F-15EX Eagle II: How Fast Can This Air Force Fighter Fly?

The F-15EX Eagle II, the latest iteration of the iconic F-15 series, is known for its remarkable top speed and performance.

As a modernized iteration of the F-15 platform, it retains its predecessors’ general characteristics while incorporating more advanced upgrades, including an engine swap that boosts its top speed.

The F-15EX can reach speeds up to Mach 2.5, or approximately 1,900 miles per hour, making it one of the fastest combat aircraft in operation today.

The F-15EX Eagle II Is Fast

As a point of comparison, the fastest manned aircraft in history, the American SR-71 Blackbird, set a record with a top speed of Mach 3.3, or over 2,200 miles per hour.

Designed primarily as a reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, the SR-71 relied on speed and altitude to evade threats during its Cold War missions.

While the F-15EX does not quite match the SR-71’s record-breaking speeds, it does come close in certain configurations.

When operating in a “clean” setup free of external pylons, weapons, and other drag-inducing attachments, the F-15EX can achieve its maximum speed.

In addition, flying with less than a full fuel load further improves the jet’s thrust-to-weight ratio, allowing for better acceleration and top speed.

Updated Sensors, High Payload

The F-15EX excels as a complement to stealthy fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II.

These stealth fighters prioritize evasion and sensor fusion to penetrate contested airspace, but their smaller payload capacities and operational range can present limitations.

This is where the F-15EX’s strengths become invaluable.

The F-15 in its current iteration boasts an incredible payload: up to 29,500 pounds of weapons and fuel, and an operational range augmented by sizeable external fuel tanks, the jet can serve as an extended range weapons carrier in support of stealthy aircraft while remaining outside of heavily contested airspace.

But What is the Top Speed for F-15EX Eagle II?

At one point, excitement and interest in the F-15 capabilities erroneously listed the jet’s top speed at just shy of Mach 3 — an incredible maximum speed with profound implications for the United States’ go-to fourth-generation fighter jet.

That report turned out to be slightly erroneous, however. Rather than a maximum speed of Mach 2.9, as was listed, the jet’s maximum speed was just under Mach 2.5, and though fast, it is much more in line with other contemporary aircraft.

Although it lacks the stealth capabilities of newer fifth-generation aircraft — purpose-made for their enhanced stealth capabilities — the F-15EX compensates with advanced electronic warfare systems, greatly enhanced situational awareness, and increased survivability.

And while the jet’s earlier-purported maximum speed is not quite as impressive as was initially reported, the jet’s clean configuration — without external pylons, including weapons and fuel tanks — afford it an awe-inspiring maximum speed.

Although the F-15 platform — in its newest, most advanced iterations — is renowned for its top speed and the maximum amount of weapons it can carry along with a full fuel load, it cannot go toe-to-toe with fifth-generation stealth fighters.

Still, when paired with low radar cross-section and long-range munitions, the F-15 remains a relevant player capable of bridging the gap between fourth- and fifth-generation fighters. When combined with stealthy, long-range weaponry, that combination is deadly effective.

About the Author: Caleb Larson

Caleb Larson is an American multiformat journalist based in Berlin, Germany. His work covers the intersection of conflict and society, focusing on American foreign policy and European security. He has reported from Germany, Russia, and the United States. Most recently, he covered the war in Ukraine, reporting extensively on the war’s shifting battle lines from Donbas and writing on the war’s civilian and humanitarian toll. Previously, he worked as a Defense Reporter for POLITICO Europe. You can follow his latest work on X.