Two USAF F-15E Strike Eagles returned to the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, UK, after upgrades in the USA, which included the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System self-protection suite.
The Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System, commonly referred to as EPAWSS and designated in the United States as AN/ALQ-250, is an advanced electronic warfare suite designed by BAE Systems specifically for the F-15E and F-15EX airframes. It leverages technology developed for fifth-generation fighter aircraft like the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II to provide the F-15 with a fully integrated, modern self-protection capability. EPAWSS entered full rate production earlier this month, as reported by The Aviationist.
Arriving on the evening of Jan. 16, 2025, as RETRO 51 and RETRO 52, the two F-15Es were flown back to their home base in the UK with the support of KC-46A Pegasus 19-46062, callsign BLUE 94. They are the first operational airframes to have been delivered with EPAWSS across the whole U.S. Air Force. RETRO 51 was airframe 91-0332, while RETRO 52 was 91-0329, both of which have been based at RAF Lakenheath for many years.
The Director, Operational Test & Evaluation report mentions that the modifications to install EPAWSS on these F-15Es began in May 2023 and the aircraft was expected to return to its unit by 2QFY24. Previously, EPAWSS was installed only on Eglin AFB’s Strike Eagles, in addition to the F-15EXs.
The first F-15E equipped with the advanced EPAWSS Electronic Warfare system takes off from San Antonio and heads home to the @48FighterWing.
This next-gen tech enhances pilot situational awareness and ensures the F-15 can tackle modern threats. pic.twitter.com/QG8hXi5ba8
— Boeing Defense (@BoeingDefense) January 17, 2025
The choice of Lakenheath as the first base to field the new EW suite perhaps reflects the importance placed upon it and its 48th Fighter Wing (48FW), which operates two squadrons of F-15E Strike Eagles and two squadrons of F-35A Lightning IIs. The 48FW is regularly called upon to forward deploy aircraft further into Europe, as well as to the Middle East, earning its squadrons a remarkable combat record.
More from The Aviationist
EPAWSS’ advanced radio frequency scanning and wide bandwidth would be of high value in both Europe and the Middle East, where it could even allow tactical fighter aircraft to gather intelligence on radar and radio emissions in airspace where dedicated platforms like the RC-135U Combat Sent would be vulnerable. The presence of a highly visible, dedicated intelligence gathering asset can also cause opposing forces to adjust their emissions control (EMCON) levels to prevent intelligence gathering, while aircraft like an F-15E may be a degree more inconspicuous.
Brigadier General Jason Voorheis, who serves as Program Executive Officer for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate, remarked on the delivery: “It has taken us a long time to get to this point, but this system is vital to our 21st century fighter force structure. EPAWSS significantly improves the survivability and lethality of the F-15E Strike Eagle and F-15EX Eagle II, and the fact the first modifications are delivering to our front-line fighters at RAF Lakenheath is even more critical.”
Emphasizing the step-up in capability afforded by EPAWSS, Material Leader for the EPAWSS program Lieutenant Colonel Matt Heil added “This system is a critically needed capability for F-15 aircrew, Air Combat Command, and the Nation. Furthermore, the system architecture enables us to keep advancing the capability for many years via continual software updates and improvements. EPAWSS is a game-changer.”
EPAWSS – A System of Systems
EPAWSS takes advantage of modern technological developments to link together a broad range of capabilities into one unified system that also interfaces directly with the aircraft’s radar, avoiding interference from either end. Despite adding capability, the system manages to be lighter and smaller than those it replaces, and this allows the carriage of up to 50% more chaff and flares than before as well as room for future upgrades.
The electronics and computer systems have been designed with the intent of future expansion, providing an excess of memory and processing power that can be leveraged by technologies added in subsequent upgrades. A modular design with an open system architecture was employed, which should allow these upgrades to be implemented without a significant overhaul.
Using receivers around the airframe, EPAWSS can capture a real-time 360 degree view of any given battlespace and feed the relevant information and threat identifications to the cockpit, offering improved situational awareness for pilots and weapons system officers (WSO). While able to draw upon the significant amounts of existing intelligence regarding radar, weapon and radio systems to classify RF emissions, it has also been tested and developed during exercises to provide detailed analysis and classification of unfamiliar signals.
The faster and more intelligence processing also allows EPAWSS to more quickly respond to emerging threats, either from hostile radars or from weapons themselves, and deploy electronic countermeasures or chaff/flare automatically much more rapidly than was previously possible.
A total of 99 F-15E Strike Eagles are due to receive the EPAWSS modification, and it will be standard equipment for the new F-15EX Eagle II. The protection suite is also intended to be integrated with Japanese and South Korean F-15s.
