According to Boeing, Poland has shown interest in the F-15EX.
The Polish Air Force would be considering yet another type to add to its already varied inventory, made of F-16, FA-50 and (in the future) F-35 aircraft: the new Boeing F-15EX.
According to an announcement made by Boeing at the annual MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, Poland, the U.S. aerospace company is showcasing the F‑15EX fighter aircraft to Poland as a potential U.S. Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales program.
“Poland’s interest in the F-15EX confirms its dedication to the preparedness and effectiveness of its military forces,” said Tim Flood, senior director, Global Business Development for Europe and Americas, in a public statement. “The F-15EX offers superior interoperability, supportability and affordability along with a robust industry plan that would support Poland’s goal of developing independent defense capabilities.”
F-15EX is ready to land in Poland. 🇵🇱
With unparalleled speed, range and payload, the #F15EX would enhance the national security needs of Poland and the NATO Alliance.
Release: https://t.co/D8rjj0CpKI #MSPO2023 pic.twitter.com/GA3a1caknA
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) September 7, 2023
Boeing has made significant investments in the F-15EX making it the most capable multirole fighter aircraft in production today.
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As already reported here at The Aviationist, the new F-15EX, developed from the F-15QA, comes from a series of needs mainly emerged after the National Defense Strategy directed the U.S. armed services to adapt to the new threats from China and Russia. While extremely similar to the QA variant, the aircraft features some US-only capabilities like the new AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) electronic warfare and electronic surveillance system and Open Mission Systems (OMS) architecture.
“The F-15EX is the world’s most advanced fighter with unmatched capability, lethality and survivability and is the right fit to strengthen Poland’s security needs,” said Rob Novotny, director, Business Development for Boeing’s F-15 program. “Through enhanced interoperability with U.S. and NATO forces, capacity for technology growth and a 20,000+ hour economic operational airframe life, Poland can expect the F-15EX to win in existing and future threat environments.”
The F-15EX is in production with two aircraft delivered to the U.S. Air Force. Indonesia recently became the 8th country to select the F-15 and will become the first export customer of the latest variant when the sale is finalized.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Poland has continued to invest in new weapon systems to boost its military, becoming NATO’s top spender on defense with 3.9 percent of its GDP forecasted for 2024. The country is modernizing its military in several fields and, among the most recent procurement programs we can’t but mention the potential acquisition of 96 Boeing AH-64E attack helicopters worth about 12 billion USD.
But would such a varied fleet be sustainable at all? Hard to say. For sure, the Polish Air Force has been considering several options to fill the air superiority gap: according to the last year’s figures, Poland would need between 150 and 200 fighters to meet the NATO commitments and cover its homeland security needs. The new platform would complement F-35s and F-16s and would need to be heavier and capable to provide more firepower.
To this respect, the F-15EX would be a good fit bringing a significant range and payload capabilities that could be particularly important to carry out long-range attacks against ground targets.
However, there are other options on the table. For instance, last year, at MSPO 2022, Eurofighter showcased the Typhoon to Poland. Considered the recent history of multiple procurements, someone suggested Poland in the end might buy both the F-15EX and the Typhoon (bringing the number of different combat aircraft types to 6, including also the M-346)….we’ll see.
