The first operational US Air Force (USAF) Boeing F-15E fighters equipped with new electronic warfare systems have arrived at a forward air base in the UK.
Two of the multi-role jets, carrying BAE Systems’ Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS), landed at RAF Lakenheath on 16 January.
The milestone, which the USAF disclosed on 21 January, marks the first delivery of the advanced electronic warfare package to a frontline F-15E operator. Both jets are have been assigned to squadrons permanently stationed at Lakenheath, rather than to rotational forces.
“Having EPAWSS operational at RAF Lakenheath significantly enhances our ability to detect and counter threats, ensuring the safety and effectiveness of our crews,” says Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Causey, commander of the USA’s 494th Fighter Squadron.
BAE Systems produces the EPAWSS for F-15 manufacturer Boeing, under contract with the USAF. The company describes the system as providing the fourth-generation F-15 ability to penetrate and manoeuvre into battle spaces protected by modern integrated air-defence systems.
The air force approved EPAWSS for full-rate production earlier this month, with plans to outfit its F-15Es and growing inventory of F-15EXs – Boeing latest variant of the venerable fighter – with the system.
“EPAWSS is a leap in technology, improving the lethality and combat capabilities of the F-15E and F-15EX in contested, degraded environments against advanced threats,” says Major Bryant Baum, EPAWSS test director for the Air Force Operational Test & Evaluation Center.
The advanced electronic countermeasures are designed not only to protect F-15s from threats but also to help them more effectively support the air force’s Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters. Those low-observable jets have already proven ability to slip past air-defence networks unnoticed, as demonstrated during Israel’s air raid against Iran in October.
However, F-35s have limited capacity for munitions when operating in its stealthiest configuration – restricted by the need to carry munitions within internal weapons bays. F-15Es and F-15EXs boast significantly greater weapons payloads but are limited by their greater vulnerability to radar detection.
The EPAWSS is meant to offset this weakness, allowing the Eagle jets to back up F-35s in contested environments.
“This advanced electronic warfare system, when combined with the F-35s, acts as a powerful force multiplier, transforming our operations and amplifying [our] impact in the battle space,” says Causey.
The air force says EPAWSS will improve pilots’ situational awareness by autonomously detecting, identifying and locating battlefield threats. The system can then take action to degrade and disrupt those threats.
