F-15EX Eagle II Specs, Variants, Cost and Operators
The F-15EX Eagle II is Boeing’s two-seat, fly-by-wire update of the F-15, able to carry up to 12 air-to-air missiles and roughly 29,500 pounds of weapons, at a unit cost the Air Force has put near $94 million. It is the newest version of a fighter design that first flew in 1972, and it exists because the US Air Force needed more missile trucks than its fifth-generation fleet could supply.
What is the F-15EX Eagle II
The F-15EX is a twin-engine, two-seat multirole fighter built by Boeing in St. Louis. It grew out of the F-15QA developed for Qatar, which introduced a digital fly-by-wire flight control system, a wide-cockpit display and a modern mission computer to an airframe that had otherwise changed little since the 1980s. The Air Force adopted that package in 2018 and ordered its first lots under an unusual sole-source arrangement.
The reason was arithmetic. The F-15C/D fleet was aging out, and the F-35 could not be built fast enough to replace it while also carrying the large missile loads that air defense and stand-off strike require. An F-15EX can hang missiles under its wings and on conformal stations that a stealth jet simply cannot carry without giving up its low-observable shape.
The first EX flew in early 2021 and deliveries to the Air Force began the same year, starting with test aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base. The 142nd Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard became the first operational home, taking on the homeland air defense mission the older F-15C once flew, and the type is planned to reach RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom later in the decade. (Boeing and Air Force program information.)
F-15EX specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Boeing Defense, Space & Security |
| Crew | 2 (pilot and weapon systems officer) |
| Length | About 63.7 ft (19.4 m) |
| Wingspan | About 42.8 ft (13 m) |
| Maximum takeoff weight | About 81,000 lb (36,700 kg) |
| Engines | Two General Electric F110-GE-129, roughly 29,000 lbf each with afterburner |
| Top speed | Mach 2.5 class, per Boeing |
| Radar | Raytheon AN/APG-82(V)1 AESA |
| Electronic warfare | BAE Systems EPAWSS, with digital flight controls and ADCP II mission computer |
| Weapons payload | Up to 29,500 lb on 11 hardpoints; up to 12 air-to-air missiles, per Boeing |
| Gun | One M61A1 20 mm Vulcan cannon |
The radar is the quiet star. The APG-82(V)1 is the same family as the set fitted to the F-15E, but the EX pairs it with a much faster computer and with the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, which gives the aircraft a modern jammer and warning suite. Missile loads can include the AIM-120 AMRAAM, the AIM-9X Sidewinder, JASSM-ER and JDAM-series bombs, and the jet is cleared for a wider range of newer weapons than earlier Eagles.
F-15EX vs F-15E, what is different
| Variant | Role | Flight controls | Notable feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| F-15C/D | Air superiority | Analog and mechanical | Retiring from Air Force service |
| F-15E Strike Eagle | Strike, two-seat | Analog and mechanical | Conformal tanks, AESA upgrade |
| F-15QA | Export, Qatar | Digital fly-by-wire | Test bed for the EX package |
| F-15EX Eagle II | Multirole, two-seat | Digital fly-by-wire | Open mission systems, EPAWSS, 12 missiles |
The difference is less about airframe than architecture. Fly-by-wire controls reduce pilot workload and let the airframe fly to a higher structural life, reported by Boeing at roughly 20,000 hours against about 8,000 for early Eagles. An open mission system lets the Air Force add software and sensors without rewiring the jet, a lesson drawn from years of painful F-35 integration.
How many F-15EX will the Air Force buy
The planned fleet has moved around. The Air Force originally spoke of 144 aircraft, cut the program of record to around 100 to free money for next-generation projects, and later budget documents reportedly push the requirement back up. Treat any single total as provisional, it changes with each budget cycle. Expect the unit price to hover near the $94 million estimate in then-year dollars.
Politics matter as much as requirements. The Eagle line in St. Louis keeps a skilled workforce busy while the fifth- and sixth-generation fighter programs mature, and export interest, including reported talks with several allies, would lengthen production further. Boeing has also reportedly lost at least one potential customer along the way, a reminder that demand is less certain than the Air Force order book.
Who operates the F-15EX
The United States Air Force is the only confirmed operator of the EX by name. Its precursor, the F-15QA, serves Qatar, and Saudi Arabia flies the related F-15SA. Units in the Air National Guard and active force are receiving the new type in stages, with aircraft also at test wings for weapons integration. There is no combat record for the EX itself, although the F-15 family as a whole is credited by Boeing and the Air Force with well over 100 air-to-air victories and no air-to-air losses.
F-15EX frequently asked questions
What is the F-15EX Eagle II?
A two-seat, fly-by-wire multirole fighter from Boeing, derived from the F-15QA and adopted by the US Air Force to replace older F-15C/D aircraft.
How much does the F-15EX cost?
The Air Force has estimated a unit price near $94 million in then-year dollars, though total program cost depends on the quantity bought.
Is the F-15EX stealthy?
No. It relies on a modern radar, electronic warfare and weapons load rather than low observability.
How many missiles can the F-15EX carry?
Boeing says up to 12 air-to-air missiles, which is among the largest loads of any fighter in service.
Has the F-15EX been in combat?
Not as far as public records show. The broader F-15 family has a long combat record, but the EX is newly fielded.
- Boeing F-15EX product literature
- US Air Force and Air & Space Forces reporting on the F-15EX program
- Wikipedia – Boeing F-15EX Eagle II (accessed October 2026)
- Defence & Tech reporting
