Boeing secures US$2.38 billion contract for 22 F-15EX fighter jets

Boeing has secured a US$2.38 billion contract to provide 22 additional F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets to the U.S. Air Force. This Lot 7 order brings the total number of aircraft under contract to 120, though the Air Force’s long-term force structure plans now call for a fleet exceeding 260 aircraft to replace older F-15C/D and F-15E Strike Eagle models.

While Boeing aims to increase production to two jets per month at its St. Louis assembly line, the program has previously faced manufacturing and supply chain delays. Deliveries from Lot 3 are expected to continue through 2026, while Lot 4 deliveries are currently scheduled to begin in 2028.

In a separate development, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is seeking sources to procure and rapidly integrate an operationally qualified missile warning system (MWS) into the F-15EX fleet. The system is intended to provide optical detection of incoming missile threats, such as heat-seeking infrared-guided missiles, which the aircraft currently lacks despite being configured to accommodate such technology.