US Air Force aims to double F-15EX Eagle fleet
By Michael Scanlon
Apr 24, 2026, 02:04 PM
The U.S. Air Force plans to more than double its F-15EX Eagle II fleet to 267 aircraft, up from the previously planned 129, as part of the fiscal 2027 budget request rolled out this week.
The revised plan calls for 24 additional Eagle IIs next year at a cost of roughly $3 billion, according to the service’s fiscal 2027 budget request.
“This will complete building existing F-15EX units and then begin to recapitalize the aging F-15E fleet,” an Air Force spokesperson told Military Times.
The service’s future fighter force “will be comprised of a mix of 4th, 5th and next-gen fighters,” the spokesperson added. “Fighter readiness will be maintained by modernizing older, but still capable, F-16s, F-15s, and F-22s to the maximum extent possible within fiscal realities. Additionally, the USAF will field F-15EXs, Block four F-35s, and F-47s.”
https://www.militarytimes.com/industry/techwatch/2026/04/24/us-air-force-aims-to-double-f-15ex-eagle-fleet/
