Article Summary – In an era obsessed with stealth and sixth-generation jets, the F-15EX Eagle II proves there’s still a massive role for a non-stealth heavyweight.
-Building on the F-15’s unmatched 104–0 air-to-air record, the Eagle II adds modern AESA radar, IRST, advanced EW, a 20,000-hour airframe, and the ability to haul nearly 30,000 pounds of ordnance.
Lt. Col. Richard Turner, 40th Flight Test Squadron commander, pilots the F-15EX, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida March 11. The aircraft will be the first Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests. The 40th FLTS and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron personnel are responsible for testing the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)
Master Sgt. Tristan McIntire, 40th Flight Test Squadron, marshals the F-15EX, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, to a stop at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. March 11, 2021. The F-15EX will be the first Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests. (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.)
-With AMBER racks, it can carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles, making it an ideal “bomb truck” and missile boat for fights where low observability isn’t essential.
-Expensive or not, the F-15EX fills critical capacity gaps that stealth alone can’t cover.
F-15EX Eagle II: The Perfect Fighter for When You Don’t Need Stealth?
In this day and age of highly-touted 5th Generation stealth fighters, not to mention up-and-coming 6th Generation fighters such as the F-47 NGAD, one might assume that 4th Generation and 4.5 Generation fighter jets are hopelessly obsolescent (an assumption that could be further bolstered by the fact that 7th Generation fighters are already being discussed).
However, in the immortal words of the late Richard “Demo Dick” Marcinko, founding commander of SEAL Team 6, “Thou shalt never assume.”
Although all three Great Power competing nations—the United States of America, the Russian Federation, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC)—have stealth fighters, their air forces still have non-stealth warbirds comprising the majority of their fighter fleets.
Arguably, the best of the Gen 4.5 bunch is the American-made F-15EX Eagle II.
The F-15 Eagle Legacy
The F-15 Eagle jet series (originally built by McDonnell Douglas, then inherited by Boeing after the 1997 merger) is, in terms of air-to-air kill ratio, the most successful fighter plane of all time, with an mind-blowingly unmatched 104 confirmed kills with zero losses in real-world engagements (though one could nitpick that, ratios notwithstanding, the pre-Jet Age P-51D Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt of World War II, as well as the early Jet Age F-86 Sabre of Korean War fame, all had higher aggregate kill tallies).
A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II, assigned to 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, lands at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 16, 2025. The F-15EX plays a critical role in modern warfare, providing substantial additional capacity for long-range fires, sensors, and electronic warfare in contested areas, complementing 5th generation fighters. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman Nathaniel Jackson)
The F-15EX, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, arrives to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida March 11. The aircraft will be the first Air Force aircraft to be tested and fielded from beginning to end through combined developmental and operational tests. The 40th Flight Test Squadron and the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron personnel are responsible for testing the aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo/Ilka Cole)
Then along came the two-seater F-15E Strike Eagle, which proved—beginning with the 1991 Persian Gulf War AKA Operation Desert Storm—that the battle-proven warbird could be a superbly effective “bomb truck,” i.e., air-to-ground strike platform, in addition to being such an effective killer of enemy aircraft.
The F-15EX Eagle II is the latest & greatest edition of the Strike Eagle.
So Goshdarn Good, They Just Had to Make a Sequel: F-15 Eagle II Initial History
Springing forth from the (metaphorical) loins in the so-called Advanced Eagle (which first flew in 2013), and making its maiden flight on 2 February 2021, the Eagle II attained official operational status on 5 June 2024, with the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing in Portland being the first recipient.
As Boeing’s official information page proudly proclaims: “Delivering best-in-class payload, range and speed, the F-15EX will serve as a backbone for any tactical fighter fleet – today and into the future…Ready to fight as soon as it comes off the line, the F-15EX is the most affordable, reliable and immediate way to refresh the capacity and update the capabilities of tactical fighter fleets.”
(The “ready to fight” bit will certainly be pleasing to U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who has hammered heavily upon readiness and lethality since he assumed his current position.)
So, What Makes the F-15EX So Special?
The upgrades and improvements for the Eagle II include:
–AMBER (Advanced Missile and Bomb Ejection Rack) weapons carriage system to carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles (AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range infrared [IR, i.e., heat-seeking] missiles and AIM-120 AMRAAM [Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile] “Slammer” active radar-guided missiles)
-Ability to “shoot from a significantly increased range” (exact distance not specified on the info page)
-Four underwing pylons instead of the two usually seen on the F-15C and F-15E
-Payload capacity of 29,500 lbs. (13,300 kg) of ordnance
-IR search and track
-Advanced avionics and electronic warfare equipment
–AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) radar
-50 percent increase in chaff and flares capacity (to counter enemy missiles and therefore bolster crew survivability prospects)
-Revised structure with a service life of 20,000 hours
Just about the only downside to the F-15EX (other than its decidedly non-stealthy radar cross-section [RCS]) is its hefty price tag: $90 million USD per unit, higher than the oh-so-controversial F-35 Lightning II (which *is* a stealth jet).
But given what the Eagle II brings to the table, not to mention the ability to fill in the void of the USAF’s stealth fighter shortage that stems from then-Secretary of Defense Bob Gates’s premature and short-sighted decision back in 2009 to kill America’s other 5th Generation fighter jet, namely the F-22 Raptor, those big bucks are definitely a worthwhile investment.
Additional Considerations
As already noted, neither China nor Russia has a stealth majority (or even plurality) in their fighter fleets.
What’s more, two of America’s other major adversaries, Iran and North Korea, don’t have stealth fighters at all; indeed, Iran’s air force is still using time-honored but now highly obsolescent F-4s, F-14s, and F-5s. The F-15EX would wipe them out with ease.
And speaking of the Iran threat, it’s worth noting that Israel and Saudi Arabia, which are respectively a current operator and newly-approved buyer of the F-35, are still showing an active interest in acquiring the Eagle II.
About the Author: Christian D. Orr, Defense Expert
Christian D. Orr is a Senior Defense Editor. He is a former Air Force Security Forces officer, Federal law enforcement officer, and private military contractor (with assignments worked in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a B.A. in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an M.A. in Intelligence Studies (concentration in Terrorism Studies) from American Military University (AMU). He is also the author of the newly published book “Five Decades of a Fabulous Firearm: Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Beretta 92 Pistol Series.”
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