Mary-Louise Hoffman
The U.S. Air Force’s F-15 combat aircraft, developed by a Boeing legacy company, recently hit its fifth decade in service.
Boeing said Thursday the tactical fighter platform took off for its maiden voyage July 27, 1972, and that more than 1,500 units are part of military fleets across the globe.
Prat Kumar, vice president of F-15 programs at Boeing, noted the company has seen an increased interest in next-generation systems for the aircraft.
The Department of the Air Force awarded the planemaker a potential $22.9 billion contract two years ago to design and build the F-15EX to replace the branch’s oldest F-15C/D units.
USAF received its first new fighter jet in March last year.
