A U.S. Air Force F-15 in flight.

The United States Airforce had awarded a nearly $1.2 billion contract for eight F-15EX fighter jets to aerospace giant Boeing. The contract covers the design, development, integration, manufacturing, test, verification, certification, delivery, sustainment, and modification of eight F-15EX fighter jets which were approved in the U.S. Air Force’s fiscal year 2020 budget. The U.S. Air Force intends to purchase 76 F-15 EX aircraft in total at a cost of up to $23 billion. The F-15EX is basically a new version of the famed F-15 twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft initially designed by McDonnell Douglas, an aerospace company that was scooped up by Boeing in 1996.

The F-15EX is intended to replace the oldest of the current F-15s in service. It’s a two-seat fighter jet with features including a magazine that can fit a load of tactical weapons and a platform that “requires minimal transitional training or additional manpower and little to no infrastructure changes,” quoting the Air Force. The F-15EX as designed is capable of launching hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weighing up to 7,000 pounds.

“The F-15EX is the most affordable and immediate way to refresh the capacity and update the capabilities provided by our aging F-15C/D fleets,” said Gen. Mike Holmes, commander of the U.S. Air Combat Command, in a press statement. “The F-15EX is ready to fight as soon as it comes off the line.”

Delivery of the first two of the eight aircraft to be built by Boeing is scheduled for the second quarter of next year.