{"id":66538,"date":"2026-08-04T20:11:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T18:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=66538"},"modified":"2026-08-04T20:11:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T18:11:50","slug":"a-test-flight-in-an-f-15ex-eagle-ii-the-most-advanced-version-of-this-excellent-fighter-jet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2026\/08\/04\/a-test-flight-in-an-f-15ex-eagle-ii-the-most-advanced-version-of-this-excellent-fighter-jet\/","title":{"rendered":"A test flight in an F-15EX Eagle II, the most advanced version of this excellent fighter jet"},"content":{"rendered":"

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle made its first flight on July 27, 1972, and entered service on January 9, 1976, with the USAF.<\/p>\n

The spectacular 'zoom climb' of a USAF F-15EX Eagle II fighter at Eglin AFB<\/a><\/rel>
\nA puzzling comparison of the maneuverability of the F-15QA and F-22 fighters<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

This excellent fighter jet has been in service for 50 years with a remarkable record: it has shot down 106 enemy aircraft without ever being defeated in aerial combat<\/strong>. No other fighter jet has achieved such figures in the entire history of aviation. Furthermore, it is the only aircraft to have shot down a satellite, specifically the P78-1 Sunwind<\/strong>, launched in 1979 and destroyed on September 13, 1985, by a USAF F-15A during tests of the ASM-135 ASAT missile.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
An F-15EX Eagle II of the USAF's 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron landing at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan, on July 16, 2025 (Photo: U.S. Air Force<\/a>).<\/div>\n

Despite its age, the F-15 still has a long life ahead of it thanks to the latest versions of this fighter jet<\/strong>. The F-15's attack version, the F-15E Strike Eagle<\/strong>, made its first flight on December 11, 1986, and entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) on September 30, 1989, becoming an excellent successor to the F-111 Aadvark. Production of the F-15E ceased in 2017, but it already has a replacement: the F-15EX Eagle II.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
An F-15EX Eagle II of the USAF's 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron flying behind a KC-135 Stratotanker tanker over the Pacific Ocean on July 1, 2026 (Photo: U.S. Air Force<\/a>).<\/div>\n

The F-15EX made its first flight on February 2, 2021<\/strong>, and is currently in production. Although the USAF expected to receive 104 units, the order was increased to 268 a few months ago. Three other countries have ordered their own versions of this aircraft:<\/strong> Saudi Arabia (84 F-15SA), Israel (25 F-15IA), and Qatar (33 F-15QA). The F-15EX is the most advanced version of the F-15, with improved flight controls and avionics, an AESA electronically scanned array radar, and an AMBER weapons payload system that allows it to carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/div>\n
An F-15EX Eagle II taking off from the Air National Guard base in Portland, Oregon, on December 15, 2025, in a clean configuration, meaning without underwing weapon racks (Photo: DVIDShub.net<\/a>).<\/div>\n

The power of the F-15EX is truly astonishing.<\/strong> The F-15C reached 105.7 kN with afterburner, while the F-15E increased that figure to 129.7 kN. The F-15EX reaches 131 kN. While the F-15E could carry up to 10,400 kg of weapons, the F-15EX increases that capacity to 13,381 kg<\/strong>, maintaining the top speed of 2,655 km\/h (Mach 2.5) of its predecessor. If you want to know what it's like to fly this plane, a few days ago Sam Eckholm<\/a> posted an interesting video showing the F-15EX up close and getting into one for a test flight:<\/strong><\/p>\n