The latest iteration of the US-made F-15 Eagle fighter – the mighty F-15EX or the F-15EX Eagle II – broke key records for the number and tonnage of weapons carried, test flights conducted earlier in the day revealed this year.
The improved platform could hold and launch up to twelve air-to-air missiles, which is twice as many as its predecessor. In addition, the F-15EX can carry more than 13.5 tons of weapons, a figure much higher than its previous variants. This makes it what some defense experts call a “truck bomb.”
These numbers would make the new F-15 the heaviest air superiority fighter in the world. Equipped with state-of-the-art technologies, the F-15EX will undoubtedly meet the needs of the US Air Force for years to come.
The origins of the F-15EX
The US Air Force adopted the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle in the late 1980s. The new platform, derived from the F-15 Eagle, was designed for high-speed, long-range flight without requiring escorting aircraft or electronic warfare.
Unlike other variants in the Eagle family, the F-15E features shaped fuel tanks located along the fuselage intake ramps and a two-seater cockpit. Although the F-15E has undergone some major updates since entering service, the latest iteration is getting a nice facelift.
The new F-15EX aircraft is intended to replace the Air Force’s rapidly aging fleet of F-15C Eagle fighters and will enhance the current F-15 mission.
The fourth-generation fighter is very powerful.
Although the F-15EX is still officially a fourth-generation fighter, its sophisticated airframe is loaded with upgrades that make it more lethal and competent in battle space.
The Eagle II will have a new electronic warfare suite, better radar, conformal fuel tanks, fly-by-wire flight controls, and updated weaponry. In fact, a report from the Congressional Research Service noted that around 30% of the new Eagle variant would be exclusive to the US military.
According to the Eurasian Times, “Open Mission Systems (OMS) architecture, which enables rapid integration of the latest features and systems, is the foundation on which the F-15EX is built.”
The fourth-generation platform is also expected to work on some tasks alongside fifth-generation fighters like the F-35 and F-22 Raptor. In addition, the Eagle II will be the first US Air Force fighter to incorporate the new hypersonic attack cruise missile, an advantage, not even the F-35 Lightning II currently enjoys.
What are the cons of the new Eagle II?
Costing approximately $90 million per airframe, the F-15EX Eagle is more expensive than the F-35 Lightning II fighter, which costs $80 million per aircraft. However, many experts would argue the same depending on how you do the math. Contrary. However, the cost is justified by the longer lifespan of the Eagle II.
The new fighter is expected to last more than triple that of its fifth-generation counterpart. During the summer, the Spanish Air Force reduced its forecast for the total purchase of Eagle II fighters from 144 to 80 airframes.
The Drive explained that this reduction may be influenced by the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Mastery Program, which also carries a hefty price tag: “Reducing the number of F-15EX to focus on the F-35A as the backbone of the tactical fleet, after which it is hoped that the NGAD becomes operational, appears to be the Air Force’s bet.”
