The Drive:

The U.S. Air Force’s proposed budget for the 2024 Fiscal Year includes a request for funds to buy 24 more F-15EX Eagle II fighter jets. This would bring the total planned fleet size up to 104 aircraft. Last year, the service had proposed purchasing just 80 Eagle IIs, down from the original plan to acquire at least 144 of them. The War Zone just recently highlighted how a fleet of only 80 F-15EXs would make little practical sense.

Though the exact distribution of the F-15EXs remains to be seen, a fleet of 104 Eagle IIs should allow for the replacement of the Air Force’s remaining F-15C/D Eagles assigned to Air National Guard (ANG) units. As it stands now, the California, Oregon, Louisiana, and Massachusetts ANGs each have a single operational squadron equipped with Eagles. These units are tasked with highly important mission of protecting the ocean approaches to the lower 48 states. There is also a schoolhouse unit within the Oregon ANG that would provide training for the F-15EX community.

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