Commencement of full-scale manufacturing for new F-15 electronic warfare system established
Let's Talk EPAWSS: The Game-Changer for F-15s
The U.S. Air Force has given the green light for the high-tech F-15 electronic warfare system, EPAWSS, and awarded a hefty $615.8 million contract to Boeing. The job? Installing this state-of-the-art system on F-15 aircraft.
EPAWSS, made up of two kits by BAE Systems, is a powerhouse of integrated radar warning, geolocation, situational awareness, and self-protection solutions. You might find it in the brand-new F-15EX Eagle II, but the Air Force is also revamping 99 F-15E Strike Eagles with the cutting-edge tech.
Boeing handles the upgrades, and they'll be putting EPAWSS on all those F-15s.
EPAWSS transforms the F-15EX into something of a 4.5 generation fighter, sitting comfortably between conventional fourth-gen F-15s and fifth-gen F-22s and F-35s. The Air Force claims EPAWSS equips its jets to dodge, degrade, deceive, disrupt, and outsmart radio frequency (RF) and electro-optical/infrared threat systems in contested environments.
Competition in the electromagnetic spectrum has triggered something of an arms race, and the Air Force and its partners have been tight-lipped about EPAWSS' specific capabilities. However, they have shared that the system boasts a "cognitive" EW feature, meaning it can understand new threats and adjust its defense tactics without human input.
The EPAWSS upgrades comprise two kits: the Group A kits consisting of basic components, and Group B kits containing EPAWSS' main components. Boeing's contract covers the manufacture of both kit types, as well as engineering, program management, and initial material.
The work takes place in Boeing’s St. Louis facilities, where the F-15EX is manufactured, and Nashua, N.H., home of BAE's Electronic Systems Division.
Details on the exact number of EPAWSS kits included in the contract weren't specified, but it stated funding for the project will come from fiscal 2023, 2024, and 2025 investments. Budget documents show plans for 26 sets in 2023, 19 sets in 2024, and 21 in 2025, along with the installation of 4 sets in 2023, 14 in 2024, and 19 in 2025. After 2025, the Air Force plans to purchase five more full EPAWSS kits, plus five Group B kits for test aircraft.
The Air Force also plans to purchase 98 to 144 F-15EX fighters, a number that has fluctuated in recent budget cycles as Air Force and Congressional leaders debate the necessary number.
The F-15's existing EW system is considered functionally obsolete against modern threats, making EPAWSS crucial for jamming or spoofing adversaries' radars and signals to evade detection. EPAWSS shares capabilities developed for the F-35, whose impressive EW system has earned rave reviews. BAE also produces that system.
In Depth: Air Electronic WarfareEPAWSS' key features include superior threat detection and geolocation abilities, powerful radio frequency electronic countermeasures, and an advanced "cognitive" EW feature. When combined with advanced radar upgrades and other assets like the F-35, EPAWSS acts as a formidable force multiplier, significantly increasing the operational impact of the F-15 fleet in diverse combat scenarios.
- The U.S. Air Force's acquisition of EPAWSS for its F-15 aircraft signifies a significant shift in warfare technology, as this system can provide advanced self-protection solutions and sophisticated radar warning capabilities in space.
- The Pentagon's investment in EPAWSS extends beyond the aerial domain, as the system's cognitive electronic warfare feature can adapt to new threats and outmaneuver enemy RF and electro-optical/infrared threat systems in contested environments.
- In the arms race for dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum, the Air Force's EPAWSS equips its aircraft with potent aircraft weapons, enabling them to evade adversaries' detection and disrupt their communication systems, promoting safer and more effective air force warfare.
