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First Lot 1 production F-15EX set for tests at Eglin

12th March 2021 - 12:35 GMT | by Shephard News Team

RSS

F-15EX will be a ‘key element of our tactical fighter fleet’, says USAF; two out of eight Lot 1 aircraft will be delivered by end of April 2021.

The USAF officially accepted the first two-seat F-15EX from the Boeing facility in St Louis on 10 March — some five weeks after the multirole fighter made its first flight (pictured).

The new aircraft will be flown to Eglin AFB in Florida for testing. A second F-15EX will be delivered to Eglin by the end of April 2021.

Eight Lot 1 production F-15EXs are initially being supplied to the USAF; the other six will be delivered to Eglin AFB in FY2023 for operational testing.

In all the USAF is buying 144 F-15EXs to replace F-15C/D models and ‘refresh the F-15 fleet’, it noted on 11 March.

Shephard Defence Insight notes that the F-15EX will be based on the Qatari twin-seat F-15QA configuration upgraded with USAF-specific capabilities, including the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System and Suite 9.1 Operational Flight Program software.

Col Sean Dorey, F-15EX programme manager at the Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, said: ‘With its large weapons capacity, digital backbone, and open architecture, the F-15EX will be a key element of our tactical fighter fleet and complement 5th-generation assets. In addition, it’s capable of carrying hypersonic weapons, giving it a niche role in future near-peer conflicts.’

Aircraft in Lots 2 and 3 are ‘on track for delivery in FY 2024 and FY 2025’ to two Air National Guard bases in Oregon, the USAF noted.

As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.

F-15EX - USAF (Announced)

F-15E