The curtain descends on an epoch at Kadena Air Base as the F-15C/D Eagles depart and give way to the F-15EX Eagle II. For decades, the Eagle was the embodiment of American air supremacy; its replacement is not just a substitute but a well-thought-out move forward, designed to answer the challenges of high-end air warfare in the next few years.
This is not just a matter of putting new electronics and new paint on old airframes. The process is a strategic choice, aimed at giving commanders a flexible, survivable collection of tools to work in contested airspace.
The F-15EX carries the tried-and-tested F-15 form but infills it with next-gen systems: digital fly-by-wire flight controls for accurate handling, an all-glass cockpit linked to helmet-mounted cueing, and the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS), all of which, combined, provide pilots with a level of awareness and defense close to what viewers are accustomed to in low-observable aircraft.
Its open design is the key to EX’s value. Its mission suites are modular, meaning new sensors, missiles, or software can be added without opening up the jet or redesigning ground infrastructure. Combined with advanced AESA radar, that openness allows the aircraft to adapt as threats and tactics evolve—a costly airframe that nonetheless can continue to add capability over the course of its life.
Where the F-15EX truly comes into its own is in versatility. It can execute the homeland-defense missions conventionally reserved for the F-15C/D, but it’s equally comfortable on the offense. With an enormous payload capability—roughly 13.6 tons and capable of carrying very long missiles—the plane becomes, at times, a high-tech missile truck: a plane that can deliver a broad array of effects, from deep strike to area denial.
In combined-arms operations, the F-15EX exists comfortably with low-observable partners. Paired with low-observable fighters, it can penetrate deep, deliver ordnance, and leave in a rush, or it can be employed in theaters where stealth is not as critical and gunpower reigns supreme. That balance of reach and flexibility is particularly valuable its weight in large theaters where range and persistence are the keys to success.
The two-seat cockpit is pilot plus passenger plus. The second seat is more than its traditional weapons-systems officer role: it is a force multiplier, capable of controlling unmanned wingmen, executing advanced missions, or serving as an airborne battle-manager. That makes the F-15EX a hub for Collaborative Combat Aircraft concepts—aircraft that fight, but also direct, coordinate, and multiply combat power.
Electronic attack and support capability is a big part of the EX narrative as well. With dedicated pods and systems, the F-15EX can introduce heavy jamming and electronic warfare capability to the battlefield without trading away a full weapons load—something older aircraft simply cannot do. Buddy-tanker pod and other force-extension package testing takes that even further in terms of how the aircraft can be utilized without endangering larger support infrastructures.
Interest is not confined to the US military, however. A number of partners are seriously looking at the Eagle II as a possibility for those countries that are interested in high-end capability short of full price or constrained availability of some of the stealth models. Below the highest priced fighters and equivalent in capability for dollar, the F-15EX is a sensible choice for air forces with reconciling budgets and capability requirements.
As part of the Air Force inventory as a whole, the F-15EX will coexist with stealth aircraft and other specialized gear—offering range, payload, and avionics to fill the gaps those planes can’t. F-15C retirement is less an end than a transfer: the Eagle II takes over the mission and builds upon it, sending new tools out into the battle-space.
Peering down the runway, the F-15EX can be more than just another fighter to fill out the inventory. It will be a workhorse jack-of-all-trades, a heavy hitter, and, in most respects, a quarterback of the air—coordinates, delivers effects, and makes air superiority flexible and affordable in the future.