Video: The wild plans to use the F-15EX in the early days of a war

The F-15EX Eagle II is the Air Force’s newest fighter jet. Although not as advanced as the F-22 Raptor or F-35 Lightning II, the F-15EX is a beast and brings important capabilities and firepower to the battlefield.

While the F-15EX lacks the stealth to serve as the tip-of-the-spear in a high-end fight, the aircraft is so broadly capable that the Air Force could potentially use it in several different ways until the airspace has been cleared enough for it to go on the prowl.

As tensions with China and Russia continue to rise, the U.S. Air Force is working on ways to maximize the effectiveness of its fleet in the event of a war.

The F-15EX would be at a disadvantage against Chinese fifth-generation fighter jets but could still prove very useful in the opening days of a near-peer conflict.

“In the early days of a fight, non-stealth aircraft like the Eagle II would be flying with a very big target on their wing roots. And that is why these plans are designed around using the F-15EX’s massive payload capabilities, its advanced on board avionics, and its overall resiliency to support and enable other offensive operations until air defenses can be beaten back enough for the Eagle II to go on the prowl,” Alex Hollings, Sandboxx New’s Editor-in-Chief and host of AirPower on YouTube, said in a recent video.

If you are looking to find out about the F-15EX Eagle II’s role in a potential conflict with Russia or China, make sure to check Airpower’s video analysis on YouTube above.

Feature Image: Lt. Col. Richard “Tac” Turner, Commander, 40th Flight Test Squadron, and Lt. Col. Jacob “Duke” Lindaman, Commander, 85th Test & Evaluation Squadron, deliver the first F-15EX to its new home station, Eglin AFB, Florida, 11 March, 2021. The 40th FLTS will take possession of EX1 and the 85th TES will own EX2 upon its arrival, coming soon. Squadron aircrews and testers will work together to complete the combined developmental and operational testing simultaneously. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. John Raven)