F-15EX fighter aircraft successfully tests added missile capabilities

News, US January 7, 2023 , by IRIA No Comments

The U.S. Air Force carried out added missile capabilities tests for F-15EX fighter jets. The added missile carriage allows the jet to carry more air-to-air strike missiles expanding its employment capabilities.

The test was carried out at the Eglin Air Force base in Florida. 96th Test Wing and 40th Flight Test Squadron carried out the test on 29 November 2022. However, it was not until January 5, 2023, that the U.S. Air Force announced the success of the test after evaluating the results.

Two U.S. Air Force F-15EX aircraft were used in the tests. The missiles were launched over the Gulf of Mexico from the aircraft’s new weapons carrier carriages called Station 1 and Station 9. Officials announced that both aircraft were able to achieve various operational objectives by successfully releasing missiles on separate passes against a target drone and hitting the targets.

The jets fired an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile from Station 1 and AIM-9X from Station 9, marking the first confirmation in testing that missiles could be launched “effectively and safely” from these stations or hardpoints.

According to the statement released by the U.S. Air Force, “The successful employment of these weapons is a major step in demonstrating the Eagle II aircraft’s missile capacity of 12 air-to-air missiles.” The statement added that the testing showed how the F-15EX can carry a larger payload of weapons than its predecessor, the F-15 Eagle.

Newly added additional missile slots would allow the F-15EX jet to carry at least 10 air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. Its predecessor, F-15 Eagle, could only carry eight missiles. The firepower boost of the F-15EX provides its evident air superiority.

With the newly added slots, the F-15EX Eagle II would be able to carry more missiles than the other fighter jets in the U.S. Air Force’s inventory. The F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-22 Raptor, and F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter can hold up to six, eight, and six missiles respectively.

*^{An F-15EX Eagle II fires an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile in a Nov. 29, 2022, test of the fighter’s added weapons stations. (Image Credit: John Simmons/U.S. Air Force)}*

F-15EX’s closest competitor to missile-carrying capabilities is the F-35A jet. It can carry four missiles in its internal weapons bays, plus another two externally, for a total of six missiles. F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin said that the total will increase to eight as the new jets would be able to carry another two missiles internally.

F-15EX Eagle II is a two-seater fighter aircraft capable of carrying up to 30,000 pounds of missiles and munitions. In July 2020, the United States Air Force contracted with Boeing for the delivery of new F-15 fighters, named F-15EX. The first F-15 flew in 1972, and the first Eagle entered service in 1976.

The last F-15E Strike Eagle to join the US Air Force was built in 2001. As of today, nearly 500 F-15 Eagles remain in service with the Air Force, operating in nearly every role available to a modern fighter jet. The F-15EX is set to replace the aging fleet of F-15 and F-15E Strike Eagle jets from the U.S. Air Force.