F-15EX Could Replace Strike Eagle Fleet, in Addition to Older C/D Models, USAF Says
July 30, 2020 | By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force may replace its 218 F-15Es with F-15EXs, which could expand the new program to over 400 aircraft, according to service documents justifying the sole-source contract to Boeing. The Air Force also claims buying the F-15EX will save some $3 billion in military construction and support costs versus buying more advanced F-35s.
The revelations and assertions were contained in an F-15EX Justification and Approval (J&A) document, which was dated March 2018 but not released until mid-July, to coincide with the sole-source award to Boeing of the first F-15EX contract. The program, as it’s currently structured, could be worth up to $22.9 billion if all options are exercised.
The heavily redacted document notes that the contract for Boeing posits a “rough order of magnitude†purchase of 200 airplanes, but the “most probable quantity†would be 144 fighters. However, it also notes that while the program is “initially†intended to refresh the aging F-15C/D, a decision to similarly replace the F-15E Strike Eagle fleet with the EX “has not been made, but remains an option.â€
https://www.airforcemag.com/f-15ex-could-replace-strike-eagle-fleet-in-addition-to-older-c-d-models-usaf-says/
