F-15 Eagle Soars on New $1.2 Billion Air Force Contract

Boeing's latest update of the venerable F-15 brings the '70s-vintage tactical fighter into the 21st century.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

July 21, 2020

4 Min Read
Boeing F15 hero shot.png
Boeing F-15 EagleBoeing Corp.

The Boeing F-15EX will fly far into the century, with the award of a $1.2 billion Air Force contract for the first eight copies of this thoroughly updated version of the veteran tactical fighter. The Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract provides for the design, development, integration, manufacturing, test, verification, certification, delivery, sustainment and modification of as many as 76 of the jets, for $23 billion. The Air Force could ultimately buy as many as 144 of the planes to replace ones currently in its 249-plane fleet as they age out.

In contrast to recent high-tech boondoggles in U.S. Department of Defense purchases across all its services, the F-15EX represents an incremental improvement that delivers a proven quantity. “The F-15EX is the most affordable and immediate way to refresh the capacity and update the capabilities provided by our aging F-15C/D fleets,” said Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of Air Combat Command.

“The F-15EX is ready to fight as soon as it comes off the line. When delivered, we expect bases currently operating the F-15 to transition to the new EX platform in a matter of months versus years,” Holmes said.

Those deliveries are scheduled to start with the eight planes in the 2020 budget. They will arrive at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida in the second quarter of 2021 and will be followed by another dozen planes on fiscal year 2021 budget. The new planes will replace the oldest F-15C/D aircraft in the Air Force inventory. The first two planes are already under construction at the Boeing F-15 production facility in St. Louis, Mo.

Related:5 Lessons to Learn from the Boeing 737 MAX Fiasco

Many of the F-15EX’s new capabilities were developed for F-15 variants delivered to Saudi Arabia and Qatar, but it will include unique features that go beyond those planes, the Air Force promises.  The F-15EX has fly-by-wire flight controls, a new electronic warfare system, advanced cockpit systems, and the latest mission systems and software capabilities available for existing F-15s.

The biggest upgrade compared to the planes it will replace is the use of an Open Mission Systems architecture, which permits the latest technologies to be swapped in for older ones over time. It also includes a deep magazine that can carry a load of advanced weapons. Those weapons include 7,000-lb., 22-foot hypersonic missiles that are anticipated in the future

F15EX Air Force.jpeg

The F-15EX under construction at Boeing.

“The F-15EX’s digital backbone, open mission systems, and generous payload capacity fit well with our vision for future net-enabled warfare,” said Dr. Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics. “Continually upgrading systems, and how they share data across the Joint Force, is critical for defeating advanced threats. F-15EX is designed to evolve from day one.”

Related:AI Beats Elite Fighter Pilots, Can Run on a Raspberry Pi

 “F-15EX brings together benefits of digital engineering, open mission systems and agile software development to keep it affordable and upgradable for decades to come,” said Prat Kumar, Boeing vice president and F-15 program manager. “This means we can rapidly test and field new capabilities on F-15EX keeping our warfighters ahead of threats.”

The F-15EX’s readiness for action is the result of a five-year test program conducted jointly by the Air Force and Boeing that covered more than 15,000 test points during evaluation of prototype aircraft.

“Take my word, it’s not your father’s F-15,” said Matt Giese, Boeing Test & Evaluation chief F-15 test pilot. “This jet has capabilities like we’ve never seen before.”

McDonnell Douglas, which has since merged with Boeing, delivered the first F-15s to Air Force squadrons in 1976. The plane is a twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter that is available in either single or two-seat configurations. All F-15EXs will be built as two-seaters, though the back seat may not be used.

Air Force F-15 photo 2.jpeg

A Boeing F-15 fires a missile.

F-15C, D and E models were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 for Operation Desert Storm where F-15C fighters accounted for 34 of the 37 Air Force air-to-air victories, according to the Air Force. F-15E's were operated mainly at night, hunting SCUD missile launchers and artillery sites.
The planes have since been deployed for operations Southern Watch (no-fly zone in Southern Iraq), Provide Comfort in Turkey, Allied Force in Bosnia, Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.

About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

AstonMartinVanquish_©AndyMorgan_025_copy_2.JPG

He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

Sign up for Design News newsletters

You May Also Like