The US Air Force and Boeing have successfully brought yet another aircraft to serial production. An agreement was signed for the construction of promising Boeing F-15EX fighter-bombers. Work on the construction of the first batch of eight aircraft has already begun.
Manufacturing contracts
More than a year ago, it became known that the draft military budget for FY2020. costs are envisaged for the construction of new F-15EX. Then it was planned to order the first batch of eight aircraft costing approx. 1, 1 billion dollars. In the future, new contracts were planned, for a total of 144 vehicles. These items of the military budget were approved and accepted for execution. The signing of the relevant contracts was expected in the near future.
On June 30, the Pentagon released information about a new agreement with General Electric related to the construction of the F-15EX. The contract for $ 101.3 million provides for the supply of an unnamed number of F110-GE-129 turbojet engines, control systems and spare parts for them, as well as the installation of products on aircraft and subsequent support. This contract will continue until November 30, 2022.
On July 13, an official order appeared for the production of new aircraft. The cost of the contract is 22, 89 billion dollars, the quantity and timing of the delivery of equipment have not been determined. So far, we are talking only about the first batch of eight fighters, and larger batches will be ordered later, according to the results of current work.
Under the new contract, the first two F-15EXs are to be delivered to the customer in the second quarter of FY2021. - after January 1, 2021 The remaining six vehicles will be built and commissioned no later than the end of December 2023. It is reported that the equipment of the first batch will be sent to Eglin airbase, where it will undergo tests and other procedures necessary for commissioning.
It is curious that the construction of the first production F-15EX has already started. Along with the press release for the order, the Air Force released a photograph of the assembly shop. The aircraft with the number "20-0001" is basically completed, but it does not yet have a number of systems and instruments, and it is also not painted. Boeing still has several months to complete the construction. The assembly of the second car has also begun, but it has not yet been shown.
Problem solving
The reasons for the appearance of the F-15EX project are quite simple. The US Air Force tactical aviation has faced a number of problems in recent years, and not all plans have been fulfilled. Because of this, a "temporary measure" was needed, which becomes the new F-15EX. It is expected that orders for such equipment will cover part of the needs of the Air Force in the medium and long term.
Currently, the US Air Force is faced with the problem of obsolescence of the F-15C / D fighter jets. More than 230 of these vehicles remain in service, but they will have to be written off in the coming years. At one time, the 5th generation F-22 Raptor fighter was considered as a full replacement for them, but its production volumes turned out to be insufficient. In recent years, mass production of F-35 Lightning II fighters has been possible, but its pace does not correspond to the needs of the Air Force in the context of replacing old technology.
The solution to all these problems (temporary and limited) should be the new F-15EX fighter. It belongs to the “4 ++” generation and is inferior to other equipment in a number of characteristics. However, it is based on a well-established platform and can be produced quickly and in the right quantities.
Pending deployment
According to the current plans of the Pentagon, 76 aircraft of a new type will be purchased as part of the five-year Future Years Defense Program. In the second half of the twenties, production will continue, and due to this, the number of aircraft will be increased to 144.
With the help of the newly built F-15EX, they will replace the cash F-15C that has exhausted its resource. A complete one-to-one replacement of old equipment is not planned. The reasons for this are likely financial or operational. It is argued that the development of new aircraft will be quite simple and will not take much time.
The newest contract for serial production does not specify the exact number of F-15EX and the timing of their production. However, the specifics of the production of the first batch suggest that the production of 144 fighters will take several years and will continue until the end of the twenties or early thirties. Starting from 2022-23 The Air Force will be able to receive at least 10-15 aircraft annually, which will make it possible to carry out rearmament within a reasonable time frame.
However, in the context of timing and fighting qualities, there are some difficulties. So, openly talking about reducing the potential of the F-15EX in the distant future. According to current estimates, already in 2028, such aircraft will not be able to break through modern air defense and solve combat missions over enemy territory. They will be able to work only in areas with limited developed air defense or without it, as well as over their own territory and near bases. More complex tasks will be assigned to other equipment.
However, the F-15EX may receive some functions not available for the 5th generation fighters. It is considered as a carrier of promising airborne hypersonic weapons. The fighter-bomber will be able to carry large and heavy ammunition on the external sling that does not fit into the internal compartments of the F-22 or F-35.
Significant benefits
The F-15EX project proposes the construction of a two-seat multipurpose fighter-bomber with a number of characteristic features and noticeable differences from previous aircraft of the family. The existing airframe undergoes minor modifications and is saturated with modern equipment that ensures compliance with the current customer requirements.
The key difference between the F-15EX is the use of an open architecture OMS (Open Mission Systems), which provides the ability to quickly implement new technologies of various kinds. The equipment of the cabins, sighting and navigation complex, fly-by-wire control system, defense complex, etc. have been updated.
According to the results of the modernization, the aircraft retains its basic flight performance. The payload is still up to 10.4 tons. It is possible to carry large and heavy ammunition up to 6.7 meters long and weighing more than 3 tons, such as new hypersonic missiles.
Success and failure
The Boeing F-15EX project has reached serial production, and this is considered a new reason for the pride of American aircraft manufacturers. In the near future, the first aircraft of this type will enter the troops, and then massive deliveries will begin with the replacement of outdated equipment. Recent contracts allow the US Air Force to be optimistic about the future and expect modern aircraft.
However, not everything is so good and joyful. So, the reason for the appearance of the next project for the modernization of the F-15 was problems in the area of other equipment, incl. last 5th generation. The promising and highly efficient F-15EX turns out to be just a temporary measure designed to cover the unplanned needs of the Air Force. In addition, this aircraft will remain modern and efficient for only a few years - already in the late twenties, its role will change.
Thus, a very interesting situation is emerging. The US Air Force will receive modern, high-performance fighters over the next few years, but under a different set of circumstances and in the absence of problems in other programs, they could do without the F-15EX - and without the additional costs of building them. It turns out that promising 5th generation projects have again dealt a blow to the defense budget.
