The U.S. Air Force is set to receive its first operational F-15E Strike Eagle upgraded with an advanced electronic warfare system this summer. Eight Boeing-made F-15E jets are undergoing modifications with the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, or EPAWSS, at the company’s facility in San Antonio, Texas.
EPAWSS will be standard on F-15EX Eagle II fighters and added to some F-15Es, providing capabilities to monitor, jam, and deceive threats in contested environments. This will enhance radar warning, geolocation, situational awareness, and self-defense capabilities with sensors, electronic countermeasures, and algorithms.
Boeing began installing EPAWSS on operational F-15Es in July 2022, with plans to produce additional systems for new F-15EXs. BAE Systems, the maker of EPAWSS, completed its initial operational test and evaluation phase recently.
The Air Force is expecting final reports on EPAWSS from the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center and the Pentagon’s Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation by the end of June. Full-rate production on EPAWSS is anticipated to be awarded by the end of 2024.
