Key Points: Israel is urgently seeking F-15EX Eagle II fighters, rebranded as F-15IA (Israel Advanced), to enhance its capabilities for potential strikes on Iranian targets and other regional threats like Hamas and Hezbollah.
The Problem: With a $18.8 billion deal for 50 jets approved, the first deliveries are not expected until 2028-2029.
-The F-15IA features advanced avionics, MACH 2.5 speed, a massive weapons payload of up to 13 tons, and improved survivability systems, making it ideal for penetrating air defenses and striking underground bunkers.
-Israel is likely to push for expedited delivery while upgrading its existing F-15I fleet to F-15IA standards.
Why Israel’s $18.8B F-15EX Deal Could Redefine Middle East Air Power
Israel wants U.S. F-15EX Eagle II fighters, and it wants them bad.
The Middle East state ordered 50 jets in an $18.8 billion deal approved earlier this year. The problem is that the first F-15EX delivery from that batch may not be available until 2028 or 2029.
Tel Aviv would like them as soon as possible as its air force generals plot expected oil or nuclear infrastructure strikes against Iranian targets that could happen any day. The Israeli Ministry of Defense needs its government to be a priority and have the F-15EXs manufactured quickly.
F-15EX Eagle II: Just What Is Needed Against Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas
The Israelis believe that the F-15EX has the speed, weapons payload, and range to reach Iran with aerial refueling. It can avoid air defense systems and drop bunker-busting bombs on hardened underground targets.
Two Boeing F-15EX fighters armed with air-to-air missiles. Boeing handout.
Another issue is that Iran is expected to receive advanced air defenders such as the S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft system from Russia to make it more difficult for an Israeli attack. The quicker the country can put the new F-15EXs to work, the better.
Other Middle Eastern States May Be Interested in the F-15EX
Other countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar, would also prefer the F-15EX, and they may pressure the United States and Boeing, the prime manufacturer of the F-15EX, to prioritize the airplane’s delivery to Middle Eastern states that are threatened by Iran.
They Call It ‘Israel Advanced’
The F-15EX has been redesignated as the F-15IA (Israel Advanced). With the F-15EX delivery, the Israelis will also receive update kits for the existing F-15I Ra’am fighter to become the IA standard.
Boeing F-15EX. Image: Boeing artist rendition.
According to CNN, “the package also includes engines, gun systems, radars and navigation systems for the jets. The package provides construction and contractor support and logistical infrastructure for training, sustainment, and maintenance of the fleet, as well as a mid-life update for Israel’s current fleet of F-15s.”’
F-15IA Can Destroy the Hardest Targets
The F-15IA is a formidable airplane and gives the Israelis a better advantage when striking Hamas and Hezbollah ground targets.
Both terrorist groups keep their command and control cells in deep underground bunkers that require specialized bombs to drill down into the concrete to eliminate the bad guys. The F-15IA is able to conduct these types of missions.
Fast and Maneuverable
With its General Electric Aerospace F110-GE-129 turbojet engines, the F-15IA can reach speeds of MACH 2.5. Despite the heavy weapons payload, it can still maneuver with high agility if it needs to dogfight or avoid air defense interceptors.
Flight Controls and Survivability to Threaten the Enemy from Above
The Israeli version of the F-15EX has digital flight controls that enable better navigation, enabling successful bombing and air-to-surface missile strikes. Israeli pilots will also be able to better control their weapons with the F-15IA, which has a fly-by-wire system.
An F-15EX fighter jet taxis to its parking spot at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Nov. 8, 2021. The jet visited Wright-Patt to give the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s F-15EX program office the opportunity to see the aircraft up close. (U.S. Air Force photo by Jaima Fogg)
Enhanced communication, sensors, and radars improve survival, making for a pilot-friendly fighter with optimum situational awareness.
The F-15IA’s large payload allows it to become a bomb and missile truck. Its weapons are diverse. It can launch hypersonic weapons or medium-range AMRAAMs and drop a variety of precision-guided bombs. There are 11 hard points for munitions that can carry 13 tons of weapons payload.
Fighter Plane Diplomacy Crops Up Again
It appears Boeing has a hit on its hands with the F-15EX, and the defense behemoth will have plenty of orders in the future for the export market. The United States is engaging in what I call “fighter plane diplomacy” with the Israelis, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s air force has already received American stealth F-35s.
Israel already has a strong and well-populated air force, and the F-15EX/ F-15IA will only make it stronger. Now, it is just a matter of getting the U.S. government and Boeing to deliver them faster. Israel will likely engage in its own version of fighter plane diplomacy and implore champions in Congress and at the State Department to expedite this deal.
F-15EX artist rendition. Image Credit: Boeing.
The F-15IA is that strong of a fighter and will give the Israelis plenty of options if they decide to further expand the war against Iran.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
