JUST IN: F-15EX Program Viewed as Pathfinder for 'Digital Century Series' Initiative
7/15/2020
By Mandy Mayfield
Boeing is utilizing techniques to build its new F-15EX fighter jets that could serve as a pathfinder for the Air Force's "Digital Century Series" initiative, which aims to change the way the service acquires new aircraft, company executives say.
The Air Force on July 13 announced that it had awarded Boeing a nearly $1.2 billion contract for the first lot of F-15EX planes. The souped-up variant of the jet, which will replace aging F-15C/D Eagles, will provide enhanced capabilities over legacy systems. Some observers have called it a “4-5-gen†aircraft to indicate that it is significantly more advanced than fourth-generation platforms currently in the fleet but not in the same class as stealth fighters such as the F-35 joint strike fighter or F-22 Raptor.
The aircraft is currently being built at the company's St. Louis manufacturing facility.
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/7/15/f15ex-program-viewed-as-pathfinder-for-digital-century-series-initiative
