The United States Air Force has awarded Boeing a sole-source contract with a ceiling of $131.23 billion to produce, modernise and sustain F-15 fighter aircraft for the US and foreign customers through 2037.
The contract, designated F-15 Eagle Crest, was awarded on August 24 and allows the Air Force to place orders over time rather than committing to a fixed number of aircraft at the outset.
Under the agreement, orders may be placed through August 24, 2031, with an option to extend the arrangement to 2036.
The contract brings together new aircraft production, upgrades, retrofits, sustainment and depot support for the US Air Force, Air National Guard and foreign military customers.
It also includes provisions for establishing organic depot maintenance capabilities, enabling Air Force depots to undertake major overhauls of F-15 aircraft rather than relying entirely on Boeing.
Boeing will carry out the contracted work at its facility in St. Louis, while the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, will serve as the contracting activity.
However, the $131.23 billion figure represents the maximum potential value of the contract and does not mean the US government has committed to spending the entire amount.
Only $343,740 in fiscal year 2026 research, development, test and evaluation funds was obligated at the time of the award.
The August 24 contract notice also did not include an order for any F-15 aircraft.
The agreement covers foreign military sales involving Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia and Poland. Indonesia and Poland, however, do not currently operate F-15 fighter aircraft.
Israel is already procuring F-15s from Boeing’s production line in St. Louis. Under a December 29, 2025 agreement, Israel is purchasing 25 F-15IA aircraft, with an option for an additional 25, in a deal valued at $8.58 billion.
The US F-15EX programme has also expanded significantly. According to a fiscal 2027 programme report, the planned US purchase has increased to 268 aircraft through fiscal 2031, compared with an earlier baseline of 98 aircraft.
The larger procurement is expected to require upgrades to key systems, including the aircraft’s radar, mission computer, electronic warfare suite and engines.
The programme, however, has encountered production delays.
The report said the F-15EX programme would miss its July 2027 Full Operational Capability (FOC) target following a 15-week strike at Boeing’s St. Louis facility between August 4 and November 17, 2025.
The delay was further compounded by what the report described as the contractor’s failure to meet subsequent production recovery targets.
As part of efforts to mitigate the delay, the Air Force is considering a re-evaluation of the definition of Full Operational Capability, which could alter how the programme’s progress toward the milestone is measured.
The long-term Boeing contract is expected to provide the US Air Force with a framework for sustaining the F-15 production line while supporting upgrades and maintenance of the fighter fleet for the US and international customers.
