Tag Archives: F-15QA

First National Guard F-15EXs Arrive on the Job

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The Redhawks of the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing are the first in the country to receive the new AN/APG-82-equipped F-15EX Eagle II and they were unveiled to the public last week.

An F-15EX Eagle II, assigned to the 142nd Wing, takes off during the official Unveiling Ceremony for the new fighter jet at the Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon on July 12, 2024. The 142nd Wing will be replacing the F-15 C/D model Eagles with the new F-15EX Eagle II models. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

The all-weather multirole strike fighter, developed from the circa 2013 F-15 Advanced Eagle which led to the very sophisticated F-15SA and F-15QA for the Saudis and Qataris, is intended to replace the venerable F-15C/D, which in many cases is pushing 50 years old.

With the USAF slated to receive 104 new F-15EXs, the 142nd will get 18 airframes as will fellow Air National Guard ADF units: the 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno Air National Guard Base, California, and the 159th Fighter Wing at New Orleans.

On the active side of things, the Okinawa (Kadena AB)-based 18th Wing will fly F-15Exs in its 44th FS and 67th FS.

So far, Boeing has only delivered 8 F-15EXs, with the first six going to training units. The 142nd is getting the first Lot 1 combat-ready models, including EX7 and EX8, which left the factory in the unit’s markings earlier this month.

The Oregon Air Guard has been “Eagle Drivers” for 35 years. As noted by the service:

The history of the F-15 Eagle fighter jet at the Portland Air National Guard Base began on May 24, 1989, as the replacement for the F-4 Phantom II. Most of the early planes came from the 318th Fighter Interceptor Group at McChord Air Force Base, Washington, which was being disbanded. For the next 20 years, the 142nd flew the F-15 A/B models, including the last ‘A model’ in the U.S. Air Force inventory, which was retired on Sept. 16, 2009, while phasing in upgraded C and D models in late 2007.

An F-15EX Eagle II, assigned to the 142nd Wing, taxis on the flight line before take-off during the official Unveiling Ceremony for the new fighter jet at the Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon on July 12, 2024. The 142nd Wing will be replacing the F-15 C/D model Eagles with the new F-15EX Eagle II models. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)

That’s a clean Eagle

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How about this short vid from Boeing showing a Qatar Emiri Air Force F-15QA Ababil preparing for flight demonstrations at the Dubai Airshow at the hands of one of the company’s test crews. “During practice test flights at Al-Udeid Air Base, the Boeing test pilots consistently experienced 9 g-forces.”

As noted by Boeing:

Inside the cockpit, Boeing Test & Evaluation Experimental Test Pilot Jason “Mongoose” Dotter and BT&E Experimental Weapon System Operator Mike “Houdini” Quintini focus on a demonstration flight to prepare them for the first air show performance of the F-15 in almost 20 years.

The Boeing flight and ground crews prepared, launched, and captured the demo rehearsal flights a total of 19 times at Al Udeid Air Base, starting at a minimum of 2,000 feet (600 meters) and gradually working down to just 500 feet (150 meters).

The USAF’s 104 planned new F-15EXs– which will have a flyaway cost higher than the latest batch of F-35As!– are based on the F-15QA/SA.

As detailed in Aviation International News:

The F-15EX is based closely on the Advanced Eagle that Saudi Arabia (F-15SA) and Qatar (F-15QA) both procured. Those models introduced iterative enhancements, such as General Electric F110-GE-129 engines, ALQ-82(V)1 AESA radar, 10- by 19-inch large-area display in the cockpit, and the ability to carry up to 12 air-to-air missiles or 15 tonnes of ordnance.

A digital fly-by-wire flight control system alleviates the previous need to avoid asymmetric loads and cross-control maneuvers, while restricting normal airframe load to 9Gs and speed to Mach 2.5, although the airframe can exceed both in extreme situations. The aircraft’s power and maneuverability are being exhibited at the Dubai Airshow in the spectacular flying display flown by a Boeing test pilot in a Qatari F-15QA.

Another key element of the F-15EX is the BAE Systems ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS), which represents a major enhancement in the ability of the system to adapt rapidly to emerging threats. EPAWSS has reached the final stages of development, and an export-optimized version is also being formulated.