U.S. Air Force’s Newest Fighter Completes First Exercise
by David Donald
- May 26, 2021, 11:07 AM
The first two Boeing F-15EXs to be handed over to the U.S. Air Force have recently returned to their home base at Eglin AFB, Florida, following two weeks of participation in their first large force test exercise. The aircraft—which were handed over by Boeing in March and April—were part of a sizable contingent from the 53rd Wing that deployed to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) for Exercise Northern Edge 21. Located in the outskirts of Anchorage, Alaska, JBER combines the former Elmendorf AFB with the U.S. Army’s adjacent Fort Richardson.
During the exercise, the F-15EX—now officially named Eagle II—was tested in a joint force, “operationally represented” environment that included threat elements such as “red air” aggressors. Among the aims of the F-15EX’s participation was to test the performance and behavior of the Raytheon APG-82 AESA radar, other new features such as the wide-area cockpit display, and the latest operational flight program (OFP, mission software). The F-15EX is currently loaded with the 9.1X edition.
Also undergoing an operational evaluation was the BAE Systems ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, better known as EPAWSS. This is an advanced digital multi-spectral warning and jamming suite with numerous antennas distributed around the airframe. The system entered low-rate initial production in March 2021 and is intended for both the F-15EX and the F-15E Strike Eagle.
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2021-05-26/us-air-forces-newest-fighter-completes-first-exercise
