How The Two Aircraft Compare Check out Air Force Magazine's comprehensive infographic to see how the F-35A and F-15EX compare in terms of production cost, performance, fuel capacity, service life, and more. The F-35 Lightning has been the Air Force's only new combat program since 2009, when the F-22 Raptor program was prematurely discontinued, and the USAF's only new combat program until it comes online whose future capabilities have yet to be determined. Expected to remain a combat program. Today, the F-35 faces new challenges from older jet designs. A variant of the F-15 Strike Eagle, an earlier era aircraft built for a different mission. For the inevitably limited dollars in the service's fighter portfolio. The Air Force's fiscal 2020 budget request includes $1.1 billion to purchase the first eight of its planned 144 F-15EX aircraft.The new aircraft are currently being built for Qatar. The F-15EX is a two-seat fighter capable of flight. purpose. Plans call for th...