The U.S. Air Force Called the F-15EX Eagle II a Stopgap — Now It’s Doubled the Order and Admits Stealth Alone Can’t Beat China

The U.S. Air Force Called the F-15EX Eagle II a Stopgap — Now It’s Doubled the Order and Admits Stealth Alone Can’t Beat China

For years, the United States Air Force treated the F-15EX Eagle II as a temporary solution. It was supposed to be a little more than a bridge between the retirement of aging F-15C/D Eagles and the arrival of a future all-stealth force built around the F-35 and eventually the F-47. Now that thinking has changed dramatically, the Air Force has more than doubled its planned F-15EX fleet, increasing the number from 129 to 267 aircraft. The FY2027 bu…