On March 5, during the Air Warfare Symposium of the Air & Space Forces Association, Boeing executives confirmed that the company is preparing to begin the delivery of Lot 2 of new F-15EX Eagle II fighters to the U.S. Air Force. The news was confirmed to U.S. specialized media by Robert Novotny, Boeing’s Executive Director of F-15EX Business Development, who revealed that the first aircraft of this new batch had already completed its maiden flight earlier this month.
Providing further details, Novotny referred to the F-15EX bearing tail number 9, which flew for the first time on March 3. As the Boeing executive explained, a standard delivery process usually requires three to four similar test flights, with the first two conducted by the company and the remaining ones by the customer. Additionally, it has been confirmed that the aircraft with tail numbers 10 and 11 are nearly complete, awaiting the start of the aforementioned flight evaluation process.
It is worth recalling that Lots 1A and 1B were fully delivered by mid-last year, totaling eight aircraft now in service with the U.S. Air Force. Specifically, six of these units were assigned for development testing at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Florida, while the other two F-15EX fighters were deployed with the 142nd Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard (ANG)—the same location where the first aircraft of the new lot is expected to be stationed.
Moreover, it is useful to highlight that these new fighters are part of the U.S. Air Force’s plans to establish a fleet of 104 F-15EX, a figure slightly higher than the originally contracted 80 units but still below the 144 initially intended by the service. Regarding the platforms they will replace, the institution has stated that they will take over from older versions of the F-15 family, specifically the F-15C/D Eagle models.
Finally, while Lot 2 is on track to join the U.S. Air Force’s arsenal in the near future, the F-15EX program has faced multiple challenges in meeting established timelines. As we reported in June 2023, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated delays of up to six months in aircraft deliveries due to various production issues. These primarily involved problems with the fighter’s cockpit—such as improperly drilled windshield holes—and supply chain shortages of key fuselage components.
Images used for illustrative purposes.
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