The F-15EX is designed to replace aging F-15C/D fighters that were in line to either be decommissioned or upgraded. Rather than upgrade the earlier versions of the Eagle, it is propoaed that the Air Force buy newer models of the Eagle. Boeing has kept the F-15 program alive by selling different versions to foreign users such as Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea, producing newer models with new upgrades. The F-15EX will take advantage of some of the work done on these newer models for foreign air forces, but will feature some features that are not supplied to foreign airforces, such as a substantially more powerful mission computer, new cockpit displays, a digital backbone, and the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) — an electronic warfare and threat identification system. Eventually, the F-15ES will replace the F-15C/D and these aircraft will be decommissioned. It will let the USAF maintain the size of its fighter force due to the premature termination of F-22 production and slow and delayed F-35 acquisitions. In FY 2020, the Department of Defense requested money to procure eight F-15EX fighter, for a total planned procurement of 144 aircraft. On January 28, 2020, the USAF began the process of acquiring its first two F-15EXs, whth the remaining six of the initial order to be acquired later. Several international customers have expressed interest in the F-15EX
The USAF proposal to purchase additional fourth-generation fighters rather than to acquire more fifth-generation stealth-capable fighters led to some criticism. Even though the F-15EX is not stealth-capable, it is proposed that the F-15EX will be able to operate alongside F-35s in penetrating even the most-capable enemy defenses.
The F-15EX will besed on the F-15QA, the version for the Qatari Air Force. There will be a competition between General Electric and Pratt and Whitney to produce the engines for the F-15EX. Pratt and Whitney currently bulids the F100 turbofan and General Electric currently builds the F110 turbonfan, each of which offer 29,000 lb. st in afterburning. In April of 2020, the air force awarded the initial engine contract to General Electric, but other contractors may be able to bid for future orders.
The F-15EX is designed to supplement the F-35A. Even though, unlike the F-35A, the F-15EX will not be capable of steath. it will be capable of carring a much heavier load of weapons, up to 30,000 pounds, whereas the F-35 has to carry its weapons in an internal bay to maintain its radar steath profile, which limits its load to only 5700 pounds, although it can carry a heavier load if underwing mounting points are used, which unfortunately spoils the stealth cabability of the F-35. The F-15EX will be able to carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles. Even though the F-15EX will probably not be survivable against future modern air defenses, it can serve in other roles such as homeland and airbase defenses, enforcing no-fly zones, operations against zones with limited or no air defenses, and delivering standoff weapons.
Sources:
- McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15E_Strike_Eagle
