F-15EX Eagle II
Summary
| Category | Combat Aircraft |
| Origin country | 🇺🇸 United States |
| Manufacturer | Boeing |
| First flight | 2 February 2021 |
| Year introduced | 2024 |
| Number produced | 17 units |
| Average unit price | $150 million |
Technical specifications
| Version: F-15EX Eagle II | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 or 2 (pilot and weapon systems officer) |
| Operational range | 1,272 km (790 mi) |
| Maximum speed | 3062 km/h (1903 mph) |
| Wing area | 56.5 m² (608.2 sqft) |
| Wingspan | 13.1 m (42.8 ft) |
| Height | 5.7 m (18.7 ft) |
| Length | 19.4 m (63.7 ft) |
| Service ceiling | 18,000 m (59,055 ft) |
| Empty weight | 16,103 kg (35,501 lbs) |
| Max. takeoff weight | 36,741 kg (81,000 lbs) |
| Climb rate | 250.0 m/s (820.2 ft/s) |
| Powerplant | 2 x General Electric F110-GE-129 delivering 76 kN each |
Current operating countries
| Country | Units | ||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Saudi Arabia | 84 | |
|
Qatar | 46 (+2) | |
|
United States | 17 (+112) | |
|
Israel | 0 (+50) | |
All operators
Armament
Missiles payload:
- Air-to-Air Short-Range AIM-9 Sidewinder
- Air-to-Air Medium-Range AIM-120 AMRAAM
- Air-to-Air Long-Range AIM-260 JATM
- Air-to-Surface AGM-65 Maverick
- Air-to-Surface AGM-130
- Air-to-Surface AGM-154 JSOW
- Cruise AGM-158 JASSM
- Cruise Joint Strike Missile
- Anti-Radiation AGM-88 HARM
Bombs payload:
- Unguided Bomb Mark 82 bomb
- Unguided Bomb Mark 84 bomb
- Guided Bomb GBU-15
- Guided Bomb Paveway II series (GBU-10, GBU-12, GBU-24, GBU-27)
- Guided Bomb GBU-28
- Guided Bomb GBU-31 JDAM
- Guided Bomb GBU-38 JDAM
- Guided Bomb GBU-54 LJDAM
- Guided Bomb GBU-39 SDB
- Nuclear B61 nuclear bomb
- Cluster Bomb CBU-87 CEM
- Cluster Bomb CBU-103 CEM
- Cluster Bomb CBU-89 GATOR
- Cluster Bomb CBU-104 GATOR
- Cluster Bomb CBU-97 SFW
- Cluster Bomb CBU-105 SFW
- Cluster Bomb CBU-107 Passive Attack Weapon
- Unguided Bomb BLU-107 Durandal
Description
The Boeing F-15EX Eagle II is the most advanced variant of the F-15 family and a 4.5-generation multirole fighter designed to replace the F-15C/D fleet in USAF service. Rather than a simple upgrade of the original Eagle, it is derived from the F-15 Advanced Eagle — a redesigned export lineage that began with the Saudi F-15SA (first flight 2013) and Qatari F-15QA (2020) — and brings those improvements into U.S. service. Its role is to perform homeland air defense missions and to serve as an affordable, high-payload platform that complements the F-22 and F-35 in contested environments.
Compared to the F-15C/D it replaces, the F-15EX introduces several structural and systemic changes. The airframe is rebuilt for a 20,000-hour service life, roughly double that of the F-15C. The legacy fly-by-wire system is replaced by a fully digital flight control system, which both improves handling and enables activation of two previously dormant outboard wing stations (stations 1 and 9) that were suppressed on older variants for aerodynamic stability reasons. This increases the standard air-to-air loadout from 8 to 12 missiles, with a proposed Advanced Missile and Bomb Ejector Rack (AMBER) system potentially raising capacity to 22. Compared to the F-15E Strike Eagle from which it is derived, the EX brings a more capable AESA radar, a new-generation electronic warfare suite, and an open mission systems architecture that the F-15E's legacy avionics lacked.
The avionics suite is built on an open systems architecture centered on the Advanced Display Core Processor II (ADCP II) mission computer, enabling faster upgrade cycles than the proprietary systems of legacy Eagles. The cockpit features a large area display (10 in × 19 in LAD) for both crew members, replacing the older multi-function displays. Primary sensor is the Raytheon AN/APG-82(V)1 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a significant step up from the mechanically scanned AN/APG-63(V)1 of the F-15C or the AN/APG-70 of the F-15E. Infrared detection is provided by the Lockheed Martin Legion Pod carrying the AN/ASG-34(V)1 IRST21 infrared search and track sensor.
Electronic warfare is handled by the BAE Systems AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive/Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS), replacing the older AN/ALQ-135/128 found on previous Eagles. EPAWSS integrates radar warning, threat geolocation, and the AN/ALE-47 countermeasures dispenser into a single coherent system. The aircraft has 25 hardpoints and a maximum payload of 29,500 lb. Internal armament is a 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan cannon. Standard air-to-air weapons include AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder; air-to-surface options include the AGM-158 JASSM, GBU-39 Small Diameter Bomb, and AGM-88 HARM. Propulsion comes from two General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofans.
The USAF declared initial operational capability on 10 July 2024, with the 142nd Wing in Oregon among the first units to receive the type. The USAF originally planned to procure 144 aircraft; budget projections as of FY2026 estimate a total of 129. Internationally, Israel signed a contract for 25 F-15IA fighters in December 2025. Egypt has entered talks for up to 46 aircraft, and Boeing has proposed 54 units to Saudi Arabia.
Main Variants
- F-15SA: Saudi Advanced Eagle; the first Advanced Eagle variant, featuring AESA radar and a digital EW system. First flew 2013.
- F-15QA: Qatari Advanced Eagle; introduced the large area display cockpit and ADCP II mission computer. First flew 2020.
- F-15EX: The two-seat USAF production variant; adds EPAWSS and the AN/APG-82(V)1 radar to the Advanced Eagle baseline.
- F-15IA: Israeli variant based on the F-15EX design, ordered in 2025.