US Air Force Plans to Acquire Advanced Eagle Fighters

In it's fiscal 2020 budget request, the US Air Force seeks 1.05 billion dollars for eight F-15EX Advanced Eagle fighter aircraft.This is to balance readiness and modernisation as it gradually replaces its aging F-15C/D fighter inventory while F-35 acquisition progresses.Doing so allows the Air Force to benefit from foreign partner investment in new variants of the F-15.The F-15EX is considered a generation 4+ fighter.*
Indeed, the Advanced Eagle not only holds the fort; but augments the mission sets as well.This is because it even exceeds the capability of fifth generation fighters in weapons capacity.It can pack more missiles than either the F-22 or F-35, so that, flying in tandem with them,can serve as a flying magazine while the fifth generation aircraft hang back in stealthy mode seeking out targets with their sophisticated sensors for the Advanced Eagle to strike.*
Ultimately, the Air Force plans to acquire 80 Advanced Eagles, which could serve for decades in a wing of 72 aircraft plus 8 spares.There could be even more buys after 2025.*
Besides its formidable armament, the Advanced Eagle features conformal fuel tanks for longer range; digital fly-by-wire;a more powerful APG-372 radar;EPAWSS advanced air defence system; robust "Wild Weasel" capability to detect and suppress enemy air defence systems by means of Electronic Warfare pods and missiles.*
The Boeing Advanced Eagles are said to be able to triple or quadruple the firepower of fifth generation fighters limited by their internal weapons bays.*
Boeing (BA)