US Air Force Orders New F-15EXs
The new fighter can carry a larger weapons payload than an F-35.
By Rob Mark
May 14, 2020
The first McDonnell F-15 fighter jet flew back in July 1972, and yet Boeing reported last week that the US Air Force just ordered eight of the airplanes valued at just over $1.1 billion. The reasoning behind why the Air Force would buy a 50-year-old airplane made more sense once Boeing announced the airplanes were actually the newest version of the company’s fourth-generation plus F-15EX fighters. The Chicago-based aircraft builder said the Air Force plans to purchase as many as 144 of the F-15EX airplanes in the future.
The F-15 has always been a spectacular performer, according to Boeing. According to a story published by Air Force magazine, the new EX will include 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.â€
https://www.flyingmag.com/story/aircraft/air-force-orders-f-15ex/
