Boeing lands $2.38bn contract for next batch of F-15EX Eagle II fighters
AeroMorning –John Smith — September 30, 2026
Boeing announces another F-15EX order
On September 29, 2026, Boeing announced that the U.S.
Department of War had awarded the company a $2.38 billion contract for 22
additional F-15EX Eagle II fighters for the U.S. Air Force. Boeing said the
award brings the total number of F-15EX aircraft under U.S. Air Force contract
to 120, covering production Lots 1 through 7. The announcement followed the
recent delivery of F-15EX-22, the first aircraft from Lot 3. Boeing said Lot 3
deliveries would continue through the end of 2026 and that it was working with
the U.S. Air Force to increase production to two aircraft per month.
The F-15EX is the latest version of a fighter family whose
history goes back more than five decades. Boeing describes the F-15EX as
combining an all-glass touchscreen cockpit and advanced mission systems with
high speed, range and payload.
From the F-15 Eagle to the F-35A
The F-15 first entered U.S. Air Force operational service in
1976, when the first operational Eagle arrived at Langley Air Force Base. The
first F-15 had been delivered in 1974, but January 1976 marked its entry into
an operational combat squadron.
The F-35A reached Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in
2016. The U.S. Air Force declared the aircraft combat ready on August 2, 2016,
with an IOC ceremony held at Hill Air Force Base on August 5.
The two aircraft therefore represent generations separated
by 40 years of operational service.
F-15EX vs. F-35A: technical comparison
Capability | F-15EX Eagle II | F-35A Lightning II |
Generation | 4.5-generation | 5th generation |
Operational service | 1976 for the F-15 family; F-15EX is the latest version | 2016 |
Engines | 2 × GE F110-GE-129 | 1 × Pratt & Whitney F135 |
Maximum takeoff weight | 81,000 lb / 36,741 kg | 70,000 lb / 31,751 kg |
Maximum speed | Mach 2.5 | Mach 1.6 |
Maximum payload | 29,500 lb / 13,381 kg | 18,000 lb / 8,165 kg |
Internal weapons bay | No | Yes |
Radar | AN/APG-82 AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) | AN/APG-81 AESA |
Stealth | Reduced signature, but not a stealth aircraft | Low-observable stealth design |
Electronic warfare | EPAWSS (Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability | Integrated electronic-warfare and sensor systems |
Crew | 1 | 1 |
Service life | 20,000+ flight hours | 8,000 flight hours design life |
Primary strength | Speed, payload, range and weapons capacity | Stealth, sensor fusion and situational awareness |
The F-15EX is a large, twin-engine fighter designed to carry
a very substantial weapons load. Boeing gives it a maximum takeoff weight of 81,000
lb and highlights its speed, payload and range. Its 20,000-hour design life is
also substantially greater than that of the original F-15 fleet.
The F-35A takes a different approach. Its single F135
engine, internal weapons bays, low-observable configuration, AESA radar and
integrated sensors are designed around survivability and information dominance
rather than maximum external weapons capacity. The Air Force declared the F-35A
operationally capable in 2016 for missions including interdiction, close air
support and limited suppression of enemy air defenses.
How many have been built?
The production figures need to be compared carefully because
the F-15 is a family of aircraft produced since the 1970s, while the F-15EX is
only its latest variant.
Boeing states that more than 1,500 F-15s are in service
worldwide. The family includes the F-15A/B/C/D, F-15E Strike Eagle and later
derivatives, including the F-15EX.
For the F-15EX specifically, the September 29, 2026 Boeing
contract brings the U.S. Air Force’s contractual quantity to 120 aircraft.
The F-35 has reached a similar production scale much more
quickly. Lockheed Martin reported that 1,293 production F-35s had been
delivered by December 31, 2025, including 927 F-35As, 238 F-35Bs and 128
F-35Cs. In 2025 alone, Lockheed Martin delivered a record 191 aircraft.
The difference in production history is significant: the
F-15 entered operational service in 1976, while the F-35A reached IOC (Initial
Operational Capability) only in 2016. By the end of 2025, however, the F-35
program had already delivered 1,293 aircraft worldwide, compared with more than
1,500 F-15s currently in service worldwide.
What distinguishes the two aircraft?
The F-15EX is built around capacity: two engines, Mach 2.5
performance, a 29,500-lb payload and a very large airframe capable of carrying
numerous weapons externally. Its modern avionics and electronic-warfare systems
bring a 1970s-era design into the digital age.
The F-35A is built around stealth and information. Its
low-observable design, internal weapons carriage, AESA radar, distributed
sensors and sensor fusion are intended to allow the aircraft to operate against
sophisticated air defenses while sharing information with other platforms.
The difference is therefore not simply one of age. The
F-15EX and F-35A represent two different solutions to the same broader problem:
the F-15EX emphasizes speed, payload and weapons capacity, while the F-35A
emphasizes stealth, detection, information processing and survivability.
Conclusion
The September 29, 2026 Boeing contract adds 22 F-15EXs for
$2.38 billion, bringing the U.S. Air Force’s F-15EX commitment to 120 aircraft.
The F-15EX is not an alternative to the F-35A. The two
aircraft combine different characteristics: the F-15EX brings speed, payload
and weapons capacity, while the F-35A brings low observability, sensor fusion
and fifth-generation information capabilities.
Source: AeroMorning
