Through the release of a recent report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) revealed that the production of the new F-15EX fighter-bombers for the U.S. Air Force continues to face significant challenges and difficulties, primarily attributed to supply chain issues. This development comes almost as the U.S. Congress is poised to inject up to $3 billion in additional funding into the program.
According to the aforementioned GAO in its annual report, published on June 11, the F-15EX has already reached full production capacity and initial operational capability. These milestones, however, are overshadowed by persistent parts shortages and cases of substandard components that do not meet established quality standards. In addition, the watchdog expressed concerns about the viability of the aircraft’s new EPAWSS electronic warfare capabilities, stating that suppliers have withdrawn from the project and that there are difficulties integrating the equipment onto older aircraft.
Expanding further on this matter, the GAO stated that the lack of parts particularly affects the aircraft’s titanium components, its display screens, and the propellants necessary for the operation of its ejection seats. In short, Boeing is experiencing delivery delays that require increasing production rates from one to two aircraft per month by April 2026 to meet the agreed-upon deadline. These deadlines were affected by delays in redesigning the fighter jet’s fuselage after improperly drilled holes were discovered.
Finally, it’s worth remembering that this isn’t the first major obstacle facing the F-15EX program, as evidenced by the reductions observed in the number of aircraft the institution plans to deploy. The program’s original requirement was for a total of 144 fighter-bombers, but in the budget requests for fiscal year 2023, that number was reduced to 104 aircraft. Subsequently, in the same type of request for fiscal year 2025, a further reduction brought that number down to 98 aircraft; with the injection of fresh funding from Congress, up to 25 F-15EXs could be recovered from the initial plan.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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