Naomi Cooper
Boeing is preparing the U.S. Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft for flight testing ahead of its delivery to the service branch later in 2023.
The defense contractor shared in a Linked post published Thursday that the F-15EX Eagle II multirole strike fighter has been moved from its factory to the ramp to prepare for its maiden flight.
Aviation Weekly reported that the aircraft’s rollout comes nearly two and a half years since Boeing delivered the first two F-15EX aircraft to the Air Force’s test squadron in 2021.
The two test aircraft were used to fire an AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile from Station 1 and an AIM-9X from Station 9 during a flight test held over the Gulf of Mexico in November 2022.
Boeing is set to produce eight F-15EX jets for the service under the $1.2 billion first lot production contract awarded in July 2020.
The order is part of a potential $22.9 billion indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to replace the Air Force’s legacy F-15C/Ds.
The F-15EX Eagle II is a two-seat fighter aircraft with a deep magazine for carrying advanced weapons that can launch hypersonic weapon systems weighing up to 7,000 pounds.
