US Air Force awards $2.38B contract to Boeing for 22 F-15EX

The U.S. Air Force tapped Boeing for a $2.38 billion contract to produce 22 F-15EX Eagle II aircraft, using previously available funds from the congressionally provided reconciliation to maintain procurement before the fiscal year deadline.

The award is under Lot 7, which accounts for current programmatic realities, according to a recent release , meaning it includes the effects of the 2025 production disruptions and inflation in the defense industrial base.

“Lot 7 reflects a disciplined approach to executing available resources while balancing the realities affecting defense production,” Brig. Gen. Timothy Helfrich, portfolio acquisition executive for the Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate, said in the release.

“The team remained focused on affordability, production continuity and delivering the aircraft needed to modernize the U.S. Air Force’s fighter fleet for the threats we face today and into the future,” he continued.

The agreement showcases the usage of the Pentagon’s acquisition transformation principles by allowing for the integration of an F-15 negotiation team to boost delivery, the release highlights.

The funding for the Lot 7 agreement came from the 2026 budget and a subsequent reconciliation package, titled One Big Beautiful Bill, that required the funds to be spent before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30 or face cuts to the amount allotted.

The service did not include the agreement’s cost, but Boeing announced the $2.38 billion price tag in a separate company release . Boeing is now under contract with the Air Force for Lots 1 through 7, bringing the total number of aircraft to be manufactured to 120.

The F-15EX is built on the F-15 design and is meant to replace the aging F-15C and F-15D aircraft. Described as a multirole heavy fighter, the aircraft includes advanced avionics, large-area displays, digital backbone architecture and increased survivability capabilities.

Cristina Stassis is a reporter covering stories surrounding the defense industry, national security, military/veteran affairs and more. She previously worked as an editorial fellow for Defense News in 2024 where she assisted the newsroom in breaking news across Sightline Media Group.

美国空军与波音公司签订了一份价值 23.8 亿美元的合同，生产 22 架 F-15EX 鹰 II 型战斗机，使用了国会此前提供的预算协调资金，以确保在财政年度截止日期前完成采购。

根据最近发布的消息，该奖项属于第 7 批次，该批次考虑了当前的计划实际情况，这意味着它包含了 2025 年国防工业基础生产中断和通货膨胀的影响。

“第 7 批次体现了在平衡影响国防生产的现实因素的同时，有条不紊地执行现有资源的做法，”战斗机和先进飞机局采购项目主管蒂莫西·赫尔弗里奇准将在新闻稿中表示。

他继续说道：“团队始终专注于降低成本、保持生产的连续性，并交付美国空军战斗机机队现代化所需的飞机，以应对我们今天和未来面临的威胁。”

该协议通过整合 F-15 谈判团队来加快交付速度，展现了五角大楼采购转型原则的应用，新闻稿强调了这一点。

7 号地块协议的资金来自 2026 年预算和随后的一项名为“一项美好的大法案”的协调方案，该方案要求在 9 月 30 日财政年度结束前用完这些资金，否则将面临拨款额度的削减。

该服务费用不包含协议成本，但波音公司在另一份公司声明中公布了23.8亿美元的总价。波音公司目前已与美国空军签订了第1至7批次的合同，使待制造飞机的总数达到120架。

F-15EX是在F-15设计的基础上打造的，旨在取代老旧的F-15C和F-15D战机。这款被誉为多用途重型战斗机的战机配备了先进的航空电子设备、大尺寸显示器、数字骨干网络架构以及更强的生存能力。

克里斯蒂娜·斯塔西斯是一位记者，主要报道国防工业、国家安全、军事/退伍军人事务等领域的新闻。她曾于2024年在《防务新闻》担任编辑助理，协助Sightline媒体集团旗下新闻编辑室处理突发新闻。