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Weeks after delivery, the first two F-15EX fighter planes of the U.S. Air Force are participating in an Alaska training exercise, the Air Force said on Friday.
Two of the new-model aircraft have been built, and both are elements of the Northern Edge 21 exercise underway until May 14 at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, the branch said in a press release.
The planes are variants of the F-15C, and are equipped with improved maneuverability, acceleration, durability, computer power and armament, according to their manufacturer, Boeing.
The planes' presence "is to allow for immediate deep-end testing in a complex jamming environment to gather essential test data for what works and what needs improvement," Air Force officials said in the release.
"This is critical to expose the F-15EX to this environment now to make changes early on and allow for an aggressive test and fielding timeline," the Air Force said.
The U.S. Air Force intends to acquire 144 F-15EXs from Boeing, the ceiling of a deal initially announced in 2020, to refresh its F-15 fleet and replace aging F-15C/D models.
Upgrades to the plane, called the Eagle II, include advanced avionics systems and the capability to carry nearly 30,000 pounds of air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons internally, to minimize its stealth profile.
The variant is based on the F-15QA model, built for Qatar's air force.
Northern Edge 21 is sponsored by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and involves over 5,000 members of the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
The joint training exercise features "high-end, realistic war fighter training, develops and improves joint interoperability, and enhances the combat readiness of participating forces," a Command statement in March said.
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