--- title: "F-15EX May Finally Get Missile Warning System The USAF Originally Skimped On Buying" description: "The F-15EX is designed to host a system to optically spot incoming missiles and its omission from USAF jets has become increasingly glaring." date: "2026-09-30" modified: "2026-09-30" authors: - name: "Joseph Trevithick" job_title: "Deputy Editor" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/joseph-trevithick.md" url: "https://www.twz.com/air/f-15exs-may-finally-get-missile-warning-systems-the-usaf-originally-skimped-on-buying" categories: - "Air" - "Air Forces" - "F-15" - "Fighters" - "News & Features" - "U.S. Air Force" --- # F-15EX May Finally Get Missile Warning System The USAF Originally Skimped On Buying ![The U.S. Air Force is looking at adding a missile warning system (MWS) to its new F-15EX Eagle II fighters.]() *Staff Sgt. Jacob Stephens* The U.S. Air Force is looking at adding a missile warning system (MWS) to its [new F-15EX Eagle II fighters](). This will give the aircraft a way to optically detect incoming missile threats, especially passively guided ones like heat-seeking infrared-guided missiles, which they currently lack. The continued absence of an MWS has become more pronounced in [light of recent combat experiences over Iran](). The F-15EX is derived from earlier F-15 variants that all have MWSs, and it had seemed logical to expect the Eagle II [would feature this capability](). So it was puzzling when the first examples rolled out without such a system, and no apparent plans to install one on a jet already costing upwards of $100 million. The omission has been glaring for years now, especially given that the aircraft has all the provisions for such a system, including blanked-over spots for the sensors. ![]() *The 22nd F-15EX for the US Air Force seen departing Boeing's plant in St. Louis, Missouri, in August 2026. *USAF/Senior Airman Melany Bermudez** The Air Force has 22 Eagle IIs in inventory now and [currently plans to acquire a total fleet of 267]() of the jets. The aircraft's manufacturer, Boeing, is on contract now to build 120 F-15EXs, including [a lot of 22 jets through a new $2.38 billion deal]() also announced yesterday. Now, the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's (AFLCMC) Fighters & Advanced Aircraft Directorate "is seeking sources for the procurement of an operationally qualified threat missile launch and approach warning system for rapid integration into the United States Air Force (USAF) F-15EX Eagle II fighter aircraft," per a contracting notice put out yesterday. "The MWS must alert the F-15EX aircrew to the presence of missiles that may threaten the aircraft without unreasonably distracting the aircrew with false alarms." As mentioned, the F-15EX is already configured to accommodate an MWS, inside and out, something AFLCMC's notice emphasizes. This is a result of the Eagle II having been directly derived from the [F-15QA variant for Qatar](), which itself was an outgrowth of [the F-15SA for Saudi Arabia](). While many of the F-15EX's advances come from these aircraft, the first F-15 variant to get an MWS was actually [Singapore's F-15SG](). The Advanced Eagle line and the F-15SG are part of [Boeing's extended F-15E Strike Eagle family](). ![]() *A pair of Qatari F-15QA Advanced Eagles. *USAF** "The MWS must use the six (6) pre-existing F-15EX sensor locations, data cables, power cables, and cooling," the contracting notice says. "It must be easily, safely, rapidly, and organically installable and removable in the field by USAF military aircraft maintenance personnel without requiring any change to aircraft configuration beyond installation of MWS line replaceable units (LRUs) in the six (6) pre-existing locations in the aircraft dedicated for missile warning." The most visually prominent of those pre-existing sensor locations are two horn-like sponsons, one on each side of the forward fuselage right below the cockpit canopy. There are two more locations at the ends of the jet's tail booms. The last two locations are situated so additional sensors can face straight up and down to provide total 360-degree coverage. ![]() *A closer look at the nose end of an F-15EX, with the right-side horn-like sponson under the cockpit plainly visible. *USAF/Master Sgt. Steph Sawyer** ![]() *The F-15EX also has pre-existing locations for MWS sensors at the ends of its tailplanes, as can be seen in this picture. *USAF** The sources sought notice does not mention any specific MWS and invites prospective vendors to submit proposals. It also stresses that the Air Force is still in the "market research" phase of the contracting process and that it "does not constitute \[a\] solicitation and shall not be construed as a commitment" to buy such a system. The F-15SA uses [the AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System]() (CMWS), and this system is understood to also be found on the F-15QA. Beyond F-15 variants, versions of the AN/AAR-57, for which BAE Systems is currently the prime contractor, are fielded today on a wide variety of other fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, including various types in U.S. military service. CMWS variants are notably found across the U.S. Army's AH-64, UH-60, and CH-47 helicopter fleets. ![]() *A picture of a Saudi Arabian F-15SA Advanced Eagle. *Jamie Hunter** ![]() *Another close-up look at a Saudi F-15SA, offering a particularly good view of one of the aircraft's missile warning sensors. *USAF/Staff Sgt. Isaiah Soliz** All versions of the CMWS consist of several electro-optic missile sensors (EOMS), the number of which varies from platform to platform, linked to a central electronic control unit (ECU). The system is also designed to be integrated into larger defensive suites. ![]() *A picture showing five of the electro-optic missile sensors (EOMS) used in the AN/AAR-57, as well as the electronic control unit. *BAE Systems** While the AN/AAR-57 is a proven system with years of successful integration on the F-15 and other platforms, it is just one option of the open market today. The Air Force could choose to take another route, possibly with a new system that [offers added functionality](). The addition of any MWS will give the F-15EX a valuable, if not increasingly critical, boost in defensive capability. The Eagle II does already have an extremely powerful self-protection suite, including [the Eagle Passive/Active Warning Survivability System]() (EPAWSS). However, it is heavily geared toward defending against radar-based threats that pump out signals that can be detected and jammed. Infrared-homing anti-air missiles zero in on their targets passively. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCVAxejUDMs In general, MWSs also typically make use of passive infrared sensors to spot the heat plumes of missile launches and the thermal signatures of those threats as they continue their approach. [BAE Systems says]() current-generation versions of the AN/AAR-57 are sensitive enough to detect [infantry anti-armor rockets being launched](), as well as small arms fire from the ground, under the right circumstances. Though an MWS is not an active countermeasure unto itself, the early warning it provides gives critical time to deploy flares or employ other defensive capabilities, or just take evasive action. [*TWZ* touched on all of this last month]() after [*The New York Times* reported]() new details about the [shootdown of an F-15E Strike Eagle over Iran]() in April. A shoulder-fired, heat-seeking surface-to-air missile, also known as a man-portable air defense system (MANPADS), is said to have been responsible, though this remains unconfirmed. The Strike Eagle also lacks an MWS. *The Times*' story said that the F-15E's defensive suite provided the crew with only half a second of warning. As [we noted at the time](), it would actually have provided no warning given that the Strike Eagle also lacks an MWS. ![]() *A picture showing one of the tailfins of the F-15E shot down over Iran in April 2026. *Iranian state media** Even before the current conflict with Iran broke out, [*TWZ* had questioned the F-15EX's lack of this capability]() given the general focus on increased survivability to [match expanding threat ecosystems globally](). EPAWSS is already a reflection of that reality, and could be made even more capable when tied together with an MWS. In May, we had reached out to the Air Force about any plans to integrate an MWS onto the F-15EX in light of observations from the ongoing conflict with Iran. The service told us then that it had no details to share. Whether the service now has any plans to add MWSs to the Strike Eagle fleet, which would require more significant integration work, is also unknown. https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel/status/2040328684650086530?s=20 https://twitter.com/Aviation_Intel/status/2040334035327787426?s=20 Infrared homing anti-air missiles, as well as air defense systems that use passive infrared sensors for target detection and cueing, are certainly not threats limited to Iran. In Yemen, Iranian-backed Houthi militants have been making good use of these capabilities for years now, something else [we have explored in great detail in the past](). The Houthis [claimed to have downed a Saudi Arabian F-15]() just earlier this month and, per a now-long standing modus operandi, subsequently released video captured through a ground-based forward-looking infrared (FLIR) system as evidence. The group also shared images of the wreckage of what looked to be an [F-15SA Advanced Eagle](), underscoring the dangers posed even to aircraft equipped MWSs. https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/2100230336835735979 These threats are not limited to the Middle East more broadly, either, and are only increasingly likely to be encountered in future conflicts globally. The emergence of ever-more capable and longer-range [anti-air missiles]() with infrared or [dual-mode guidance systems]() is a significant factor in all this. Expanding use of passive infrared search and track (IRST) systems [on aircraft]() and infrared sensors on [ground-based]() air defense [systems]() are part of [this larger equation](), as well. How the Air Force ultimately decided to proceed with the integration of an MWS onto the F-15EX fleet remains to be seen. However, the Eagle II's lack of this capability is only becoming more striking, especially in light of the conflict with Iran. *Contact the author: joe@twz.com* ## Author Joseph is *TWZ’s* Deputy Editor, helping to oversee the site’s highly experienced and dedicated team, while also writing informative and impactful defense and national security content. He lives right in the thick of it in the Washington, D.C. area. ### Author social links [Twitter]() [Bluesky]()