[20190319]IN11078_拟议空军购买新型F-15EX.pdf

CRS INSIGHT Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress INSIGHTINSIGHTi i Proposed Air Force Acquisition of New F-15EXs Jeremiah Gertler Specialist in Military Aviation March 19, 2019 The Trump Administrations FY2020 budget proposal includes a request for $1.1 billion to buy 8 F-15EX aircraft, the first procurement toward a planned initial buy of 144. This proposal represents a change from previous Air Force plans to procure only stealthy “fifth-generation” fighter aircraft. What is an F-15EX, and why might the Air Force have changed plans? What Is an F-15EX? The Air Force received its first F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter in 1974. Subsequently, the F-15 evolved to encompass more roles, most notably with the deployment of the F-15E Strike Eagle in 1989. The F-15E added substantial air-to-ground capability, including a second cockpit for a weapons systems operator. The Air Force has 453 F-15s of all variants, the last of which was ordered in 2001. Since then, F-15s have been in continuous production for a variety of international customers, including (among others) Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. Current F-15s have stronger airframes and more advanced sensors, processors, an