The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing Defense a $2.38 billion contract on Sept. 29, 2026, for 22 F-15EX Eagle II fighters under Lot 7, bringing the total number of aircraft under contract to 120. The award was announced by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center and confirmed by Boeing in a separate release.
The contract uses previously available funds from the 2026 budget and the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ reconciliation package, which required the money to be spent before the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. The Air Force did not disclose the contract value; Boeing announced the $2.38 billion price tag. Based on that figure, Air & Space Forces Magazine estimated an average cost of $108 million per airframe, excluding the GE Aerospace F110-GE-129 engines, which the service will purchase separately.
The Lot 7 award accounts for current programmatic realities, including the effects of 2025 production disruptions and inflation in the defense industrial base, according to a Defense News report. Brig. Gen. Timothy Helfrich, portfolio acquisition executive for the Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate, said in a 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.’
Col. Jonathan Varoli, System Program Manager of the F-15 Program Office, added: ‘The Lot 7 award demonstrates what is possible when the acquisition enterprise moves with purpose, remains accountable to the taxpayer and stays focused on delivering capability to the warfighter.’
The F-15EX is intended to replace aging F-15C and F-15D aircraft, and the larger acquisition will also begin recapitalization of the F-15E Strike Eagle fleet, according to The Aviationist. The Air Force increased its planned F-15EX fleet from 129 to 267 aircraft in April 2026. Boeing said it is currently delivering Lot 3 aircraft and will continue for the remainder of the year; the company is working with the Department of War and the Air Force to increase production to two aircraft per month.
On the same day, the Department of War awarded a separate $10 million sole-source contract to Astronautics Corp. of America for F-15EX engine fuel hydraulic display depot activation, with work performed in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, and expected completion by October 2029.
Sources: Air & Space Forces Magazine · The Aviationist