Air-To-Ground Capabilities Are Already Creeping Into The F-15EX’s Mission Set
Summary
The U.S. Air Force's F-15EX Eagle II, while primarily designed for air-to-air combat, is progressively developing air-to-ground capabilities as both operational and test units build the foundational skills required for multi-role missions. Oregon's 142nd Wing, currently the only operational F-15EX unit, recently completed its first-ever training bomb drops at Mountain Home Air Force Base, marking a significant milestone for a unit that previously flew the air-to-air-only F-15C. Simultaneously, the Air Force's 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron deployed an F-15EX to Kadena Air Base in Japan, where personnel practiced loading advanced munitions including the GBU-53/B StormBreaker Small Diameter Bomb II onto the aircraft. The Air Force's FY2027 budget request acknowledges that the F-15EX will provide combatant commanders with strike capabilities in highly contested environments, while still emphasizing its primary counter-air mission, and future plans include the addition of conformal fuel tanks that would further expand the aircraft's multi-role potential. With a dozen or more F-15EX squadrons potentially planned across both active duty and National Guard units, the gradual expansion into air-to-ground missions appears to be an inevitable evolution of the platform.
Key Takeaways
- 1. The Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing conducted its first-ever F-15EX training bomb drops in May 2024, dropping 24 BDU-50s and 12 BDU-56s simulating real 500-pound and 2,000-pound munitions
- 2. The F-15EX's air-to-ground evolution was largely anticipated from the start, given its design heritage from the multi-role F-15E Strike Eagle family
- 3. Test and evaluation activities are expanding internationally, with live StormBreaker SDB II munitions load training conducted at Kadena Air Base in Japan, where two active-duty F-15EX squadrons are planned
- 4. The planned addition of conformal fuel tanks to the F-15EX would unlock further multi-role capabilities, potentially including the use of Weapon System Officers or mission specialists in the rear cockpit
- 5. The Air Force's FY2027 budget proposes a dramatic expansion of the F-15EX fleet, potentially reaching over a dozen squadrons, raising important questions about how the aircraft's mission set will continue to evolve