F100
FieldedEngine
F100-PW-229 application; the family also includes engines used by earlier F-15E aircraft.
Link Confirmed
Aircraft · Air
F-15E Strike Eagle
Two-seat fighter for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions.
by Boeing
FieldedAircraftAirMilestoneJun 11, 2025
- Milestones8
- Operators—
- Components1
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Milestones19842025
Timeline8
- MilestoneConfirmed
F-15E selected in dual-role fighter competition
The Air Force selected the F-15 approach over the F-16XL, leading to production orders for the F-15E. This selection does not establish the earlier demonstrator unveiling.
- First flightConfirmed
Production F-15E first flight
Boeing dates the Strike Eagle production variant first flight; not the earlier converted demonstrator.
- First deliveryConfirmed
First production F-15E delivered to Luke AFB
- Initial operating capabilityConfirmed
Operational capability at Seymour Johnson AFB
- Combat useConfirmed
F-15E enters combat in Desert Storm
F-15Es took part in the opening attacks on Iraqi Scud missile sites. This dates the Strike Eagle variant, not earlier F-15 air-superiority variants.
- UpgradeConfirmed
First 389th Fighter Squadron F-15E receives APG-82 radar upgrade
The Radar Modernization Program replaced the mechanically scanned APG-70 with the APG-82(V)1 active electronically scanned array. The source dates the squadron’s first upgraded aircraft to June.
- UpgradeConfirmed
First operational EPAWSS-equipped F-15Es arrive at RAF Lakenheath
The two upgraded aircraft were assigned to the 492nd and 494th Fighter Squadrons. EPAWSS modernizes the Strike Eagle’s electronic warfare protection.
- MilestoneConfirmed
GAO assessment: F-15E EPAWSS installation constraints
GAO’s June 2025 assessment reports that the first two EPAWSS-equipped F-15Es had been fielded to test and training centers. Installation during scheduled depot maintenance began in 2024. Workforce and legacy-aircraft issues constrained installation schedules. The EPAWSS estimate includes 99 F-15E production units, 96 F-15EX production units and five development units; it is an upgrade-program quantity, not an aircraft fleet total.
The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
Cost to the Government
Aircraft · Boeing
F-15E Strike Eagle
Two-seat strike fighter with historical acquisition evidence and a separate sustainment record from the newer F-15EX.
Published acquisition / aircraft
$31.1M
2019-04 · Constant FY1998 USD
Historical fact-sheet figure; not a current replacement quote.
U.S. Air Force ↗Published U.S. fleet snapshot
219
2019-04 · U.S. only
Source inventory snapshot; subsequent retirements, transfers and losses are not inferred.
U.S. Air Force ↗Program quantity
Not verified
A comparable total acquisition quantity has not been verified.
R&D program total
Not verified
A separately identified lifetime development total has not been verified. This is not a zero-cost estimate.
Reading the cost figures
The fact-sheet acquisition figure uses the dollar basis shown above. GAO’s annual operating and support cost includes a broader ownership scope than the Comptroller reimbursement rate. These figures should not be combined into a single inflation-free trend.
Operations & sustainment
Annual O&S / aircraft
$8.56M / yr
FY2018 · Constant FY2018 USD
Historical average for the source study population; not a marginal mission cost.
GAO ↗Reimbursement / flight hour
$29,992 / hr
FY2026 · Nominal USD; Other DoD Component
Published billing rate for use by another DoD component. It is not the fully burdened cost of ownership.
DoD Comptroller ↗Cost over time · 4 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-04 | Published acquisition / aircraft Historical fact-sheet figure; not a current replacement quote. | $31.1M | Constant FY1998 USD | U.S. Air Force ↗ |
| FY2011 | Annual O&S / aircraft Historical average for the source study population; not a marginal mission cost. | $9.92M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
| FY2018 | Annual O&S / aircraft Historical average for the source study population; not a marginal mission cost. | $8.56M / yr | Constant FY2018 USD | GAO ↗ |
| FY2026 | Reimbursement / flight hour Published billing rate for use by another DoD component. It is not the fully burdened cost of ownership. | $29,992 / hr | Nominal USD; Other DoD Component | DoD Comptroller ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 0 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
No primary-source contract record verified in this review. This does not mean there are no contracts.
Connected missiles & systems
Planned carrier integration
Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM)
Air Force budget identifies initial aircraft integration; not evidence of an operational HACM inventory.
U.S. Air Force ↗Weapon integration
GBU-53/B StormBreaker (SDB II) →Air Force and Navy aircraft integration have distinct funding and fielding scopes.
U.S. Air Force ↗RTX / Raytheon ↗Aircraft and guided-bomb kit
Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) →Tail-kit costs exclude aircraft and are not complete bomb prices.
U.S. Air Force / DoD ↗
International buyers
No international purchase documented in this review.
Coverage & open research
- Figures retain the date and scope of the original source. A historical count, cumulative delivery or procurement plan is not today’s mission-capable inventory.
- A separately identified lifetime development total has not been verified. This is not a zero-cost estimate.
- Unit cost (per unit)Confirmed$31.1MEstimate / observation: 1998 · BY1998 $
USAF F-15E fact sheet 'Unit cost' in FY1998 constant dollars (commonly cited as flyaway; basis not stated on the fact sheet). Observation date set to the FY1998 price basis; fact sheet itself is undated.
Source
| Fiscal year | Appropriation | Request | Enacted | Qty | Budget line | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2027 | RDT&E | $323M | — | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2027 | Procurement | $428M | — | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2027 | Total | $751M | — | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2026 | RDT&E | $233M | $230M | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2026 | Procurement | $469M | $407M | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2026 | Total | $702M | $637M | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2025 | RDT&E | — | $159M | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2025 | Procurement | — | $307M | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
| FY2025 | Total | — | $465M | — | — | SourceConfirmed |
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.