U.S. Air Force Seeks F-15EX Missile Warning System to Detect Incoming Missile Threats in Combat.

The U.S. Air Force is seeking a missile launch and approach warning system for the F-15EX Eagle II that can be integrated without major structural modifications. The upgrade would add another layer of protection as the fighter moves toward permanent operational deployment in the Indo-Pacific.

The planned system would complement the F-15EX’s existing electronic warfare suite by giving crews additional warning of missiles approaching the aircraft, including threats that may not be detected through conventional radar warning alone. The Air Force intends to use six sensor positions already provisioned on the fighter together with existing wiring, power, and cooling connections, allowing the capability to be integrated with limited changes to the current configuration and supporting faster field installation across future operational units.

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A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II from the 40th Flight Test Squadron flies over the Gulf of America during developmental and operational testing, as the service examines the integration of a new missile warning system for the fighter.  (Picture source: US DoD)

The U.S. Air Force is preparing a new defensive upgrade for the F-15EX Eagle II as the fighter moves closer to permanent operational deployment in the Indo-Pacific. The service is seeking to rapidly integrate a missile launch and approach warning system that would complement the electronic warfare capabilities already installed on the aircraft without requiring major structural modifications. The requirement shows that the Air Force is pursuing a deliberately limited integration path. Rather than redesigning the aircraft or developing an entirely new warning architecture, the service intends to use six sensor locations already provisioned on the Eagle II. The future system must rely on existing data wiring, electrical connections and cooling capacity, while installation and removal must be achievable in the field by Air Force maintenance personnel.

The effort is detailed in a sources-sought notice published on SAM.gov on September 29, 2026, by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. Identified as PCOL-2026-MWS, the document was issued by the F-15 System Program Office within AFLCMC’s Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate. Industry responses are due by November 12. At this stage, the notice is intended for market research rather than as a formal solicitation, but the criteria outlined by the Air Force provide a clear indication of the program’s priorities.

The Air Force is looking for a system that is already operationally mature, approved for use on a Department of War aircraft, currently in production and capable of being introduced on the F-15EX without a major modification program. Avionics integration is central to the requirement. The service asks whether proposed systems can communicate with the aircraft through a MIL-STD-1553 data bus and how suppliers would provide Boeing with the interface specifications needed for warning information to be processed by the F-15EX mission computer.

Suppliers must also provide the weight, dimensions, electrical power consumption and cooling requirements of each line-replaceable unit. Environmental limitations are to be detailed against MIL-STD-810H, while the Air Force is also examining future compatibility with the Agile Mission Suite Government Reference Architecture. These requirements indicate that the objective is not only to select an effective sensor but also to minimize the time and complexity required to introduce it into the Eagle II’s operational configuration.

This approach is consistent with the broader design of the F-15EX. The fighter uses a digital architecture and open mission systems intended to facilitate the gradual integration of new hardware and software. It is powered by two F110-GE-129 engines, carries the AN/APG-82 active electronically scanned array radar and is equipped with the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, or EPAWSS. The latter combines radar threat detection, warning and electronic countermeasure functions within the aircraft’s defensive architecture.

The future missile warning system would complement EPAWSS rather than replace it. The two systems address different aspects of aircraft survivability. EPAWSS is designed to detect and respond to threats operating within the electromagnetic spectrum, while a missile launch or approach warning system is intended to provide the crew with information directly associated with a weapon in flight. The Air Force does not disclose the required detection ranges or threat libraries in the public document, noting that some performance requirements may involve classified information.

For an F-15EX crew, this additional layer could alter the sequence of defensive reactions during an engagement. Warning generated by the detection of a missile launch or approach may provide time to initiate evasive maneuvers, deploy countermeasures or change the aircraft’s flight path before interception. The presence of six sensor positions also indicates that the integration concept is intended to provide broad coverage around the fighter. For deployed units, the field-replaceable nature of the system is equally relevant because it limits structural intervention and reduces dependence on heavier depot-level maintenance.

The requirement comes as the F-15EX fleet continues to expand. The Air Force’s fiscal 2027 aircraft procurement plan calls for 24 additional fighters and currently brings the planned program total to 239 aircraft. At the same time, the F-15EX is moving closer to permanent service in Japan. The first aircraft specifically assigned to Kadena Air Base departed Boeing’s St. Louis facility on August 28 to continue preparations with the Portland Air National Guard Base, with the first permanent arrivals at Kadena expected during fiscal year 2027.

The timing gives the effort implications beyond a technical modification of the F-15EX. Deployment to Kadena places the Eagle II within the U.S. forward fighter posture in the Western Pacific, where it is intended to progressively replace F-15C/D aircraft associated with the Japanese base. Adding a field-installable missile warning capability would expand the information available to crews while retaining the F-15EX’s AESA radar, electronic warfare suite and heavy weapons capacity. As more aircraft move from production into operational units, the requirement is intended to adapt their survivability to environments in which radar systems, passive sensors and missiles using different guidance methods may be employed at the same time.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests include security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.