Boeing F-15EX Eagle II
| F-15EX Eagle II | |
|---|---|
| An F-15EX Eagle II from the 40th Flight Test Squadron flies above Northern California, May 2021. | |
| General information | |
| Type | Multirole fighter |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Boeing Defense, Space & Security |
| Status | In service |
| Primary users | United States Air Force |
| Number built | 129 (all Advanced Eagles) |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 2011–present (Advanced Eagle) |
| Introduction date | July 2024 (F-15EX) |
| First flight | 20 February 2013 (F-15SA, the first Advanced Eagle) 2 February 2021 (F-15EX) |
| Developed from | McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle |
The Boeing F-15EX Eagle II is an American multirole fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle. The aircraft resulted from U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) studies in 2018 to recapitalize the United States Air Force's (USAF) tactical aviation fleet that was aging due to curtailed modernization, particularly the truncated F-22 production, from post-Cold War budget cuts. The F-15EX is a variant of the F-15 Advanced Eagle, a further development of the F-15E design initially intended for export and incorporates improved internal structure, flight control system, and avionics. The aircraft is manufactured by Boeing's St. Louis division (formerly McDonnell Douglas).
The Advanced Eagle began with the F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) which first flew in 2013, followed by the F-15QA (Qatari Advanced) in 2020. The F-15EX had its maiden flight in 2021 and took advantage of the active export production line to reduce costs and expedite deliveries for the USAF; it entered operational service in July 2024. The F-15EX is expected to replace the remaining F-15C/D in the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard for performing homeland and air defense missions and also serves as an affordable platform for employing large stand-off weapons to augment the frontline F-22 and F-35. The Advanced Eagle in this configuration represents the current baseline in F-15 production.