ON THE RADAR

摘要

The Air Force has taken delivery of the first F-15EX from Boeing and will soon begin testing the new jet, the service said. The Air Force signed off on the acceptance of the first F-15EX at the company's St. Louis facility March 10, according to a news release. "This is a big moment for the Air Force," said Col. Sean Dorey, the Air Force's F-15EX program manager. "With its large weapons capacity, digital backbone, and open architecture, the F-15EX will be a key element of our tactical fighter fleet and complement fifth-generation assets. In addition, it's capable of carrying hypersonic weapons, giving it a niche role in future near-peer conflicts." A second aircraft is due to arrive at Eglin in April, and the remaining six aircraft in the first lot will fly to Eglin in fiscal 2023. The entire program has a ceiling value of $23 billion. The Air Force plans to buy at least 144 F-15EXs to replace the F-15C/D fleet, which is at an average age of 37 years and starting to see structural strain. However, the contract has options that would allow the service to buy up to 200 jets.