CRS INSIGHT
Proposed Air Force Acquisition of New F-15EXs
March 19, 2019 (IN11078)
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Jeremiah Gertler
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Jeremiah Gertler, Specialist in Military Aviation (jgertler@crs.loc.gov, 7-5107)
The Trump Administration's FY2020 budget proposal includes a request for $1.1 billion to buy 8 F-15EX aircraft, the
first procurement toward a planned initial buy
of 144. This proposal represents a change from previous Air Force plans
to procure only stealthy "fifth-generation" fighter aircraft. What is an F-15EX, and why might the Air Force have
changed plans?
What Is an F-15EX?
The Air Force received its first F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter in 1974. Subsequently, the F-15 evolved to encompass
more roles, most notably with the deployment of the F-15E Strike Eagle in 1989. The F-15E added substantial air-to-
ground capability, including a second cockpit for a weapons systems operator. The Air Force has 453 F-15s of all
variants, the last of which was ordered in 2001. Since then, F-15s have been in continuous production for a variety of
international customers, including (among others) Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Japan.
Current F-15s have stronger airframes and more advanced sensors, processors, and flight control systems than those in
the U.S. fleet. Many also include conformal fuel tanks to extend range and increase payload. The proposed F-15EX
would be based on the most advanced Eagles, currently in production for Qatar, and add radar and other subsystems
unique to the United States. Boeing says that the F-15EX would have 70% parts commonality with existing U.S. F-15s.
Why Is the Air Force Requesting F-15EXs?
Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson has said publicly that the Air Force did not request the F-15EXs in its initial
FY2020 budget submission. This proposal appears to have been added by the Office of the Secretary of Defense during
the budget build process, without a request for proposals or explanation. However, Air Force officials have subsequently
offered several justifications for the F-15EX:
In addition to the eight F-15 EXs, the FY2020 budget proposal reportedly includes $949 million for upgrades to
existing F-15s. While costing more per aircraft than modernizing legacy F-15s, a new F-15EX would yield more
future life. Replacing the older, 1980s-era F-15Cs with F-15EXs could enable the Air Force to avoid some or all
of those upgrades.
Buying F-15s, according to the Air Force, is an economical way of reaching the service's goals for fighter fleet
size and average age.
F-15s could also cost less to operate over time than fifth-generation fighters like the F-35. (It may be noted that
the per-hour cost of F-15s is fairly well established, while there is less real-world experience with the F-35 fleet,
so a direct comparison is difficult.)
