And Then There Were Two: Second F-15EX Arrives at Eglin AFB for Testing
The F-15EX Eagle II, the Air Force’s newest fighter aircraft, arrives at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., March 11, 2021. (U.S. Air Force/Ilka Cole)
24 Apr 2021
EGLIN AFB Well, that didn t take long, did it?
Just five weeks after the first F-15EX Eagle II fighter jet touched down at Eglin Air Force Base and less than two weeks after that F-15EX was officially unveiled to the public the second of the new fighter aircraft arrived at the base.
F-15EX 002 was flown to Eglin on Tuesday by Maj. Aaron Eshkenazi, F-15EX operational test pilot with the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron (85th TES), part of the Eglin-headquartered 53rd Wing.
And then there were two: Second F-15EX arrives at Eglin Air Force Base for testing stripes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from stripes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The second F-15EX is now set for months of operational testing with the squadron before it is more widely fielded into military service. Operational testing involves placing an aircraft in a combat relevant environment to determine whether it performs as expected.
The first F-15EX, which touched down at the base March 11, is assigned to the 40th Flight Test Squadron, part of the Eglin-headquartered 96th Test Wing, the installation s host unit.
F-15EX 001 was unveiled at an April 7 ceremony at the base, during which the new fighter jets were christened with the name Eagle II.
The 40th Flight Test Squadron is conducting developmental testing of the F-15EX. Developmental testing assesses an aircraft s capabilities and limitations with the aim of improving its performance.