Air Force expands F-15E's JDAM carriage capacity for remote ops

The Air Force's 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron has flown six Joint Direct Attack Munitions on a single side of an F-15E Strike Eagle -- increasing the fighter jet's weapon capacity and enabling more agility during remote operations.

The Feb. 22 demonstration at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, proved the Strike Eagle can carry 15 JDAMs, the service announced in a press release today, though the aircraft won't be able to release all the munitions in a single mission. The capability is instead intended to turn the F-15E into a more efficient weapon transport vehicle for fifth-generation fighters.

"[The] Strike Eagle can now carry enough JDAMs for an active combat mission, land at a remote location, and reload itself and/or another aircraft -- such as an F-35 or F-22 -- for additional combat sorties," Lt. Col. Jacob Lindaman, commander of the 85th TES, said in the release.

The Air Force would previously need two C-130s to ferry personnel and JDAMs to a remote area, where the munitions would then be assembled.

"The additional carriage on the F-15E allows fully assembled JDAMs to be transported, reducing the requirement to just one C-130 and . . . eliminating onsite bomb building," the notice explains.

The new capability is part of the Air Force's broader agile combat employment concept that seeks more rapid operations in remote locations by reducing infrastructure requirements.