F-15EX: Breaks Global Records of Quantity and Weapons Tonnage

By Maya Carlin, Warrior Contributor

The latest iteration of the American-made F-15 Eagle fighter – the mighty F-15EX or also known as the F-15EX Eagle II – jet broke key records in terms of quantity and tonnage of weapons carried, test flights revealed earlier this year.

Fox News first reported months back that the advanced platform was able to carry and launch up to 12 air-to-air missiles, double the typical number of its predecessor.

Additionally, the F-15EX can hold more than 13.5 tons of weapons, a number also much higher than its past variants. That makes it what some defense experts call a ‘bomb truck’.

These numbers would make the new F-15 airframe by far the heaviest equipped air superiority fighter across the globe.

Sporting next-generation technologies, the F-15EX will undoubtedly serve the needs of the U.S. Air Force for years to come.

An overview of the F-15EX’s roots

In the late 1980’s, the McDonnell Douglas (presently Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle entered service with the U.S. Air Force.

Derived from the F-15 Eagle, the new platform was constructed to carry out long-range, high-speed flights without needing to rely on accompanying or electronic-warfare aircraft.