Providing 144 ACES II That Saved 700 Lives Since 1978

Collins Aerospace announced it has been awarded the contract by Boeing Defense to provide 144 of its ACES II ejection seats for F-15EX program, the latest upgrade to the F-15 Eagle two-seat fighter platform for the U.S. Air Force.

Collins says that its Advanced Concept Ejection Seat, also known as ACES, has saved more than 700 lives since 1978 and more than 6,000 of them are in service with 29 air forces globally including all F-15s and F-16s. They have proven reliable and compared to other ejection seats have shown a rate of spinal injuries at less than 1%.

In the Air Force they are installed in the A-10, F-15, F-16, F-22, B-1 and B-2 fleets.

Sharon Tabori, VP and General Manager of Integrated Mission Solutions at Collins Aerospace said, "The F-15EX is the most advanced Eagle ever built, combining cutting-edge technology with a proven airframe, which makes Collins' ACES II ejection seat the perfect fit for this aircraft.

“Our ACES family of ejection seats are the safest option available because of the advanced technologies we've incorporated. Having it installed on the F-15EX will give aircrew confidence to complete their most challenging missions, knowing that their ejection seat will work when they need it most."

The value of the contract was not revealed, however in 2020 Collins received a sole-source, firm-fixed-price for $700 million. This indicates indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity, for the delta qualification, production, and deployment of next-gen ejection seats designed for multiple USAF aircraft.

The Air Force officially accepted the first F-15EX aircraft in March 2021 at Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, Missouri.

FMI:  www.collinsaerospace.com/