The Boeing F-15X Eagle is being promoted to the USAF as an enhanced Eagle air superiority form with advanced radar, avionics, and weapons capabilities.
The Boeing F-15X is a proposed life-extension variant of the base F-15 "Eagle" air superiority fighter line (detailed in full elsewhere on this site) of the United States Air Force (USAF). The X-model, a direct offshoot of the F-15E production form, is being offered by Boeing as a "bridge" design between an aging USAF fleet of F-15C and F-15D models in service and the incoming/growing stock of Lockheed F-35 "Lightning II" strike fighter fleet. Changes to the aircraft are centered on enhanced capability, enhanced performance, and increased survivability over that of existing C- and D-models - extending the series' service life by some estimated 20,000 flight hours.
Sources indicate that the F-15X will be formally announced by the United States Department of Defense (US DoD) in the Fiscal Year 2020 defense budget.
The 4th Generation F-15 "Eagle" remains the backbone of American air superiority capabilities with 432 C/E and 26 F-15D models currently available in the 2019 USAF inventory. The acquisition of advanced F-15s is seen as insurance against the troubled development of the F-35 which has since revealed additional deficiencies in several areas (namely service life, general reliability, and weapons accuracy). The choice at hand for both the service and American lawmakers is in securing a fleet of fighters based in an aging, 40+ year-old design or advancing the troublesome F-35 to completion.
The F-15X is set to feature an Active, Electronically-Scanned Array (AESA) radar fit in the nose, updated avionics in the cockpit, a modernized internal structure, an enhanced Electronics Warfare (EW) suite, active InfraRed (IR) Search-and-Track weapons/radar functionality, and the capability to carry no fewer than 22 x Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs). The overall form-and-function of the aircraft will remain largely intact.
The initial ask by the USAF is for eight F-15X fighters to begin the move to acquire a complete fleet of eighty X-model types before 2025.
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April 2021 - This entry has been superseded by the F-15EX "Eagle II" now taken on by the USAF.
AIR-TO-AIR COMBAT
General ability to actively engage other aircraft of similar form and function, typically through guns, missiles, and/or aerial rockets.
63.8 ft (19.45 meters) Length
42.8 ft (13.05 meters) Width/Span
18.5 ft (5.65 meters) Height
31,526 lb (14,300 kilograms) Empty Weight
80,910 lb (36,700 kilograms) Maximum Take-Off Weight
+49,384 lb (+22,400 kg) Weight Difference
2 x Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 / PW-229 afterburning turbofan engines developing 15,000lb thrust dry and up to 30,000lb thrust with reheat. Propulsion
STANDARD (FIXED, FORWARD-FIRING):
1 x 20mm M61A1 Vulcan internal Gatling gun / cannon.
Up to 22 x Air-to-Air Missiles (AAMs) most likely to support a mix of AIM-9 "Sidewinder" short-ranged AAM and the AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-ranged AAM.
Also jettisonable fuel tanks for increased operational ranges.
11 (including some inline) Hardpoints
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Hardpoints Key:
Centerline
Wingroot(L)
Wingroot(R)
Wing
Wingtip
Internal
Not Used
F-15X "Eagle" - Base Series Designation.
General Assessment
Firepower
Performance
Survivability
Versatility
Impact
Values are derrived from a variety of categories related to the design, overall function, and historical influence of this aircraft in aviation history.
Overall Rating
The overall rating takes into account over 60 individual factors related to this aircraft entry.
70
Rating is out of a possible 100 points.
Relative Maximum Speed
Hi: 1900mph
Lo: 950mph
This entry's maximum listed speed (1,873mph).
Graph average of 1,425 miles-per-hour.
City-to-City Ranges
NYC
LON
LON
PAR
PAR
BER
BER
MOS
MOS
TOK
TOK
SYD
SYD
LAX
LAX
NYC
Operational range when compared to distances between major cities (in KM).
Max Altitude Visualization
Design Balance
The three qualities reflected above are altitude, speed, and range.
Aviation Era Span
Showcasing era cross-over of this aircraft design.
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