When it comes to wars, fighter jets are considered the most important weapon any country can have. Naturally, a lot of military R&D goes into building the world’s most advanced and lethal fighter jets. But is a fighter jet only as good as its weapon and is there a way to determine how deadly an aircraft is? Plus, any fighter jet is built to last at least half a century and can be upgraded with modern weapons, avionics, and other gadgets. In one such instance, United States Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC) Detachment 6 found that the F-15EX Eagle II was more lethal than any Gen 5 fighter jet with the USAF, widely regarded as the most advanced Jet is considered. World.
While Gen 5 fighter jets like the F22 Raptor and F35 Lightning II have advanced electronics, frames and engines; The F-15EX Eagle II missile is more accurate in firing as found by engineers and analysts from AFOTEC Detachment 6 F-15 Division as they fired the missile live from the jet.
Firing AIM-120D and AIM-120C3 missiles on a test drone as part of the Weapon System Evaluation Program, or WSEP, conducted in January 2022 yielded staggering results.
“One of the highlights from these live fire shots is that the jet can clearly function as a long-range, standoff weapon system,” said the team’s lead test engineer, Captain Max Denbin.
“The F-15EX can shoot from a significantly increased range than any other fighter in the U.S. Air Force’s arsenal – and provides the unique capability to hold 12 AMRAAMs or other large ordinances.”
This means that the 50-year-old F-15 fighter jet retains its reputation as the king of the skies, with a record of 104 fighter victories and zero defeats. The F-15EX is the latest iteration of the Eagle II aircraft and has been an active member of the USAF for most of its operations.
Reportedly, the jet was deployed by the USAF in Japan at the time of Nancy Pelosi’s high-voltage visit to Taiwan. The F-15EX has undergone significant upgrades and modernization over the previous models.