USAF begins F-15EX operational trials

The US Air Force has launched operational trials of the F-15EX Eagle II out of Nellis AFB in Nevada. (US Air Force)

The US Air Force (USAF) has begun operational trials of the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II multirole combat aircraft, with flights launched out of Nellis Air Force Base (AFB) in Nevada from 18 to 25 October.

The initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) sorties were flown by the two F-15EXs received so far, as well as two F-15C-variant Eagles.

“The main focus here is to provide the initial push for operational tests and evaluation to really evaluate the platform from an end-to-end perspective with the addition of a robust threat environment that we have here at Nellis,” Colton Myers, Operational Flight Program Combined Test Force F-15EX test project manager, was quoted as saying. “That way, when we write our initial test reports, we're giving an accurate look to the combat [US] Air Force and the [Air National] Guard as to what the platform is capable of when it initially fields.”

The launch of IOT&E comes just months after the F-15EX made its maiden flight out of St Louis Lambert International Airport in Missouri in March. The USAF is procuring the F-15EX to replace the oldest F-15C/D fighters in its inventory, some of which date back to 1979. With an initial eight aircraft approved in the fiscal year (FY) 2020 budget and subsequently contracted, a further 12 were requested in the FY 2021 budget. The USAF plans to purchase a total of 76 F-15EX aircraft over the five-year Future Years Defense Program. Previously disclosed future plans have called for as many as 144 aircraft, while the latest number is set at 200.