toward becoming the most heavily armed fighter jet in the Air Force’s inventory by successfully firing missiles from two new weapon stations.
The latest tests conducted by pilots from the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base were crucial in demonstrating the F-15EX’s planned capacity to carry an impressive arsenal of 12 air-to-air missiles.
This feat positions the F-15EX to carry more missiles than any other F-15 variant, which traditionally have capacities of up to eight air-to-air missiles.
The F-15EX is not merely an incremental update but a strategic enhancement in U.S. airpower, offering a significant balance between air-to-air and air-to-ground capabilities.
Eglin officials stressed the importance of the test as a “major step” toward ensuring the F-15EX can carry its full combat load as soon as it is fielded to operational units.
The pilots fired an AIM-120 and an AIM-9X at a target drone on separate passes over the Eglin Test and Training Complex’s water range.
Maj. Jeremy Schnurbusch, a pilot attached to the 40th Flight Test Squadron, fired the AIM-9X missile, and Maj. Brett Hughes of the Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force fired the AIM-120.
“The F-15EX is an incredible addition to the USAF inventory,” said Lt. Col. Christopher Wee, commander of the test force.
“This event, executed by a top-notch team of test pilots, engineers, and experts proves yet again that the F-15EX will be ready if, and when, our adversaries challenge our nation’s interests.”
The Air Force said the 2023 annual report from the Pentagon’s director of operational test “stated that the F-15EX is operationally effective, suitable, and survivable against threats likely to be encountered while performing its missions in threat environments.”
It added that this report “allows the program to move into a new testing phase.”
The Air Force plans to buy 24 F-15EX in fiscal year 2025. Negotiations between Boeing and the Air Force on prices for production lots 2-4 were underway in the fall.
The company has considered production rates between 24 and 48 aircraft per year at its St. Louis, Mo., facilities, and is marketing the EX to other countries with the Air Force’s blessing.
Boeing has identified Indonesia as a possible EX customer, with an interest in buying 24 of the fighters.
Relevant articles:
– F-15EX tests added missile capabilities, Defense News, Jan 5, 2023
– F-15EX Eagle II Archives, Air & Space Forces Magazine
– F-15EX Is No Stealth Fighter: Is That Really So Bad?, nationalinterest.org
– New F-15EX Fighters—Nos. 3 and 4—Arrive at Eglin for Testing, Air & Space Forces Magazine, Jan 2, 2024