[Development] F-15EX and F-15IA Ra’am: The Eagle’s Shadow! - News

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F-15EX and F-15IA Ra’am: The Eagle’s Shadow!

6 November 2026 Development

Up to 12 active radar-homing missiles, up to 22 precision-guided bombs, new engines, an increased supply of countermeasures, and the most advanced air-to-surface weaponry — this is the F-15EX, the most sophisticated aircraft in its series!

F-15EX and F-15IA Ra’am: Jet Fighters for the USA and Israel at Rank IX

At a glance:

Up to 12 active radar-homing (ARH) missiles, including the AIM-120D
Anti-radiation and anti-ship missiles
Advanced air-to-surface arsenal, including the SLAM-ER
Up to 22 precision-guided munitions (PGMs) per sortie!
Superb flight performance

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Introducing the F-15EX and F-15IA Ra’am

Both the USA and Israel will receive the F-15EX and F-15IA respectively, coming in with a wide range of weaponry and excellent flight performance. Let’s take a closer look at what you can expect!

Using the F-15EX and F-15IA Ra’am in Battle

The F-15EX will represent the pinnacle of the Eagle series. Not only does it inherit the best traits of its predecessors, but it is now also the first American aircraft in the game capable of carrying up to 12 air-to-air missiles equipped with active radar homing seekers. The aircraft features some of the most advanced electronics in War Thunder, including an AESA radar, a helmet-mounted display (HMD) targeting system, a radar warning receiver (RWR), and a voice warning system. Its new, more powerful engines deliver exceptional speed and flight characteristics, even while carrying a heavy payload.

Feature Spotlight: The Best Weaponry

Inheriting the excellent and versatile weapons arsenal of the earlier two-seat F-15E variant, the F-15EX and F-15IA Ra’am also introduce several significant new capabilities. These include the AIM-120D, an active radar-homing missile featuring satellite-assisted guidance, SLAM-ER missiles with Man-in-the-loop guidance, plus various anti-ship and anti-radiation missiles. The Israeli version will also be equipped with SPICE precision-guided munitions and Derby active radar-homing missiles.

Developer comment: The F-15EX will be the most heavily armed fighter in the game and will overall be one of the best fourth-generation fighters. It represents an evolution of the F-15E concept, yet surpasses it in a number of key aspects. The Israeli variant differs slightly in terms of available air-to-ground weaponry, however in air-to-air combat, both versions of the F-15 are identical.

The U.S. Air Force had planned to extend the service life of 179 F-15C/D aircraft into the 2030s; however, by the mid-2010s, the fleet had become obsolete, and its continued operation was no longer economically viable. Meanwhile, Boeing was developing an upgraded version of the F-15E for the export market. This effort resulted in the “F-15 Advanced Eagle”, which was subsequently refined to meet the specific requirements of various international operators. In 2018, the U.S. Air Force and Boeing began discussions on a modernization program to replace the F-15C/D fleet, drawing upon the design of the F-15QA, a variant developed for Qatar. These discussions led to the creation of the two-seat F-15EX.

The F-15EX features an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, an updated airframe with a service life of 20,000 hours, a modernized cockpit, and a digital fly-by-wire flight control system. The F-15EX made its maiden flight on February 2nd 2021. In June 2024, the 142nd Wing of the Air National Guard in Oregon received its first aircraft. The F-15EX is intended to replace the aging F-15C/D models in operation, it has begun entering service with operational units and is currently part of the United States Air Force inventory.

That’s all for today! The F-15EX and F-15IA Ra’am are set to become some of the best jets in the game, thanks to their incredible ordnance options and flight characteristics. Until then keep an eye out for more devblogs and we’ll see you soon!