Jane Edwards
The U.S. Air Force completed the initial phase of the integrated test and evaluation of the Boeing-built F-15EX Eagle II multirole fighter aircraft.
The 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron put the fighter jet through 19 large force exercise events, enabling the service to validate the use of air-to-ground and air-to-air standoff munitions as part of the IT&E Phase I, the Air Force said Wednesday.
“Proving the F-15EX capability to employ three JASSMs after witnessing validation of the Air-to-Air dominance role it can play with a 12 AMRAAM loadout is incredible,” said Maj. Calvin Conner, 85th TES F-15 division commander.
The tests were carried out as part of the 53rd Wing’s Weapons System Evaluation Program.
The Air Force’s operational test and evaluation center and the office of the secretary of defense’s director of operational test and evaluation will analyze the data from the IT&E Phase I to inform a final report that will be used in deciding whether to move the aircraft to the full-rate production phase.
The development came weeks after Boeing announced that it was preparing the third F-15EX Eagle II for flight testing.