F-15EX's Future Role As A Hypersonic Missile Truck Touted Officially By The Air Force
The formal delivery of the Air Force's first new F-15 in years comes as the service is looking at making major changes to its force structure plans.
The U.S. Air Force has officially accepted delivery of
its first F-15EX fighter, the first new F-15 of any kind it has acquired in years, which is now headed to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida to begin testing. At the same time, the service appears to have confirmed that these aircraft will have roles beyond air-to-air combat,
notably as launch platforms for
future hypersonic missiles.
Boeing, the manufacturer of the F-15EX, formally turned the first jet over to the Air Force at its facility in St. Louis, Missouri, on March 10, 2021. The aircraft, which has the serial number 20-001,
was spotted flying in that area in its full Air Force paint scheme, including Eglin Air Force Base tail codes, last month, just weeks
after its first flight. The service hopes to eventually buy at least 144 of these aircraft to replace its aging
F-15C/D Eagles and there have also been discussions about acquiring more of them to
supplant its F-15E Strike Eagles, as well...
"In addition, it’s capable of carrying hypersonic weapons, giving it a niche role in future near-peer conflicts," Colonel Dorey, the Air Force's F-15EX Program Manager, said in his statement. This role has been hinted at by both the service and Boeing
in the past and was something that we here at The War Zone posited could be a secondary mission set for the aircraft when
we broke the F-15EX story back in 2018. This does appear to be the first official confirmation that it is, at least, actively being explored as a role for these new aircraft.
It's not clear what, if any, specific hypersonic weapon the Air Force might be looking at integrating onto the F-15EX already, but there are a number of possible options,
including multiple air-breathing
hypersonic cruise missiles, in
various stages of development now. Boeing, in the past, has said that the F-15EX's centerline pylon can accommodate weapons up to 22 feet long and that weigh up to around 7,000 pounds. It has shown off a model with a notional 7,300-pound hypersonic missile previously, as well...
What other units now equipped with the F-15C/Ds might subsequently receive F-15EXs remains to be seen. All of this notably comes amid a major review of the tactical airpower force structure across the entire Air Force, to include the Air National Guard. Major changes in planning are now being openly discussed, including the acquisition of
new F-16 fighter jets, reductions in
planned purchases of F-35A stealth fighters, and
greater integration of unmanned platforms. The Air Force has already been experimenting with using F-15C/D Eagles as
aerial launch platforms for networked
"loyal wingman" type drones, another role that the F-15EX could potentially assume in the future.
The Air Force's long-standing plans to buy more than 1,700 F-35As, the projected sustainment costs for which
have been steadily growing, have been under particular scrutiny in recent weeks, including from members of Congress. “What does the F-35 give us? Is there a way to cut our losses?" Adam Smith, a Democrat from Washington State who currently chairs the House Armed Service Committee,
said during a hearing last week.
"Is there a way to not keep spending so much money for such a low capability, because the sustainment costs are brutal," he continued, acknowledging that it would be virtually impossible
to simply "get rid of the [F-35] program," but saying he favored a more balanced mix of types. “I want to
stop throwing money down that particular rat hole."
At the same time, the Air Force has stressed that the F-35A remains an important part of its future force structure plans. That being said, “you don’t drive your Ferrari to work every day, you only drive it on Sundays," Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles Brown
had said in February. "This is our ‘high end’ [fighter], we want to make sure we don’t use it all for the low-end fight."..
The formal delivery of the Air Force's first new F-15 in years comes as the service is looking at making major changes to its force structure plans.
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