The delay adds pressure to an aircraft programme the Air Force now plans to expand from 98 to 268 jets. Boeing must raise output to two aircraft a month to meet delivery commitments for Lot 4 and subsequent production batches.
The milestone depends on delivery of F-15EX-44, the aircraft needed to provide the required assets for full operational capability. The report’s executive summary forecasts delivery in February 2028, while its detailed schedule places the aircraft in January.
The strike by the International Association of Machinists ran from August 4 to November 17, 2025, shutting down Boeing’s F-15 production line in St. Louis. The programme has struggled to recover since workers returned, with the report citing the contractor’s failure to meet production targets.
The Air Force submitted a programme deviation report in January 2026 and is preparing a new acquisition schedule for approval. The process includes a review of the full operational capability definition and a revised baseline reflecting the later delivery date.
Boeing’s delivery performance shows the scale of the disruption. As of April 14, 2026, the company had handed over 18 F-15EX Eagle II aircraft against a contractual requirement for 33.
Lot 3 deliveries were supposed to be completed in early 2026, but Boeing now expects to deliver only six of the batch’s 12 aircraft by the end of the year. The remaining jets are scheduled to follow in 2027, with completion of Lot 3 currently forecast for May.
The effects will carry into the next production batch. The report schedules the first Lot 4 delivery for June 2027 and completion of the 24-aircraft lot for August 2028.
The Department and Boeing have launched a broad effort to rebuild production capacity and recover lost time. Measures include adding assembly-line workers, digitising work on complex subassemblies and using multiyear procurement incentives to support Boeing investment.
A joint Production Acceleration Tiger Team is working on the recovery, backed by direct engagement from senior officials. The programme has also brought in independent private-sector manufacturing specialists through the Department’s Business Operators for National Defense initiative.
Delivery delays are already affecting the Air Force’s fielding plans. Completion of Lot 2 deliveries to the Portland Air National Guard Base slipped to at least mid-2026, while the first Lot 3 aircraft assigned overseas was delayed until at least August.
Overseas aircraft must be transferred in groups of two to four after acceptance and inspection, pushing initial fielding abroad into at least the first quarter of fiscal 2027. Air Combat Command and the National Guard Bureau are preparing to retain legacy capabilities or use alternative force structures until the F-15EX Eagle II units are fully established.
The production recovery also faces continued pressure from parts and material availability. The report identifies large-area displays, low-profile head-up displays, GE engines and Collins Aerospace cartridge- and propellant-actuated devices among the components at risk.
Suppliers accumulated buffer stocks during the strike, easing the immediate threat to post-strike aircraft. The Department is also pursuing component-harvesting measures and borrow-and-repay arrangements with Foreign Military Sales customers to protect the production schedule.
The programme continues to meet its technical performance and cost thresholds, and the report identifies no significant software problems. It describes the strike and the failure to regain planned production rates as the main risk to delivering aircraft on time.
The Air Force declared initial operational capability for the F-15EX Eagle II in July 2024, shortly after approving full-rate production. Full operational capability is the final milestone under the programme’s current acquisition baseline.
