- The Department of the Air Force has tapped Boeing for 22 F-15EX Eagle II fighters under Lot 7
- Negotiators kept the full aircraft count despite inflation and a 2025 production disruption
- The award was completed before the fiscal year-end deadline using reconciliation funds
The Department of the Air Force has awarded Boeing a contract to build 22 F-15EX Eagle II fighters under Lot 7, using congressional reconciliation funds to sustain production.
What Does the F-15EX Lot 7 Contract Cover?
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate said Tuesday the deal secures the full 22-aircraft lot without exceeding the program’s budget. To reach the agreement, the F-15 Program Office and Boeing worked through the cost effects of a 2025 production disruption and inflation pressures throughout the defense industrial base.
Specialists in program management, contracting, pricing, engineering, financial management and logistics matched the purchase to available resources and closed the action before the fiscal year ended.
Where Does F-15EX Production Stand?
According to Boeing, the award is valued at $2.38 billion, and it recently delivered the first F-15EX-22 Lot 3 aircraft, with plans to hand over the remaining Lot 3 jets through 2026. The company said it is working with the Air Force to raise output to two aircraft per month.
How Does the Award Reflect Acquisition Reform?
The service cited the contract as an example of the secretary of war’s acquisition transformation principles, under which an integrated negotiation team received authority to move quickly. Team members escalated issues requiring senior leadership decisions while remaining accountable for cost, schedule and quantity.
How Do Air Force Officials View the Acquisition?
“Lot 7 reflects a disciplined approach to executing available resources while balancing the realities affecting defense production,” said Brig. Gen. Timothy Helfrich, portfolio acquisition executive for the directorate.
Col. Jonathan Varoli, system program manager of the F-15 Program Office, said the award “demonstrates what is possible when the acquisition enterprise moves with purpose.”
What Is the F-15EX Eagle II?
Derived from the legacy F-15 airframe, the multirole heavy fighter features advanced avionics, large-area displays, a digital backbone and improved survivability. It is slated to replace older F-15C and F-15D models and serve as a platform for future upgrades.
The service completed the first phase of integrated test and evaluation for the F-15EX in 2023, with the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron validating the jet’s ability to employ air-to-air and air-to-ground standoff munitions. In June, F-15EX fighters flew alongside Boeing’s MQ-28 Ghost Bat collaborative combat aircraft during Exercise Valiant Shield 2026 in the Western Pacific.
The Air Force said it will keep working with Boeing on affordable F-15EX production while it evaluates future requirements and acquisition strategies.
What Else Is Boeing Building for the U.S. Military?
Boeing has also secured a contract valued at more than $20 billion to develop the Navy’s F/A-XX sixth-generation fighter. The company also supports the Navy’s F/A-18E/F Block III and EA-18G fleets, including through a $112 million avionics parts order in 2024.
