F-15EX Eagle II: The Hottest Fighter on the Planet Right Now

What you need to know: Due to escalating global threats, the US Air Force is pushing to accelerate production of the F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet. The F-15EX, a high-performance 4.5-generation fighter, is prioritized for homeland defense but can also be used offensively, especially in the Indo-Pacific region.

Amazing F-15EX: Known for its speed (Mach 2.5), range (2,000 miles) and large payload capacity (30,000 pounds of ordnance), the F-15EX is critical to modern air superiority. Boeing is under pressure from the US Air Force and Israel to speed up production, with Israel recently ordering 50 units in a $20 billion deal.

The US Air Force wants the F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets – and it wants them now. The Pentagon insists Boeingmanufacturer, to speed up the production process as global threats grow.

Accelerated production of F-15EX Eagle II

F-15EX Eagle II – the newest version of the F-15 fighter. Developed primarily through third-country funding, the F-15EX is currently part of the US Air Force fleet, with the first aircraft arriving in operational units in summer.

In total, the Air Force plans to purchase more than 100 F-15EX. However, the final figure has not yet been determined because every time the Air Force tried to reduce the number of aircraft, Congress regularly rebuffed. F-15EXto save money on other programs.

But it’s not just the US Air Force that is pushing to speed up deliveries of the F-15EX Eagle II. The Israeli Air Force ordered 50 aircraft in August. The contract, worth nearly $20 billion, involved upgrading 25 Tel Aviv F-15I fighter jets to the “EX” version. The Israelis need this aircraft as soon as possible to support their military operations in the Middle East.

Until now, Boeing has been producing aircraft at a good pace.

F-15EX Eagle II explained

F-15EX Eagle II is the newest fighter aircraft in the Air Force fleet. Be careful. It’s not the most advanced, just the newest. But that doesn’t mean the latest version of the venerable F-15—the deadliest air superiority fighter in modern history—isn’t an extremely capable aircraft.

Air Force added to bookmarks F-15EX Eagle II to carry out national defense missions by transferring the aircraft to Air National Guard squadrons. But Air Force designers have left the door open for the latest version of the F-15 to take on more offensive roles. For example, nearly 40 F-15EX Eagle IIs will be deployed to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, which is one of the first lines of defense against Chinese aggression in Taiwan and the broader Indo-Pacific region of operations.

4.5th generation fighter, F-15EX Eagle II This is a monstrous aircraft with excellent performance and combat capabilities. For example, Boeing’s newest fighter jet can reach speeds of up to Mach 2.5 (or nearly 2,000 mph) and has a range of about 2,000 miles (800-mile combat radius). These are big numbers for a fighter because it means it can reach targets at long range while still remaining on the battlefield for long periods of time.

But where F-15EX Eagle II truly shines with its combat capabilities. The plane is just a beast. It can carry up to 30,000 pounds of air in the air and air-to-ground ammunition. For the sake of comparison, B-52 Stratofortressa giant strategic bomber that can carry up to 70,000 pounds of ordnance, or slightly more than two F-15EX Eagle IIs. As for weapons, F-15EX can carry a wide range of weapons systems, including some of the newest available in the Air Force’s arsenal.

About the author:

Stavros Atlamazoglu an experienced military journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army Veteran (National Service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army Headquarters). He received a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His works have been presented in Business Insider, SandboxxAnd SOFREP.

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