The first two F-15E Strike Eagles rigged with the latest war-fighting software touched down in the United Kingdom last week, according to the Air Force.
The duo of F-15Es arrived at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, on Jan. 16, equipped with the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, or EPAWSS. The system allows F-15 fighters to detect and jam threats through geolocation and radar warning, helping them survive in dangerous environments.
The jets will be absorbed into the 494th and 492nd Fighter Squadrons.
“Having EPAWSS operational at RAF Lakenheath significantly enhances our ability to detect and counter threats, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of our crews,” said 494th Fighter Squadron Commander Lt. Col. Timothy Causey. “This advanced electronic warfare system, when combined with the F-35s, acts as a powerful force multiplier, transforming our operations and amplifying the 48th Fighter Wing’s impact in the battlespace.”
The Air Force approved the advanced electronic warfare system for full-scale production Jan. 6 and awarded Boeing a $616 million contract to construct EPAWSS production kits. The kits will be produced in Nashua, New Hampshire, and St. Louis. Boeing will do the installation work at its San Antonio location, where F-15 EPAWSS installations have taken place since July 2022.
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Boeing contracted BAE to help churn out the initial EPAWSS kit in March 2021 and stamped another contract in September 2022 with the British defense company to continue the software’s production. BAE implemented the use of artificial intelligence to uniquely enhance an aspect of the EPAWSS system called cognitive electronic warfare, in which the system can rapidly adapt to changing threat landscapes.
The cutting-edge EPAWSS was developed as part of an ongoing effort to modernize the F-15E fleet.
The system allows the F-15 to penetrate further beyond enemy lines and “boosts pilot’s situation awareness by autonomously detecting, identifying and locating threat systems,” the Air Force said in a statement.
As of Jan. 10, the EPAWSS system was being flown on F-15 jets at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and Portland Air National Guard Base in Oregon.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.
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