Boeing hopes to hand over the first upgraded F-15EX Eagle fighter in final configuration to the US Air Force by the end of November - deliveries delayed by a year
The US Air Force had planned to receive the first F-15EX Eagle II fighter in its final configuration in 2022. In the best case Boeing will hand over the aircraft by the end of this month.
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The American company is far behind not only from the originally set schedule. The situation could not be saved even by revising the timeline. If the F-15EX Eagle II is indeed delivered to the US Air Force in November, it will happen four months later than the revised estimate.
Boeing admits problems producing the upgraded fighters. Rob Novotny, Boeing's director of F-15 business development, said the U.S. Air Force is unhappy with the pace of aircraft deliveries.
The aircraft, delivered by the end of 2023, will be the third F-15EX Eagle II for the U.S. Air Force and the first in its final configuration. It recently made its maiden flight. The military service received two F-15-based test fighters for the Royal Bahrain Air Force in spring 2021.
Boeing has no plans to delay the matter and intends to immediately hand over another aircraft to the customer. In total, the US Air Force is preparing to purchase more than 100 fighter jets. The average cost will be $90 million.
Source: Defence News