First Lot 1 production F-15EX set for tests at Eglin
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.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Wartime iteration gives Ukraine an edge as future UAV exporter]()
Eurosatory 2026: Wartime iteration gives Ukraine an edge as future UAV exporter
As industrial-scale drone production proves its battlefield worth in Ukraine, what happens to that production capacity and knowhow once the guns fall silent – and is Ukraine about to become one of the world’s most credible UAV export partners?
-
![Callen-Lenz pushes ahead with Nyan OWE as it hails operational success]()
Callen-Lenz pushes ahead with Nyan OWE as it hails operational success
The one-way-effector uncrewed aerial vehicle has also been tested by the British Army, following on from its contract award notice in February 2026.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: Locally produced loitering munition destined for UAE Navy, says MBDA]()
Eurosatory 2026: Locally produced loitering munition destined for UAE Navy, says MBDA
The contract signed between MBDA and Fly-R will see diamond-shaped loitering munitions developed and prepared in the UAE. How does this move fit into wider market trends in the region?
-
![Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up]()
Eurosatory 2026: MBDA and Thales look to civilian industry for loitering munition scale-up
Thales and MBDA have taken steps to ensure the mass production of their respective loitering munition offerings at Eurosatoy, teaming with civilian manufacturers. These moves come amid France’s push towards sovereign drone production and continued market expansion.
-
![Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years]()
Eurosatory 2026: How the deep-strike, loitering munition market skyrocketed to $13.8 billion in three years
Ukraine’s rapid development of long-range, deep-strike loitering munitions has helped turn the sector into a market worth an estimated US$13.2 billion. The reasons behind this were outlined during Eurosatory 2026, as other countries embark on the early stages of procuring this capability.
