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Air Force launches EPAWSS Speedline to accelerate F-15E modernization

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  • By Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  

four airmen stand behind a ribbon. two of them in the center are holding a pair of scissors as they prepare to cut the ribbon

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — From left to right, Col. Jonathan Varoli, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center F-15 senior materiel leader, Col. Timothy Helfrich, AFLCMC Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate portfolio acquisition executive, Brig. Gen. David Miller, Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex commander, and Col. Joshua DePaul, 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group commander, pose before cutting the ribbon on the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System Speedline at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, June 8, 2026. The EPAWSS Speedline was developed to run independently from standard Programmed Depot Maintenance cycles to enhance fleet readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lauren Boggs)
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The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System Program, has established a dedicated EPAWSS Speedline at the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.

Receiving its first aircraft in June 2026, this independent line will significantly accelerate the installation and fielding of next-generation Electronic Warfare capabilities on F-15E aircraft.
  
This initiative is the result of a highly collaborative and successful partnership between AFLCMC’s F-15 System Program Office and the WR-ALC. By leveraging the world-class sustainment capabilities at the facility, the joint team has created an agile installation pathway that significantly enhances fleet readiness.
 
Operational Independence and Increased Flexibility

an airman holds the microphone while standing behind a podium.

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — Brig. Gen. David Miller, Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex commander, speaks to a crowd ahead of a ribbon cutting ceremony for the first F-15E aircraft that will go through the newly established Eagle Active Passive Warning Survivability System at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, June 8, 2026. The EPAWSS Speedline was established at the WR-ALC to accelerate the installation and fielding of next generation electronic warfare capabilities on F-15E aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lauren Boggs)
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Currently, the EPAWSS upgrade is installed on F-15E aircraft in conjunction with their regularly scheduled Programmed Depot Maintenance cycles.

While efficient for routine depot work, this timeline restricts upgrades based on a jet's standard maintenance schedule. The newly established Speedline resolves this limitation and operates entirely independent of the standard PDM line.  This vital separation provides the program with the necessary flexibility to complete installations of this critical defensive system on aircraft that may not be due for PDM for another five to seven years.
 
Ensuring Air Dominance: EPAWSS Capabilities

an airman speaks from a podium with three flags and an f-15 in the background behind him

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — Col. Timothy Helfrich, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Fighters and Advanced Aircraft Directorate portfolio acquisition executive, talks about the many benefits of the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex’s establishment of the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System Speedline at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, June 8, 2026. The AFLCMC’s F-15 aircraft System Program Office and the WR-ALC collaborated to create an agile installation pathway to significantly improve aircraft readiness. (U.S. Air Force photo by Lauren Boggs)
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The integration of EPAWSS comprehensively modernizes the F-15E's defensive and offensive electronic capabilities, ensuring its continued relevance and lethality against advanced adversaries. The system replaces legacy, Cold War-era equipment with a robust, next-generation EW suite.

"The F-15E Strike Eagle remains a cornerstone of our tactical airpower and deep strike capabilities," said Lt. Col. Matthew Heil, F-15 Program Office, EPAWSS materiel leader.  "The integration of advanced electronic warfare suites, such as the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System, ensures the F-15E will not just survive, but actively disrupt and dismantle adversary kill chains in the most highly contested, electromagnetically dense environments. We are not merely extending the life of this platform; we are aggressively expanding its lethality and survivability to ensure it dominates the modern battlespace."