A revised U.S. Department of Defense budget calls for significant cuts in plans to purchase the FX-15X Eagle II tactical fighter jet. The Pentagon budget has shifted to buying more of the new generation F-35 Lightning II air superiority fighter.

The move would impact the Oregon Air National Guard. Even with cutbacks, the F-15EX squadrons in Klamath Falls and Portland are still on schedule to be flying some of the first of the supersonic jets.

“Right now, the current plan is for 173rd Fighter Wing in Klamath Falls, which is also the only F-15 training facility in the U.S., to be the first to receive them, potentially in 2024,” Bomar said.

The cutbacks could affect how many pilots from Air Force and Air National Guard squadrons would come to Klamath Falls for training on the F-15EX in future years.

The 142nd Wing in Portland is also scheduled to transition to the F-15EX in 2026.

Both units currently fly the F-15C Eagle, a single-seat, all-weather variant built between 1979 and 1985. The original F-15A was first flown in 1972 and entered service with the Air Force in 1976. The Oregon Air National Guard jets have received subsequent upgrades on electronics.

The twin-engine F-15EX Eagle II is built by Boeing at a factory in St. Louis, Missouri. The single-engine F-35 Lightning II is built by Lockheed Martin in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas.