US Air Force awards Boeing $2.38 bln contract for 22 F-15EX Eagle II fighters
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The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.38 billion contract on September 29 for 22 F-15EX Eagle II fighters, representing Lot 7 of the program. The deal was finalized just before a September 30 fiscal-year deadline to use funds from the previous summer's reconciliation bill, the 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' or face an 8.3 percent reduction on unspent funds. This contract brings the total number of F-15EXs under contract to 120, up from a planned end at 129 jets; the Air Force increased the total program in April to 269 aircraft. The average cost per jet is approximately $108 million, excluding engines purchased separately from GE Aerospace. Boeing noted it is currently delivering Lot 3 aircraft and working with the Pentagon to increase production to two F-15EXs per month. The F-15EX is described as a heavily upgraded '4.5 generation' fighter featuring digital fly-by-wire controls, an all-glass touch-screen cockpit, a new APG-82 AESA radar, and an advanced electronic warfare suite. The contract was announced on the same day the Navy selected Boeing for its F/A-XX next-generation air dominance fighter, marking Boeing's win of both the Air Force and Navy sixth-generation fighter competitions.
Source report
The Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.38 billion contract for 22 F-15EX Eagle II fighters on Sept. 29, narrowly meeting a deadline to use funds from last summer's reconciliation bill or face cuts.
Contract Details
The deal, known as Lot 7 of the program, brings the total number of F-15EXs under contract to 120. The Air Force had previously planned to end production at 129 jets but increased the total program to 269 aircraft in April.
At $2.38 billion for 22 jets, the average cost works out to approximately $108 million per aircraft. This figure does not include engines from GE Aerospace, which the Air Force purchases separately.
Boeing's Recent Wins
Boeing secured the contract on the same day the Navy announced it had selected Boeing to build its next-generation air dominance fighter, F/A-XX. This means Boeing has won both the Air Force's and Navy's sixth-generation fighter competitions.
Aircraft Capabilities
The F-15EX is a heavily upgraded version of the fourth-generation F-15, leading some to classify it as a "4.5 generation" fighter. Its features include:
- Digital fly-by-wire flight controls
- All-glass touch-screen cockpit
- New APG-82 active electronically scanned array radar
- Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (an advanced electronic warfare suite)
Funding and Deadline
Funding for Lot 7 came from:
- $115 million in the 2026 budget
- $2.8 billion from last year's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" reconciliation package
The reconciliation bill included a caveat: any funds not spent by Oct. 1, 2026, would be reduced by 8.3 percent. This threatened reduction provided the pressure to close the deal before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30.
In a release, the Air Force highlighted its success in meeting that deadline:
"This award followed extensive collaboration among program management, contracting, pricing, engineering, financial management, logistics and other acquisition professionals. The team assessed the impacts of changing production conditions and inflation, aligned the aircraft procurement with available funding, and completed the action before the fiscal-year deadline."
Production Status
Boeing stated in a release that it is currently delivering Lot 3 aircraft and will continue to do so for the rest of the year. The company is working with the Pentagon to increase production to two F-15EXs per month.
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Source
Air & Space Forces MagazineWestern