F-15EX Eagle II | Air & Space Forces Magazinewww.airandspaceforces.com › weapons › f-15ex
F-15EX is a modern 4th generation fighter aircraft and the most advanced Eagle variant built and will replace the legacy F-15.
www.airandspaceforces.comDirect answer: The F-15EX Eagle II remains a focus of US Air Force modernization, with ongoing procurement and deployment updates through 2025–2026, including continued production, deliveries to ANG units, and budgetary reinvestment to reach planned fleet levels.
Key recent points you should know:
- Production and deliveries: Boeing’s F-15EX program has continued in multiple lots, with new airframes delivered to expand the active fleet and support modernization of existing F-15C/Ds. This reflects ongoing efforts to replace aging legacy fighters with a more capable, open-architecture platform that can integrate updated sensors and weapons.
- Capabilities and roles: The F-15EX Eagle II features a modern digital cockpit, AESA radar, EPAWSS, and open mission system concepts that ease upgrades and enable roles from air superiority to precision strike, while acting as a potential node in future unmanned collaboration schemes.
- Budget and fleet plans: The Air Force has signaled renewed interest in expanding the F-15EX fleet in its 2026 budget and related planning, aiming to backfill and modernize the fighter lineup, though final numbers have varied across years as programs balance next-gen approaches.
What this means for you in practical terms:
- If you’re tracking current capability, expect incremental improvements tied to Lot 2/3 airframes and software upgrades, rather than a single dramatic overhaul.
- For future planning or procurement context, note that the program has remained a primary means to extend the USAF’s fighter capacity in the near term while Next-Gen programs mature.
Illustration:
- The F-15EX sits between legacy F-15Cs/Ds and a potential future generation, offering greater payload, range, and modern avionics today while enabling faster upgrades through open architecture software.
If you’d like, I can pull the latest official Boeing or USAF statements and summarize the specific fleet numbers, upcoming delivery milestones, and any recent test/operational milestones.