The Air Drive’s fifteenth F-15EX could possibly be the primary delivered to after the three-month strike on the St. Louis plant impacted manufacturing of the Eagle II and the F/A-18 Tremendous Hornet Block III.
Boeing introduced on Nov. 26, 2025, the supply of a brand new F-15EX Eagle II fighter to the 142nd Wing of the Portland ANGB (Air Nationwide Guard Base), Oregon. The plane, tail quantity 21-0015, is the 142nd Wing’s eight F-15EX, Boeing mentioned.
“This supply displays shut collaboration between manufacturing, check, logistics, and the Oregon Air Nationwide Guard – a real workforce achievement,” commented the corporate. This presumably marks the resumption of deliveries of the F-15EX, following the tip of the employees’ strike on the Boeing manufacturing facility at St. Louis, Missouri, that had significantly affected manufacturing and timelines.
Portland ANGB is the F-15EX’s first operational location, and acquired its first F-15EX on Jun. 6, 2024. That plane, serial 20-0008, was the primary of 18 scheduled to reach there.
The Air Drive has thus far acquired six F-15EXs a part of Lot 2, in accordance with an Oct. 9, 2025, Air and Area Forces Journal report that quoted then incoming USAF chief Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach’s testimony to the Senate Armed Companies Committee.
15 by no means regarded this good!
F-15 EX15 has formally joined the @142ndWG Oregon Air Nationwide Guard as their eighth #F15EX. This supply displays shut collaboration between manufacturing, check, logistics, and the Oregon @AirNatlGuard — a real workforce achievement. pic.twitter.com/XbvcBPd0Fk
— Boeing Protection (@BoeingDefense) November 25, 2025
Air Drive F-15EX plans
The Air Drive’s present plan spells out a necessity for 129 F-15EXs, of which 126 anticipated by the tip of 2030. This plan is already “9 months delayed,” in accordance with a current unclassified report by the service to the Congress about which we reported right here at The Aviationist.
Among the many causes for that delay have been the labor strikes at Boeing’s plant at St. Louis, Missouri, which on the time of our report had been on for over 12 weeks and had impacted manufacturing of each the F-15EX and F/A-18 Tremendous Hornet Block III.
The strike ended on Nov. 13, 2025, The Missouri Unbiased reported. “About 3,200 members of the Worldwide Affiliation of Machinists and Aerospace Staff voted to approve Boeing’s newest supply by a 68% margin, after rejecting the corporate’s earlier 4 gives,” TMI mentioned.
Boeing’s Vice President for Fighters Mark Sears informed Breaking Protection the corporate expects the F-15 manufacturing line to be lively nicely into the following decade, with the plane working by the 2050s, whereas the corporate plans to “double output to 24 plane within the coming years.” This implies its current capability is 12 airframes yearly.
F-15EX deliveries
In response to the ASF report, which quoted Wilsbach talking in regards to the delay within the F-15EX deliveries because of the strike to lawmakers, the strike “can even have an effect on deliveries to abroad places in 2026.” Wilsbach was referring to Kadena Air Base, Japan, which was set to obtain the F-15EXs within the subsequent spring.
Kadena’s 18th Wing operated the F-15C/D Eagle for 45 years with the forty fourth and 67th Fighter Squadrons, and flew the ultimate operational flight with that sort on Jan. 24, 2025. The unit is about to obtain F-15EX Eagle IIs as replacements, and on Jul. 12, 2025, noticed two Eagle IIs from Eglin AFB’s eighty fifth Take a look at and Analysis Squadron arrive at Kadena to help within the preparations.
R5Ⅱの嘉手納デビューがこれでした。Jul.12,2025 Kadena Air Base DNA/RODNUSAF 53WG 85TES “Flying Skulls” F-15E/[SJ]Seymour Johnson AFB pic.twitter.com/GCiCLDePZz
— ASCOT (@ascot110) July 12, 2025
In a press launch, the 18th Wing mentioned the objective of this short-term go to was to conduct integration and familiarization coaching with native items, making ready Kadena’s personnel for the arrival and future sustainment of the F-15EX in Spring 2026.
Capabilities
Earlier than the lawmakers, Wilsbach mentioned how the F-15EX may have “the aptitude to hold weapons that only a few different platforms do.” These embrace “very long-range weapons, maybe hypersonic weapons, that don’t match within the inside weapons bay of our fifth- and future sixth-generation plane.”
Wilsbach was presumably referring to the Air Drive’s hypersonic weapons, as previously the plane was evaluated as a attainable launch platform for the AGM-183 ARRW (Air-Launched Speedy Response Weapon). The weapon is at the moment being examined on the B-52H Stratofortress.
One other weapon which could find yourself on the Eagle II could possibly be the AIM-260 JATM (Joint Superior Tactical Missile), which sooner or later is supposed to complement probably the most superior variants of the AIM-120 AMRAAM (Superior Medium-Vary Air-to-Air Missile). The weapon started growth in 2017 to match the practically 300 km ranges of the Russian R-37 and the Chinese language PL-15 missiles.
A U.S. Air Drive F-15EX Eagle II flies over the Gulf of America. (tsgt jacob stephens) pic.twitter.com/Qy1ijDVs0n
— J.J. (@kadonkey) November 15, 2025
Wilsbach additionally praised the F-15, drawing from his tenure as a former operational Eagle pilot. In response to ASF, he described the plane as “an unbelievable workhorse” and argued that it, together with its fellow fourth-generation fighter – the F-16, “brings numerous functionality.”
The F-15EX Eagle II, derived from the superior F-15QA and which additionally has many commonalities with the F-15C, was developed in response to the evolving threats highlighted by the Nationwide Protection Technique, amid a return to a attainable typical struggle with peer rivals China and Russia. The F-15EX incorporates unique U.S.-specific options, such because the AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Lively Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) and the Open Mission Techniques (OMS) structure, enhancing its digital warfare and surveillance capabilities.
The Eagle II can even be extra fitted to heavier missile truck roles whereas enterprise teaming techniques with superior Gen. 5 jets just like the F-22 and the F-35. Renditions of some CCAs, just like the MQ-28 Ghost Bat, have additionally been proven flying alongside the Eagle II, whose twin seat and present technology of electronics can be extra suited to regulate collaborative UCAVs.
