If you love the F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet, you will be glad to know that the Pentagon is doubling the acquisition effort. The Department of the Air Force has proposed buying 267 new Eagle IIs, up from 129 previously. In the new Trump administration defense budget, 24 F-15EXs will be purchased in FY2027.
“This will complete building existing F-15EX units and then begin to recapitalize the aging F-15E fleet,” an Air Force spokesperson said to Air and Space Forces Magazine.
F-15EX Eagle II: The Top Tier of the Eagle Family
A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II assigned to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, flies a training mission over southeast United States, March 23, 2026. The 96th Test Wing and 53rd Wing perform developmental and operational test series on the platform including next-generation survivability, radars, sensors and networking capabilities. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Blake Wiles)
An F-15E Strike Eagle, deployed to the 332d Air Expeditionary Wing, prepares for takeoff just as the sun sets at in undisclosed location in Southwest Asia. The 332 AEW works around the clock to support Operation Inherent Resolve. (Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Jonathan Young)
The Air Force has previously agreed to buy 100 F-15EXs, and there are already 25 of the Eagle IIs in service – mainly in Air National Guard units.
The F-15EX has many new features and improvements to existing F-15E Strike Eagles. The digital fly-by-wire controls are top-notch. The F-15EX has a great electronic warfare suite. The missile and bomb payload are enviable as well.
It Will Fly With the F-35
The F-15EX Eagle II is an excellent complement to the F-35A, a fifth-generation stealth jet. The Eagle II is considered a fourth-generation “++” fighter, not a fully stealthy aircraft.
But it is great for a Day Two warfare deployment after the F-35A and various bombers have suppressed enemy air defenses. Plus, its MACH 2.5 speed makes it a powerful dogfighter. The F-15EX can also take over the air policing role to fulfill homeland security needs.
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)
“There are fundamental differences in what we’re looking for in a platform like the F-15EX, as compared to other advanced fifth-generation and sixth-generation fighters,” a DOD official said to Air and Space Forces. “And when you break down the specifics of what that airplane can do, in its specific carriage capability, is the number of [weapons] rails that it has, and its role in the Pacific theater, there is a specific need for it. It’s about a balanced portfolio in order to meet combatant command and joint service requirements.”
The Secretary of Defense Supports the F-15EX
In the last few years, depending on which defense budget has passed Congress, the order for F-15EXs has ranged from 80 to 144 fighters. This has fluctuated due to resource constraints.
But it seems now Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and his staff are fans of the F-15EX, and the Air Force will continue to plan for their arrival in good numbers.
Time to Retire the F-15E Strike Eagle?
This will allow the F-15E Strike Eagle to slowly retire with 267 new EXs.
The Strike Eagle has not fared well in the war against Iran. Three were shot down by mistake in a friendly fire incident with a Kuwaiti F/A-18 during Operation Epic Fury. Another F-15E was eliminated by what was likely an Iranian shoulder-fired MANPAD system missile.
Both crewmen had to be rescued, with the weapons systems officer being extracted by special operations forces in a daring mission in Iranian territory.
This had me wondering if the F-15E Strike Eagle needed to be grounded to investigate how they were shot down.
This airplane has an exemplary combat record in other conflicts, but it may just be getting older and less capable. So the F-15EX comes at a good time.
The Air National Guard Is Excited for the F-15EX
Another promising development with the F-15EX is that the new jet is being assigned to Air Force National Guard units. These reserve squadrons often fly older-model F-16 Fighting Falcons and aging F-15C and F-15D variants.
The Air Guard pilots typically fly the F-15EX in air policing mode, but aviators and the EX can also be forward-deployed to the Middle East, Europe, and East Asia.
Can the Air Force Keep Up With China in Fighter Acquisition?
The Air Force aims to acquire 72 new fighter jets each year, with a mix of F-35s and F-15EXs.
This is a sound goal, although it is not keeping up with China. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is producing around 100 J-20 Mighty Dragon fifth-generation fighters every 12 months. The PLAAF may already have perhaps 300 to 400 Mighty Dragons in the fleet.
However, the FY2027 budget request includes funding for only 62 new fighter jets, comprising 38 F-35As and 24 F-15EXs.
This number could be whittled down by Congress. The DOD is requesting a $1.5 trillion defense budget, but there are many hungry mouths to feed, like the new F-47 NGAD fighter.
Waiting for the F-47
Using the F-15EX to transition to the F-47 NGAD is a sound acquisition strategy. The F-47 is scheduled for first flight in 2028 and will be on active duty probably in the early-to-mid 2030s.
The F-47 is President Donald Trump’s baby and has received much fanfare for its ultra-stealth coatings, high speed, drone-control capabilities, and hypersonic-weapon launch capability.
F-47 NGAD Fighter Possible Image. Image Credit: Screenshot.
Manned-Unmanned Teaming Potential
The F-15EX may also have the wherewithal to control drones that the Air Force calls Collaborative Combat Aircraft. That means a flight of F-35s and F-15EXs would be supplemented by autonomous unmanned aircraft capable of conducting intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, carrying additional weapons, or jamming enemy aircraft and incoming missiles.
The F-15EX Will Be a Boost to Economic Development
Getting as many F-15EXs online is good defense policy and even better news for Boeing, which also has the F-47 contract. This is a boost to the aerospace industrial base and will create jobs and enhance economic development in St. Louis, Missouri. It is not clear whether the F-15EX will be sold overseas, but the F-35 has 19 countries as customers or partners for the fifth-generation airplane.
The next step for the F-15EX program is for Congress to approve this order.
The Secretary of the Air Force and the branch’s top general will likely be the stars of Congressional hearings, and they can tell an intriguing story about the F-15EX, which should allow it to be purchased in sufficient numbers in the coming years.
19FortyFive has a request in to Boeing to tour their F-15EX Eagle II factory. We hope they agree to it. More to come!
About the Author: Brent M. Eastwood, PhD
Author of now over 3,500 articles on defense issues, 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 US 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 US Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
