“In the quarter, we also received a contract to manufacture 22 more F-15EX aircraft for the U.S. Air Force,” Ortberg said during Boeing’s third-quarter earnings call. “This award brings the total number of aircraft under contract to 120, with the potential for additional upside as the F-15EX continues to demonstrate the value of its unmatched payload and range capability.”
Ortberg returned to the fighter during the analyst question-and-answer session, referring to “a big new order on F-15EX, and there’s more to come on that.” He did not identify the prospective customer, quantity or timing of any further order.
The F-15EX contract adds to demand that has improved Boeing’s expectations for its defense business. Ortberg said the company had anticipated low single-digit defense revenue growth a year earlier but now expected growth “more towards the middle single digit or higher going forward.”
Alongside F-15EX, he cited Boeing’s sixth-generation fighter selections, PAC-3 seeker production growth and progress on the MQ-25 and T-7 programs. He said demand across the defense portfolio and available budgets supported further growth.
Ortberg also stressed the importance of contract terms as Boeing takes on new work after difficulties with earlier development programs. His comments covered the broader defense business, rather than the specific terms of the latest F-15EX agreement.
“The important part is all these programs are also being underwritten with the right contract type,” he said. “Not only are we booking more orders, we’re booking more orders that won’t result in some of the challenges we’ve had.”
Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave said Boeing Defense, Space & Security booked $23 billion in quarterly orders and ended the period with a record $101 billion backlog. The executives did not disclose the value of the additional F-15EX contract or when the 22 aircraft would be delivered.
Source: Boeing Company (The) (BA) Q3 FY2026 earnings call transcript.pdf
