US Air Force to pay nearly $10bn for modernised F-15EX Eagle II fighters - the aircraft is valued at $94 million

The F-15EX Eagle II will cost more than $90 million, it has been revealed in a fresh Selected Acquisition Report (SAR) from the US Department of Defence.

Here's What We Know

The report says that the cost of the modernised F-15EX Eagle II fighter, with the approval of the US Congress, will be $93.95 million including the Eagle Passive/Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) electronic warfare suite. Another condition for keeping the price at this level is to stick to the plan to procure 104 aircraft.

It is worth noting that this is the first SAR report since the F-15EX moved into a major defence procurement programme. The report is based on 2022 information, but also includes data that reflects the U.S. Air Force's plans to increase procurement by 24 fighters in the next fiscal year.

The Eagle II version is based on the F-15QA for the Royal Qatar Air Force. Compared to the F-15E Strike Eagle, the upgraded version of the fighter has a very powerful processor and two additional weapons modules. Boeing originally priced the aircraft at $80 million.

The US Air Force had several alternatives for the investment. In particular, the service could have channelled the funds into the development of a sixth-generation fighter or into increased procurement of the F-35A Lightning II. But Lockheed Martin's limited production capacity and the immaturity of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) project, along with the need to replace the aging F-15C/D Eagle aircraft, forced the service to opt for the Eagle II.

The F-15EX is poised to become the most heavily armed fighter of all time. The aircraft has already demonstrated the ability to carry 12 AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles and three AGM-158 JASSM missiles. It is also expected to receive hypersonic weapons.

Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine