A U.S. Air Force fighter jet recently took to the skies with a combination of missiles that might make it essentially the most heavily armed fighter ever.
The brand new F-15EX Eagle II, also often called the “Super Eagle,” carried a mix of three JASSM cruise missiles and 12 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles—a potent combination that is probably going unmatched on this planet of fighter jets. The F-15EX resides as much as its promise of being a missile truck, hauling large numbers of missiles into battle in ways in which stealthy fighters cannot.
Truckin’
On August 30, Air & Space Forces Magazine reported the U.S. Air Force’s 53rd Wing had flown a brand new F-15EX Eagle II with three Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missiles (JASSM). The tests, which took place at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, also saw the F-15EX successfully launch all three JASSM missiles. Not only that, the F-15EX flew with a potent air-to-air missile arsenal, embarking a whopping 12 AMRAAM long-range, air-to-air missiles.
The F-15EX Eagle II is the most recent version of the F-15 Eagle fighter jet. Originally designed as an air superiority fighter, the F-15 first flew in 1972. A multi-role version, the F-15E Strike Eagle, first flew in 1986. The F-15EX is the most recent and biggest version, first taking to the skies in 2021.
The Eagle II resembles previous versions externally, but inside it’s a distinct story. The fighter includes digital fly-by-wire flight controls, large interactive cockpit touchscreens, the fastest mission computer ever installed on a fighter jet, the Eagle Passive/Lively Warning and Survivability System for electronic protection against enemy air defenses, the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, and it’s the primary to make use of the Open Mission System for straightforward software and hardware upgrades.
Unprecedented Firepower
The F-15EX is dimensionally equivalent to previous F-15s but can carry considerably more firepower. The F-15A, F-15C, and F-15E maxed out at eight air-to-air missiles, typically a mixture of shorter range AIM-9 Sidewinder infrared-guided missiles and bigger, longer range AIM-7 Sparrow and later AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided missiles.
The key to the F-15EX’s huge payload boost are its latest Advanced Missile and Bomb Ejector Rack (AMBER) missiles racks. These latest racks, which carry missiles and bombs and supply datalinks between the aircraft and the munition, allow the F-15EX to hold 50 percent more air-to-air missiles, for a complete of 12 in all. Because of AMBER, the F-15EX has a complete of 23 weapon stations, in comparison with 17 on the older F-15E.
By way of raw capability, the F-15EX flown within the Eglin tests does look like essentially the most heavily armed fighter jet of all time. Even assuming a low probability of kill of fifty percent per AMRAAM missile, the F-15EX as configured could knock down no less than six enemy fighters. Its three JASSM cruise missiles, each with a spread of 250 miles and stealthy shaping to maintain them off enemy radars, mean the F-15EX can strike three heavily defended targets with a high level of accuracy and confidence.
Other aircraft can carry more bombs or more explosive by weight—the older F-15E Strike Eagle can carry as much as 15 Mk-82 500-pound, unguided bombs or five 2,000-pound, laser-guided bombs. Concept artwork for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet has it carrying as much as 14 air-to-air missiles.
But in each case, the aircraft is heavily weighted towards air-to-air combat or air-to-ground combat. The F-15EX’s fighting load is balanced, allowing it to unleash its JASSM missiles at enemy targets after which immediately proceed to tackle a very different mission, like engaging enemy aircraft.
Why can the F-15EX carry such a ridiculously overpowered load, while the F-35 Lightning II can’t? Stealth fighters must carry all of their weapons internally to preserve the benefits of their anti-radar design. Hanging bombs, missiles, targeting pods, and fuel tanks off the wings and fuselage of a F-35 makes them way more detectable by enemy radars. The F-35 only has a lot room inside its internal weapons bays.
The F-15EX isn’t a stealthy design, so it’s free to hold whatever it wants—with the caveat that the more weapons there are on board, the slower the plane will fly and the less maneuverable it can be.
The Takeaway
The F-15EX Eagle II has been proposed as a “missile truck” for the frivolously armed F-35, launching AMRAAM air-to-air missiles against targets a hidden stealth fighter can see. Alternatively, it could launch air-to-ground weapons against targets discovered by a F-35 flying silently above the battlefield. While a missile truck may (not?) sound as glamorous or sexy as a stealth fighter, it could win wars in the longer term when the Air Force must fight outnumbered, 1000’s of miles from home.