F-15EX Eagle II What is it? The next-generation upgrade of Boeing’s F-15.
F-15EX Eagle II
Boeing has been producing the F-15 Eagle family since the 1970s, and the F-15EX Eagle II is its latest evolution. This aircraft, equipped with 22 tons of weapon payload, AESA radar, advanced electronic warfare suite, and new digital avionics, has been delivered since 2021 to replace the aging fleet of F-15C of the U.S. Air Force. It is not a replacement for the F-35, but a complementary platform that is used alongside it.
What is the F-15EX Eagle II?
F-15EX Eagle II is the most recent variant of the F-15 family that Boeing has been producing since 1972. The U.S. Air Force made a surprising decision in 2018 after a long technological debate: we will acquire new F-15s alongside the F-35. The logic is as follows: the F-35 is indispensable for its stealth and intelligence capabilities, but the weapon payload of the F-35 is limited (only 4 missiles in the internal compartment), while the F-15EX can act as a “bomb truck”, capable of carrying dozens of munitions if it does not pose a significant threat in an open area.
The main innovations of the F-15EX are:
- AN/APG-82(V)1 AESA Radar — much more powerful than the old pulse radar of the F-15C.
- EPAWSS (Eagle Passive/Active Warning Survivability System) — modern electronic warfare suite.
- New digital avionics and BACN data link.
- Weapon payload capacity of 22 tons — more than double that of the F-35.
- Ability to carry hypersonic munitions — such as large AGM-183 ARRW munitions.
- Two-person cockpit — inherited from the traditional F-15E.
The U.S. Air Force initially planned an order of 144 units of the F-15EX (later revised). While variants for export to Indonesia, Egypt, and Israel are being discussed, Poland has also shown interest. It has positioned itself as the flagship product of NATO’s 4.5 generation platform, in a complementary role to the F-35.
