The Air Force is on track to buy 267 F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets in the near future—although Boeing may need some time to ramp up production to meet the order.

After months of speculation, the US Air Force unveiled its Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) budget earlier this week. The topline number is remarkable: the Air Force is expected to spend $267.7 billion in the upcoming fiscal year, a roughly 25 percent increase over FY26.

At a media briefing, an Air Force spokesperson indicated that the new funding would be used to boost procurement by some 30 percent. One of the largest areas of increase will be in acquisition of the F-15EX Eagle II multirole fighter jet—which the Air Force is expected to double in the coming years!

The Air Force Wants More Eagle II Hatchlings

As part of the proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget, the Air Force could expect to receive a total of 267 F-15EX Eagle IIs in the near future—an enormous increase over the previous projection of 129.

To be clear, not all of the aircraft will be ordered at once. The numbers are likely to start small, Breaking Defense reported, with the US Air Force seeking just 24 of the enhanced and updated F-15EX fighters in FY27. However, that number is likely to surge in the coming years.

That should be welcome news for Boeing, which is now building the final batch of F/A-18 Super Hornets for the US Navy.

The aerospace firm was also awarded the contract to build the F-47, the sixth-generation manned fighter component of the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, but it could be several years before production is in full swing. Keeping the lines moving with the Eagle II will ensure cash flow for Boeing, and potentially give it more time to find foreign buyers for the F-15EX.

It could also be good news for the rest of the US aerospace industry. Boeing is expected to subcontract much of the work out to other manufacturers, and the rising tide of Pentagon dollars is likely to lift all boats.

The F-35 Is Getting Another Boost, Too

“The extended run of the aircraft means the service can count on hot production lines for at least two fighters in the foreseeable future—the other being the F-35,” Breaking Defense wrote. Lockheed Martin is in charge of the F-35’s production—and the high demand for that aircraft could help take the sting out of losing the F-47 contract.

The Air Force is expected to request at least 38 of the fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II fighters, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, in FY27, up from the 24 requested in FY26.

“FY 2027 moves beyond the trade-off between modernization and readiness,” said Air Force Secretary Troy Meink in the Department of the Air Force’s budget presentation this month. “We are funding both as concurrent priorities to ensure the force is ready for today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.”

About the F-15EX Eagle II

• Year Introduced: 2021
• Number Built: 129+ (ongoing production)
• Length: 63.8 ft (19.44 m)
• Wingspan: 42.8 ft (13 m)
• Weight (MTOW): 81,000 lbs. (36,740 kgs)
• Engines: Two General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofans
• Top Speed: 1,650 mph (2,655 km/h) / Mach 2.5
• Range: ~2,762 mi (4,445 km)
• Service Ceiling: ~60,000 ft (18,300 m)
• Loadout: One internally mounted M61A1 20 mm six-barrel cannon with 500 rounds, 23 hardpoints for external fuel and ordnance (29,500 lb payload capacity)
• Aircrew: 2 (pilot and weapons systems officer)

The F-15EX Eagle II is a “4.5-generation” or “fourth-generation-plus” fighter jet. It maintains the overall design of the fourth-generation F-15 Eagle—a platform dating back to the mid-1970s—but improves it with overhauled engines, an improved payload capacity, an advanced radar system, and cutting-edge electronics.

The result is an aircraft that is nearly as effective as the F-35. Although the sticker price of the two planes is roughly the same—roughly $80–100 million, depending on specifics—the F-15EX has lower operating costs than the F-35. Boeing has also stressed that the Eagle II will not require new logistics chains, training squadrons, infrastructure modifications, program offices, or weapons integration. The F-15EX Eagle IIs also share about 70 percent of parts with the current F-15C and F-15E variants being replaced.

Boeing Is Still Recovering from Labor Trouble

As it seeks to scale up F-15EX production, Boeing is still overcoming the lingering effects of a lengthy strike that shuttered production at multiple facilities in the St. Louis, Missouri, area last fall.

As previously reported, company executives have indicated that production will ramp up next, with Eagle II deliveries also increasing by late next year or in early 2028. A full dozen Eagle IIs were set for delivery by the end of calendar year 2025, and Boeing had set a goal of reaching the assembly rate of two aircraft per month by early 2026.

Prior to the strike, the Eagle II program had remained within project cost, schedule, and performance criteria, with all Lot 1 aircraft already delivered to the US Air Force.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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