Boeing F-15EX Eagle II

History of the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II

The United States Air Force (USAF) faced a critical need to replace 144 fighters, resulting from the early retirement of the Lockheed F-22 Raptor and delays in the Lockheed F-35 Lightning II program. To fill this gap, they opted for the advanced Boeing F-15EX, a modern evolution of the long-serving F-15 platform. The F-15EX is a single-seat, twin-engine fighter designed with a focus on precision ground attack capabilities. It is touted as an economical and capable fighter platform, supporting the integration of new hypersonic weapons. Based on the mature framework of the existing F-15, the aircraft's development process has been accelerated, leading to lower acquisition and maintenance costs.

The F-15EX is equipped with state-of-the-art systems, components, and airborne technologies to address current and future threats on the global battlefield. Despite being an advanced fighter, it retains much of the external design and functionality of its predecessor, featuring a single-seat cockpit, side air intakes for engines, shoulder-mounted main aircraft, and two vertical tails. However, its internal systems are upgraded to allow for future integration of yet-to-be-anticipated Horizon components, ensuring the aircraft remains adaptable to evolving needs and technologies.

Inside the cockpit, pilots benefit from large color multi-function displays with touchscreen capabilities, enhancing situational awareness and providing essential mission information. The integration of an advanced electronic warfare suite improves the F-15EX's survivability, effectively protecting it against active search, track, and radar/missile systems. Automation of onboard functions further reduces pilot workload and enhances the aircraft's response time to threats. With its capability to support various offensive weapons, including air-to-air missiles and ejectable fuel tanks for extended combat range, the F-15EX proves to be a versatile and powerful addition to the USAF's inventory, ensuring the nation's air superiority is maintained in an ever-changing landscape of modern warfare.

Specification

Base

Year of Service: 2021

Origins: United States

Status: Active. Limited service.

Crew: 1

Production: 144

Manufacturer: Boeing Company - USA

Carrier: Egypt (announced); Qatar (subscription); United States

Roles

Air-to-air combat, fighter

The general ability to actively attack other aircraft of similar form and function, usually using guns, missiles and/or airborne missiles.

Intercept

The ability to intercept incoming airborne threats with high performance, usually speed and rate of climb.

Ground attack (bombing, strafing)

The ability to conduct air strikes against ground targets using (but not limited to) artillery, bombs, rockets, rockets, etc.

Dimensions and Weight

Length: 63.8 feet (19.45m)

Width/span: 42. 8 feet (13.05m)

Height: 18.5 feet (5.65m)

Cured weight: 31,967 lbs (14,500 kg)

MTOW: 81,571 lbs (37,000 kg)

Wgt Difference: +49,604 lbs (+22,500 kg)

Main aircraft structure

Monoplane

Designed to use a single main wing main aircraft; this is the most popular arrangement of main aircraft.

Shoulder

The main aircraft is mounted on the upper part of the fuselage, usually on an imaginary line that intersects the pilot's shoulders.

Swept

The floor plan features a swept wing on the leading edge of the main aircraft, which increases operating speed.

Performance

Installed: 2 x Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220/PW-229 afterburning turbofan engines producing 15,000 pounds of dry thrust and up to 30,000 pounds of reheated thrust.

Maximum speed: 1,864 km/h (3,000 km/h | 1,620 kn)

Maximum: 59,055 feet (18,000 m | 11 km)

Area: 2,485 km (4,000 km | 7,408 nautical miles)

Rate of climb: 50,000 ft/min(15,240 m/min)

Weapons

Standard (fixed, forward firing):

1 x 20mm M61A1 Vulcan Internal Gatling Cannon/Cannon.

Optional:

Supports up to 22 air-to-air missiles (AAM), likely a mix of AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range air-to-air missiles and AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles, as well as ejectable fuel tanks and special mission pods .