F-15EX vs. F-35: Which Fighter Jet Should You Spend Your $90 Million On?

What You Need to Know: The F-15EX Eagle II and F-35 Lightning II are often compared due to their similar price points, around $90 million, despite differing generations. The F-35, a fifth-generation stealth jet, excels in stealth and is ideal for contested airspace, while the F-15EX, a fourth-generation-plus fighter, boasts a larger payload and shines in homeland defense and air superiority roles.

-The F-35’s internal weapon storage limits payload but reduces radar detection, while the F-15EX’s external storage allows it to carry more firepower.

-Each fighter offers distinct advantages: the F-15EX in payload and air superiority, and the F-35 in stealth and data fusion.

Consumers and outside observers tend to draw comparisons between products based on price point—a reasonable frame of reference as it represents the manufacturer’s perception of value for its product. One is likely to compare a Pagani Huayra (MSRP $3.5 million) against a McLaren Speedtail (MSRP $3 million)—but is not likely to compare the Pagani against a Toyota RAV4 (MSRP $28k). The same framing applies across industries, for refrigerators, furniture, computers, and, of course, fighter jets.

The new F-15EX Eagle II is being compared to the F-35 Lightning II—despite the fact that the F-15EX is a fourth-generation-plus fighter while the F-35 is a bona fide fifth-generation fighter. The reason for the comparison? Price point. Both jets settle into the $90-million-per-unit pocket.

So, let’s play along. How do the two jets compare? Where are you spending your $90 million?

The obvious: stealth

The most obvious difference between the two fighters is stealth. The F-15EX is non-stealth, whereas the F-35 is stealth. Of course, the stealth feature grants an advantage when operating in contested air space; the F-15EX wouldn’t survive long against modern air defenses, making the jet basically inoperable behind enemy lines against a sophisticated adversary like China or Russia. The F-35 has an ultra-low radar cross-section, meanwhile, and is one of the least detectable fighters ever built.

But that doesn’t mean non-stealth fighters don’t still have value—one just needs to be more careful about the jet’s application; non-stealth fighters still have immense value with respect to homeland defense. Stealth properties don’t matter as much when you’re defending your own territory. That’s why the United States has been assigning its new F-15EXs to Air National Guard Units (with the first deliveries being made to the Oregon ANG). The F-15EX, derived from the original F-15, which was made “without a pound for ground” is still a tenacious air superiority vehicle.

The less obvious: payload

Like all stealth aircraft, the F-35 carries its weapons internally, so that the angular surfaces of weaponry and external pylons don’t give radar systems more surface area to reflect upon (and raise the jet’s radar cross section). But, as one might imagine, carrying weapons internally places firm limits on payload capacity. The F-35, for example, may carry just 18,000 pounds of weapons—which limits the jet’s offensive applications. The F-15EX meanwhile has no need to carry weapons internally, and indeed, cannot carry weapons internally. The result is a reliance on more traditional external weapons carrying, which allows for a significantly larger payload than the F-35: 29,500 pounds. Of course, carrying an additional 10,000 pounds weaponry allows the F-15EX to do quite a bit more damage than the F-35.

Return on investment: F-35 vs. F-15EX 

The F-15EX and F-35 are very different machines, although there is something unintuitive about a fourth-generation platform costing as much as a fifth-generation platform. The F-15EX is a tried-and-true platform with twenty-first-century upgrades and a versatile mission envelope. The F-35 is the world’s preeminent machine with respect to data sharing and sensory fusion. The more effective of the two aircraft really depends upon the mission at hand.  

About the Author: Harrison Kass 

Harrison Kass is a defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.

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