The F-15EX Eagle II carries more weapons and hosts an array of enhanced capabilities, making it a notable upgrade over its predecessor.
Following temporary production delays earlier this year, the US Air Force has resumed its deliveries of the new F-15EX Eagle II iteration to the Portland Air National Guard Base. Beginning in August, a strike affecting workers employed at Boeing’s St. Louis facility halted progress on the Eagle II’s production. However, following rounds of negotiations, members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 returned to work in November.
The timely delivery of the Eagle II variant supports the Oregon Air National Guard’s homeland defence responsibilities, including aerospace control and air sovereignty for US Northern Command, according to Col. Jessica Kashka, F-15EX program manager. Kashka added, “The rapid turnaround highlights the strength and dedication of the joint government and industry team. Their success ensures that the nation’s warfighters receive the advanced capabilities of the F-15EX, reinforcing the Air Force’s commitment to maintaining a ready and lethal force.”
The F-15EX Eagle II’s Specifications
- Year Introduced: 2021
- Number Built: 129+ (ongoing production)
- Length: 63.8 ft (19.44 m)
- Wingspan: 42.8 ft (13 m)
- Weight (MTOW): 81,000 lbs. (36,740 kgs)
- Engines: Two General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofans
- Top Speed: 1,650 mph (2,655 km/h) / Mach 2.5
- Range: Approx. 2,762 mi (4,445 km)
- Service Ceiling: ~60,000 ft (18,300 m)
- Loadout: One internally mounted M61A1 20 mm six-barrel cannon with 500 rounds, 23 hardpoints for external fuel and ordnance (29,500 lb payload capacity)
- Aircrew: 2 (pilot and weapons systems officer)
While many of the upgraded Eagle variant’s capabilities are considered to be cutting-edge, the fighter’s ordnance power is arguably the most significant addition to the series. Last year, reports first indicated that the Eagle II would be able to carry and launch up to one dozen AMRAAM long-range air-to-air missiles, which is twice the typical number of its predecessor. Previously, Eagle jets could only carry up to eight air-to-air missiles. The F-15EX Eagle II incorporates four additional missile stations positioned toward the wing tips. In total, the F-15EX II will be able to carry up to twenty-two missiles, including short-range weapons like the AIM-9X Sidewinder. The new and improved variant’s capacity to also lug more than 13.5 tons of weapons will make the aircraft the heaviest equipped air superiority fighter in the world when it reaches operational capacity.
In addition to this hefty armament power, the Eagle II will host an array of enhancements over its predecessors. As detailed by Air Force Magazine, lethal weaponry won’t be the latest Eagle’s only asset: “The new airplanes would have a substantially more powerful mission computer, new cockpit displays, a digital backbone, and the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) — an electronic warfare and threat identification system.”
Based on the Eagle II’s impressive specs, the Air Force recently outlined plans to up its procurement of the fighter series. Over the summer, the Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposed that the service would receive 129 aircraft instead of just 98.
About the Author: Maya Carlin
Maya Carlin, national security writer with The National Interest, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has over 1,000 articles published over the last several years on various defense issues. Carlin has bylines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
Image: Shutterstock.com / VanderWolf Images
