Each Boeing F-15EX Eagle II Can Carry at Least a Dozen Air-to-Air Missiles, and Kadena AFB Is Getting 36 of Them

Kadena Air Base in Japan is set to receive 36 Boeing F-15EX Eagle II aircraft, with the first arriving in 2027 and the full complement in place by 2028. The first jet, tail number 22-0022, has been spotted at Boeing’s St. Louis, Missouri production facility. It reportedly carries a “ZZ” tail flash for Kadena and is painted in the insignia livery of the U.S. Air Force 18th Fighter Wing. The aircraft is also the first of Lot 3, with deliveries planned to begin later this year. Its timeline slipped by about a year due to a months-long strike at the St. Louis plant in 2025.