Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina is set to receive F-15EX Eagle II fighters under the Air Force’s proposed fiscal 2027 budget, with the new jets replacing older F-15E Strike Eagles over time. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink confirmed the plan in a letter to Senator Ted Budd, while stressing that the move depends on congressional authorisation and funding.
The base, home to the 4th Fighter Wing, will keep its fighter mission intact until replacement aircraft arrive. Meink wrote that any movement of Seymour Johnson’s F-15Es would follow delivery of the F-15EX, avoiding a gap in operational or training activity. The letter did not give a delivery schedule, though the transition is understood to be likely in the early 2030s.
The broader basing plan points to a future relocation of Seymour Johnson’s F-15E fleet to Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, where the Strike Eagles would support the reserve unit there. A final decision on that related move is expected in the fall of 2028. For the Air Force, the decision secures a major F-15EX home for one of its frontline Strike Eagle units while extending the service life of the tactical fighter force.