(In light of Memorial Day, this post is dedicated to the memories of those who died serving America in the past and present. Thank you for your sacrifice to this country.)
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was a rude awakening to the West when it comes to airpower. While some analysts thought air combat was dead, the Russo-Ukraine War proved otherwise as the skies above Kyiv were filled with planes shooting each other down. Consequently, this led to the west looking more into how to adapt to modern dogfighting. Luckily the United States has a cheap option to adapt to these changing times. The platform for this is the F-15EX Eagle II. This will be the first post on Jetsetting Jam that will go in depth about military aviation and what better way to start than to talk about the Eagle II. And with no disrespect to the F-22 or F-35, the Eagle II might be the most important fighter jet for the future of NATO for various reasons.
Cost
The most obvious reason as to why the Air Force wants the F-15EX is the issue of operational costs. At first glance, it doesn’t appear to be cheaper than an F-35. Per Breaking Defense, the flyaway cost per plane (initial procurement cost per plane) is $90 million per unit compared to $82.5 million per unit for the F-35. However, due in part to not having Radar Absorbent Material (RAM) as well as externally being similar to earlier F-15 variants, maintenance costs are much lower than those for the F-22 or F-35.
According to Global Defense News, the F-15EX can fly up to 20,000 flight hours at $29,000/hour. This would be 1/3 of the operating cost of the F-35 which would fly up to 8,000 flight hours for the same cost Former Air Force mechanics would tell you that it’s much easier to maintain 4th generation fighters such as the F-15 as opposed to the F-35 and F-22 due in part to not having the stealth materials that the 35 and 22 do. Lastly, Boeing wouldn’t have to restart any supply chains to produce the plane. As of today, Boeing is currently building the F-15QA and the F-15SA for Qatar and Saudi Arabia respectively. This will make it much easier for Boeing to mass produce the Eagle II when needed. But it isn’t just cost that makes the F-15EX ideal.
Mission Parameters
So how else can the F-15EX be effective? The answer is that countries can do more with this weapons system. The Air Force looks at this plane as a missile truck because it can have a larger payload than earlier variants. The reason for this is because the Eagle II, much like the Saudi and Qatar variants utilize fly-by-wire controls unlike the Legacy Eagles. These systems would recognize the limits of the aircraft thus removing the onus from the pilots to stay within the aircraft’s capabilities. According to Boeing test pilot Jason “Mongoose” Dotter, “the new controls would also allow the Eagle II to compete with fighters that have thrust-vectoring capabilities such as the SU-35 or SU-57. Consequently, it has two more hardpoints near the wings. As for the missions it could undertake, the USAF are initially ordering the planes to replace the F-15C/D models stationed at airbases such as Portland and Klamath Falls.
Initially this plane was designed for one pilot (F-15CX) but due to the fact that the current F-15s in production are all two-seaters, the F-15EX has the option to either fly with one or two people in the cockpit. The plane can carry up to 12 air-to-air missiles such as AIM-9 Sidewinders or AIM-120 AMRAAMs. Ideally if this plane is successful for the Air Force, the Eagle II would also replace the F-15E Strike Eagle for multirole capabilities. The plane can also be used to complement 5th generation fighters such as the F-35 or F-22. For example, a squadron of F-22s/F-35s along with the F-15EX can go into a hot zone with enemy fighters and the F-15s as a diversion causing the enemy to be caught by surprise by trailing F-22/F-35 squadrons. Another possible mission is the F-35 can strike missile sites in enemy territory and the F-15EX offer real time updates of the battlefield with the technology it utilizes.
But the Eagle II also has more advancements with its weapons systems. With open architecture software, the Eagle II can adapt to any new battlefield strategy that the United States chooses to be involved in. For example, since the plane can carry two people, the WSO (Weapons Systems Officer) could potentially control drones from the back seat and the Eagle II can help utilize drone swarms to overwhelm an enemy. A similar program was considered by the US Navy for the Tomcat but was cancelled due to budgetary concerns (let me know if you want a post about that). However the Air Force wants to move forward with the Eagle II and hopefully other countries follow suit.
Who Else Can Order the F-15EX
In addition to the USAF, other countries have expressed interest in the F-15EX. Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar all want to be on the F-15EX bandwagon. Recently, countries such as Poland and Indonesia also desire the Eagle II. Poland, due to its close proximity to the Russo-Ukraine War, needs fighters that can produce right away in case Ukraine falls to Russia. This would complement Europe’s ambitious $4.3 billion plan to create an “Iron Dome” style defense system against Russia. Also, with China’s emergence as a superpower in recent years, Indonesia needs to invest in its defense and the F-15EX is an ideal fix. And considering China’s regional belligerence a timely fix is called for.
Conclusion
The F-15EX is a perfect continuation of the F-15's legacy. As adversaries to the west such as China and Russia are teaming up to enter a new Cold War, it’s imperative for the west to adapt to these changes. And ordering the F-15EX will be a perfect solution for air forces all over the world to defend their respective countries from belligerent neighbors. But what do you guys think? Will the F-15EX be successful? Let me know in the comments below and keep looking to the sky!
Great inaugural blog on military aircraft. Intriguing possibilities, especially the ability to control drone swarms from the second seat!
I believe the F-15EX for air policing and if funded in sufficient numbers air interdiction will be quite successful. Time the F-15Cs and F-15Es had a replacement.