In order to counter the J-20, J-16 and other advanced fighters of the Chinese Air Force, the US Air Force plans to deploy 36 F-15EX at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, which is a new type of fighter based on the F-15 "Strike Eagle" and is known as the strongest "Eagle".
The F-15EX is a heavy fighter built by Boeing for the U.S. Air Force, which uses a new 13-ton engine to improve thrust and fuel efficiency, while also comprehensively optimizing the fuselage structure, avionics system and ** system, using more composite materials, reducing weight and radar reflection area. The positioning of the F-15EX in the US Air Force, equivalent to the J-16 of the Chinese Air Force, is also a new type of fighter based on the improvement of the old fighter, which is also called the best "Flanker".
Among the current third-generation aircraft, the F-15EX and J-16 can be said to be the strongest opponents, they are both heavy fighters with strong firepower and bomb load, and can perform a variety of tasks, such as air combat, ground attack, electronic warfare, etc. In contrast, other third-generation aircraft, such as Europe's Shuangfeng, Russia's Su-35, etc., are somewhat inadequate, whether in terms of fuselage structure, engine performance, avionics and ** systems, etc., they are inferior to these two fighters.
The reason why the US Air Force wants to purchase the F-15EX is mainly because of some difficulties with its fourth-generation opportunity. The F-22 has been discontinued, and the F-35 is not being produced at a pace that can keep up with demand, and the cost is high. Therefore, the US Air Force can only use the potential of the existing third-generation aircraft and continue to keep the production line running in order to maintain the size and strength of the fleet.
The Chinese Air Force has also been developing in recent years, especially in the East China Sea, and has deployed a large number of new fighters such as the J-20, J-16, and J-15, which have become a huge threat to the old fighters such as the F-15C D of the US Air Force. In response to the challenge of the Chinese Air Force, the US Air Force decided to deploy the first batch of 36 F-15EXs to Kadena Air Base, which is an important US military base in the Asia-Pacific region and the forward position of the US Air Force. In addition to the F-15EX, the U.S. Air Force regularly rotates the F-22 and F-35 to bolster the air defense capabilities of Kadena Air Base.
However, it will take some time for the US Air Force to complete the deployment of 36 F-15EXs. According to the recently announced procurement plan of the United States for fiscal year 2024, the US Air Force intends to purchase only 24 F-15EXs in 2024, with a ** of 1 per aircraft$200 million, a total cost of $28$9.8 billion. That is, it will be necessary to wait until fiscal year 2025 to purchase the remaining 12 F-15EXs. And by that time, how much will the J-20 of the Chinese Air Force increase? This is a question worth pondering.