Boeing to Launch F-15EX Fighter Jet Variant With Hypersonic Missile Tech

Boeing is planning to introduce an F-15 fighter aircraft variant that will potentially be able to carry hypersonic weapons, National Defense Magazine reported Wednesday.

Matt Geise, a test pilot for Boeing, told reporters at the Paris Air Show that the F-15EX will include features such as an electronic warfare system, advanced radar technology, imaging systems and the capacity for a maximum of 22 air-to-air missiles.

Jeff Shockey, vice president for global sales and marketing at Boeing, said the decision to enable F-15EX to carry hypersonic missiles was “a part of the thought process in the design.”

Boeing expects to deliver the two initial F-15EX fighter jets to the U.S. Air Force by 2020 to comply with the Department of Defense’s plans to acquire eight of the aircraft in the next fiscal year and 80 throughout a five-year period.

Previously, Raytheon and Northrop Grumman announced a joint effort to develop a hypersonic cruise missile for the Air Force and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.