Delivery of the second batch of new F-15EX Eagle II fighters to the USAF got underway on December 20, when two examples of the type arrived at Eglin AFB in Florida following a ferry flight from Boeing’s production facility at St Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri. The two fighters (20-0003/ET/EX3 and 20-0004/OT/EX4) were respectively assigned to the 96th Test Wing’s 40th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS) and 53rd Wing’s 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron (TES).
The new Eagle IIs differ slightly from the initial two examples that are operated by the same two units. In addition to a cockpit pressure monitor and warning system and an ultra-high frequency antenna for satellite communications, the fighters also feature a forward fuselage that has been specifically redesigned for the USAF and are equipped with the AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) electronic warfare suite.
The arrival of these jets at Eglin will allow the USAF to accelerate testing of the F-15EX. Testing conducted by the USAF last year saw the air arm’s first two Eagle IIs deploy to Alaska to participate in Exercise Northern Edge 2023. The fighters also executed a series of advanced weapons integration missions that verified the aircraft and its various munitions flew and communicated with each other properly. In addition, the pair flew to Hill AFB, Utah, where they successfully employed advanced air-to-ground weapons for the first time during Exercise Combat Hammer 2023.
The USAF’s initial F-15EXs (20-0001/ET/EX1 and 20-0002/OT/EX2) arrived at Eglin in March and April 2021 (respectively). The delivery of this second pair occurred a year later than was originally planned as a result of manufacturing-related issues. The two Eglin-based test wings expect to receive a third pair of Eagle IIs before deliveries to the Oregon Air National Guard’s (ANG’s) 142nd Fighter Wing (FW) at Portland Air National Guard Base (ANGB) – the type’s first operational unit – in 2024. While the USAF initially planned to acquire 144 F-15EXs in total, this number was subsequently reduced to just 80 before it was later increased to 104. The Eagle II is expected to achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) by July 2024.
