Air Force receives first F-15EX, second aircraft expected in April

By Courtney Albon / March 11, 2021 at 4:09 PM

The Air Force announced today it has accepted the first F-15EX from Boeing and expects to receive the second aircraft by the end of April.

The service accepted the first jet on Thursday, which will be delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, FL, for testing. The remaining six aircraft in the first delivery lot are set to be accepted in fiscal year 2023.

In a press release today, the Air Force notes it has adopted an expedited testing plan that relies on data from other F-15 variants as well as U.S.-only subsystems and Operational Flight Program software. Inside Defense reported this week that the Pentagon has waived full-up system level survivability testing for the aircraft, deeming it "unreasonably expensive and impractical."

An alternate test plan, approved by the director of operational test and evaluation, is expected to result in $108 million in cost avoidance and take at least a year less to complete, the service said in its justification for seeking a testing waiver.

The Air Force began executing the alternate Live Fire Test and Evaluation plan in January and expects it to be completed in FY-23.

F-15EX Lots 2 and 3 are "on track" for delivery in FY-24 and FY-25, the press release notes, and will be delivered to Kingsley Field and Portland Air National Guard Base, both located in Oregon.

The Air Force plans to buy at least 144 F-15EX aircraft to replace its older F-15s. The new variant features advanced avionics, a digital cockpit and the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System.

210752