Is the F-15EX ‘Beastly’ Fighter Worth the Cost?: I know what you are thinking when it comes to U.S. Air Force fighters.
Why build a non-stealth fighter when radar-evading jets like the F-35 can be purchased with fewer dollars?
Is the new F-15EX Eagle II worth the money?
The answer is in the eyes of the beholder, but let’s examine the various aspects of the F-15EX to see why some observers are calling this airplane a flying beast that should be a fixture in the Air Force fleet for years to come.
What’s the Point of a Non-Stealth Fighter?
If a fighter is not stealthy then why bring it into a combat situation? American battle planners are giving the F-15EX different responsibilities in a future war. This warbird will not fly on Day One of a conflict. That is when stealth fighters and bombers will destroy anti-aircraft systems, radar, and command control centers.
F-15EX Eagle II: It Still Has an Important Role to Play
Then, on Day Two or Day Three of a conflict, the F-15EX can enter the fray and deliver its doom from the air with the adversary blinded. Enemy aircraft that are not destroyed in the opening days of battle can be downed by the F-15EX which is an enviable dog-fighter. So, it has a place when it comes to establishing air superiority and air dominance.
Keep It In Reserve for Massive Firepower
The F-15EX is also great for U.S. Air Force National Guard units that have depended on older F-15s and F-16s for decades. These reserve pilots are looking forward to flying the F-15EX for homeland defense or for a future war against a near-peer adversary. They could be shipped to combat if the war lasted for several weeks or months if initial operations are not wrapped up in the opening days.
Our friends at Sandboxx.com had this to say about the F-15EX, “In the early days of a fight, non-stealth aircraft like the Eagle II would be flying with a very big target on their wing roots. And that is why these plans are designed around using the F-15EX’s massive payload capabilities, its advanced onboard avionics, and its overall resiliency to support and enable other offensive operations until air defenses can be beaten back enough for the Eagle II to go on the prowl,” said Alex Hollings of Sandboxx.
Great Speed and Payload for F-15EX
The F-15EX Eagle II is a versatile warbird that can intercept enemy fighters like there is no tomorrow. It has a huge payload size, excellent range, and desirable speed.
The F-15EX will feature an advanced group of radars and sensors, a cockpit that pilots love, and a specialized Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System.
Even better, the F-15EX has outstanding speed and propulsion. Two F110-GE-129 turbofan engines create some of the best acceleration in the Air Force. It only takes four seconds for the F-15EX to go from minimum power to maximum power. The two engines create 50,000 pounds of thrust with 750 gallons of fuel. The F-15EX can fly at an incredible speed of MACH 2.5+.
However, all of those exciting specs come with a high price. The F-15EX costs $97 million a unit due to inflation and supply chain issues during the Covid-19 pandemic. This means that it runs higher than an F-35. The average fly-away cost for an F-35 is $82.5 million. The F-15EX needs to go down in price. It was seen as a bargain airplane when it was first designed, but costs have gone up, and the Air Force needs to fix various workflows and manufacturing techniques to cut costs. Economies of scale, when the F-15EX is produced in more significant numbers, should bring that average cost per jet down.
The F-15EX Eagle II, despite its high price, is needed as a reserve airplane that can perform well after initial attacks by stealth fighters in potential conflicts. It is a Day Three warplane and can help Air Force National Guard units improve their effectiveness and replace older airplanes. The downside is the cost, and the Air Force will need to devise ways to trim the fat of the program.
Congress will watch as future budgets are created, so the pressure is on designers and engineers to reduce the price. But the F-15EX is a pilot-friendly beast in the air with its large payload, speed, and air superiority.
Let’s give it a chance to prove its worth.
About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood
Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.
