Newest Eagle Variant Reaches Milestone
The newest version of the Air Force’s favorite workhorse, the Eagle, has completed its first-ever operation test mission at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, Nevada. The F-15EX Eagle II was accompanied by its predecessors, F-15Cs and F-15Es for a week-long simulated mission to evaluate its performance and serviceability compared to legacy aircraft.
Introduced in 1972, the original Eagle has been developed into a potent tool in the Air Force arsenal after 5 decades of experience, enhancement, and development. The Air Force accepted delivery of the two currently extant F-15EXes last spring, hoping it will survive fleet cuts in air force inventory to fewer types and models. Current plans would leave the Eagle II, the F-35 Lightning, the F-16 Falcon, and the A-10 Thunderbolt along with an upcoming sixth generation fighter under a “four-plus-one” concept for the streamlined fleet.
The plane completed its initial evaluation to ensure it holds up to required build specs and safety standards, before going on to operational missions as part of exercise Northern Edge in Alaska.. “The fact that we’re going this fast in operational testing is definitely owing to the chief of staff for the Air Force’s Accelerate, Change or Lose mentality”, said Lt. Col Kenneth Juhl, F-15 tester, referring to a document released outlining the need for flexibility and speed in retaining the service’s edge in the coming years.
The test pilots evaluating the aircraft have been carefully evaluating the improvements and differences in preparation for their official initial test reports. The EX replaces the traditional hydraulic flight control system of the C model with a digital fly-by-wire, computer controlled system. The instrumentation throughout the cockpit is modern, adaptable for future weapon systems and software integration with notable enhancements to electronic warfare.
The inclusion of the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWS) is one focus in the operational testing this October. Maj. Kevin Hand, an F-15EX experimental and test pilot with the ANG Reserve Test Center, says the system will protect the EX and Strike Eagles so equipped for improved airspace penetration. “That’s going to give us the ability to essentially go into some of these more advanced threats or aerial denial kind of situations where we can now self-protect and self-jam our way through.”
Testing will continue at Nellis, as the Air Force weighs its options for the aging F-15C fleet. In August, the service said it expects to retire the F-15C/D fleet sometime in the mid 2020’s, a perfect gap for Boeing’s new EX to fill.
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