Key Points and Summary: The F-15EX remains a vital option for air forces worldwide, even in the era of 5th-generation stealth fighters like the F-35.
-Combining a proven 50-year-old airframe with modern advancements such as the GE F110-132 engine, AN/APG-82 AESA radar, and EPAWSS electronic warfare system, the F-15EX delivers unmatched versatility and firepower.
-Its ability to perform multi-role missions and its lower operational costs make it an attractive choice for nations that prioritize affordability or are not cleared to access sensitive F-35 technology.
-Rather than competing with the F-35, the F-15EX complements it, creating a powerful one-two punch for modern air power.
-One of the questions constantly asked about the F-15EX is why it is still in production and whether this platform is really needed in an age of stealth fighters and upcoming NGAD, 6th generation fighters.
Why the F-15EX Still Matters in the Age of Stealth Fighters
There are several items to unpack here, and beginning with the biggest mystery of all, yes, the NGAD is coming someday, but no one knows what it looks like.
No one knows whether it will even be exportable. Will it be affordable for any prospective foreign customers if it will be exportable?
These and other unanswered questions are all up there with Donald Rumsfeld’s “unknown unknowns.”
The simple fact also is that the US needs fighter aircraft that it can export to nations who either cannot afford a stealth aircraft or are not on the list of those countries approved to have access to the sensitive design data and technology that comes with the radar cross section reduction that are inherent in those US designs.
These are the F-16V Block 70/72 and the F-15EX.
The F-15EX Fighter “Formula”
Boeing’s formula for the aircraft is sound and effective.
Start with an airframe designed over 50 years ago to work with aerodynamics that were wrung out a long time ago.
Since the time of the original design, numerous advancements have been made to improve the structure and materials used in the airframe.
Next, select the latest and most advanced subsystems that are the modern-day equivalent of the original on-board configuration. In this case, it looks to be the GE F110-132 engine, which has more than 10,000 lbs additional thrust over the original Pratt & Whitney F100 power plant.
The Raytheon AN/APG-82 AESA radar is another modern-day advancement that gives the aircraft an edge over almost every adversary.
One US Air Force pilot I spoke to called it “the most fantastically modern and remarkable radar I have ever used.”
Compared to the mechanically steered array (MSA)-equipped radar sets installed in older model F-16s, those radars “make you feel like you have an Atari Gamestation in your cockpit,” said the same pilot.
Finally, although the jet is not stealthy in the class of an F-22 or F-35, the BAE Systems Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) is the most advanced electronic warfare system of its kind.
“Combine all of these new-age systems – even if it is an older air frame – and add in the latest long-range weapons and you have a platform that sees farther and carries more firepower than anyone else out there,” said one US long-time tactical aircraft expert.
Requirements and Expense
The next question is, what are customers’ requirements when selecting a combat aircraft?
Most nations worldwide are not building a multi-domain capable set of air power assets in the mold of the F-35—requiring offensive capabilities as the primary mission.
Penetrating air defense networks, the ability to take on the entirety of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), or having the capacity to fire PGM (precision-guided munition) against targets hundreds of miles away: these are missions that both types can take on, but those are not necessarily the missions that other nations see as first-order priorities.
The F-15EX is an aircraft that can perform any number of missions, but more importantly, it can conceivably carry out more different types of missions than most nations require.
In its favor, it is a more flexible, multi-role airframe than the F-35 in some respects.
For nations with the F-35, the F-15 is an effective half of a “one-two punch.”
“Having a 5th-gen aircraft backed up by a 4th-gen that has been upgraded in almost every respect is about the best combination any air force could want,” said the same tactical aircraft expert. Nations considering employing this kind of a combination include Poland and Israel.
In terms of measuring the costs and which one is more effective for the price of the two, it is almost impossible to do as it commits the age-old fallacy of apples and oranges comparisons.
One of the chief differences is that data released to date would support the conclusion that there is a great deal more in the flyaway cost of the F-35 attributable to the aircraft’s NRE (non-recurring engineering costs) than to the F-15EX.
The F-35A purchase price is still lower than the F-15EX, but the F-35B and F-35C variants are considerably more to acquire than the Boeing aircraft. There are also significant differentials in the cost per flight hour that can make one more expensive than the other to operate.
A Fighter Debate That Doesn’t Need to Occur
The final best answer probably is the two aircraft are not an “either or” proposition.
If a nation has the ability and financial resources to do so, it is better off acquiring both and using them to carry out those missions that each one excels at rather than trying to carry out them all with just one type of aircraft.
F-15EX: A Story in Photos

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Richard Turner, 40th Flight Test Squadron commander flies 40 FLTS Senior Enlisted Leader, MSgt Tristan McIntire during a test sortie in the F-15EX Eagle II over the Gulf of Mexico on Jun. 14, 2022. Assigned to the 96th Test Wing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., the F-15EX Eagle II is the Air Force’s newest 4th generation fighter being tested at the 40 FLTS. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John McRell)

F-15EX Eagle II Fighter from Boeing.

An F-15EX Eagle II from the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, 53rd Wing, takes flight for the first time out of Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., April 26, 2021, prior to departure for Northern Edge 2021. The F-15EX brings next-generation combat technology to a highly successful fighter airframe that is capable of projecting power across multiple domains for the Joint Force. (U.S Air Force photo by 1st Lt Savanah Bray)

F-15EX. Image Credit: U.S. Air Force.

F-15EX. F-15EX. Image Credit: Boeing.

F-15EX artist rendition. Image Credit: Boeing.

F-15EX Eagle II. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

F-15EX. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

F-15EX image provided by Boeing.

F-15EX. Image Credit: Creative Commons.

The F-15EX Eagle II, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, arrives to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida March 11. The aircraft will be the first Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests. The 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron personnel are responsible for testing the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/1st Lt. Karissa Rodriguez)

F-15EX. Image Credit: Boeing.

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)
About the Author: Reuben F. Johnson
Reuben F. Johnson is a survivor of the February 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine and is now an Expert on Foreign Military Affairs with the Fundacja im. Kazimierza Pułaskiego in Warsaw and has been a consultant to the Pentagon, several NATO governments and the Australian government in the fields of defence technology and weapon systems design. Over the past 30 years he has resided in and reported from Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Brazil, the People’s Republic of China and Australia.

404NotFound
January 17, 2025 at 2:54 am
The F-15EX is a formidable warfighter and when paired with the f-35, it poses a deadly mortal threat to sedentary nations (US being top predator entity).
But all is not lost for the sedentary ones on Earth.
That’s becuz china scientists have developed a microwave photonic radar small enough to mount on aircraft like fighter jets.
That’s a very IMPORTANT or CRITICAL development becuz that radar allegedly is able to discriminate between a real fighter jet like the f-35 and an accompanying totally fake decoy.
If they’re able to equip fighters like the j-16 or even the MiG-31 with that radar, the threat posed by a combo of f-15 & f-35 quickly becomes rather neglible or trifling.
So, instead of endless stimulus, endless sports craze, endless tourist attractions, endless travels and endless holidays, better spend all available money on radars now.
Tomorrow could be too late.
Bob
January 19, 2025 at 10:05 am
The combo of the 35 sneaking in and design hating targets for the 15EX will REALLY be something when the new MAKO long range hypersonics are deployed.