New US Air Force F-15EX Will Fire Hypersonic Weapons

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

The U.S. Air Force F-15EX has blasted onto the scene in recent years as a highly advanced “4th-generation-plus” type of aircraft intended to pick up key missions less suitable for a stealthy 5th-gen F-35.

However, while essentially a 4th-generation airframe, the U.S. Air Force and Boeing have for many years been building upon extensive upgrades to the 1980s-era F-15, which hosts upgrades that massively improve the performance, technological capacity, and combat ability of the airplane.

At the same time, some have questioned the utility and strategic rationale behind building the F-15EX given that part of the intent was budget-driven, meaning it represented an effort to decrease modernization expenses in part generated by Pentagon plans for a large 5th-generation and 6th-generation fleet.

The Air Force is now acquiring a number of F-15EX aircraft, however, the actual number or planned fleet size may remain somewhat in flux.

F-15EX: Technological Enhancements

The technological enhancements built into the F-15EX arguably make it much more effective than any existing 4th-generation aircraft as it is engineered with a new suite of electronic warfare, AESA(Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar, high-speed computer processing and even an ability to fire new generation weapons.

The thinking, as explained by developers, is to engineer a highly capable aircraft able to pick up key high-risk missions that may not necessarily require a 5th- or 6th-generation plane.

Some have questioned the wisdom of building a non-stealthy F-15EX, given that major adversaries are likely to soon operate with threatening levels of 5th-generation stealth aircraft.