Site icon MilitaryLeak.COM

F-15EX Eagle II Continues to Rapidly Advance Through Development and Operational Testing

admin
US Air Force F-15EX Eagle II Fires First AIM-120D Missile During Live-fire Event

US Air Force F-15EX Eagle II Fires First AIM-120D Missile During Live-fire Event

For 50 years, Boeing’s commitment to customer-centric iterative innovation enabled each evolution of the F-15 – from the A to the EX – to remain a successful airframe that’s been modernized & optimized to meet warfighter demands of the future. In recent weeks, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) completed the first air-to-air missile test for the most advanced F-15 to date, the F-15EX Eagle II. The successful release marked the first weapon fired from the aircraft and another major milestone following more than six months of integrated developmental and operational flight testing for the shot.

“We are proud to achieve this milestone in collaboration with the U.S. Air Force. The F-15EX is the first USAF aircraft to be completely tested and fielded through combined Developmental and Operational Test,” said Prat Kumar, Boeing vice president of F-15 programs. “The successful first missile shot from the Eagle II is an example of an integrated test process that showcases innovation and results in the rapid delivery of next-gen capabilities to the warfighter.”

The 40th Flight Test Squadron’s F-15EX Eagle II takes off for a Weapons System Evaluation Program mission Jan. 25 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The aircrew aboard fired an AIM-120 missile during the sortie marking the first live firing from the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft. The fighter fired the missile at a BQM-167 aerial target over the Gulf of Mexico.
The 40th Flight Test Squadron’s F-15EX Eagle II takes off for a Weapons System Evaluation Program mission Jan. 25 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The aircrew aboard fired an AIM-120 missile during the sortie marking the first live firing from the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft. The fighter fired the missile at a BQM-167 aerial target over the Gulf of Mexico.(U.S. Air Force photo/1st Lt. Lindsey Heflin)

“For a new platform, we’ve made an incredible amount of progress in a short period of time,” said Colton Myers, F-15EX test project manager with the Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force. “I don’t know of any other platform that has undergone such a rapid test program and it’s been incredible to be a part of the team that’s bringing this to reality.”

With a payload capacity of 29,500 lbs. (13,300 kg), including outsized weapons, the F-15EX delivers affordable mass to address rapidly evolving threats. When this payload is combined with range, high-speed mission systems, advanced sensors and an electronic warfare suite, the F-15EX gives the U.S. Air Force the ability to present peer adversaries with multiple challenges both inside and outside of threat rings. F-15EX Eagle II is the most advanced Eagle variant based on the F-15QA as a replacement for the legacy F-15C/D. F-15EX promises higher speed, longer range, increased payload, and lower operating costs than previous variants.

The F-15EX Eagle II fires an AIM-120D missile during a Weapons System Evaluation Program mission near Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla, Jan. 25, 2022. This was the first live fire performed from the Air Force’s newest aircraft.
The F-15EX Eagle II fires an AIM-120D missile during a Weapons System Evaluation Program mission near Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla, Jan. 25, 2022. This was the first live fire performed from the Air Force’s newest aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. John Raven)
Post Views: 432
Exit mobile version