Collins Gets $700M to Upgrade F-15 Ejection Seats

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F-15 Eagle drivers will get upgraded ejection seats under a new $700 million contract to Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies subsidiary, awarded on Oct. 29.

The new ACES 5 ejection seat will replace the F-15’s older ACES II ejection seat, found in most of the Air Force’s fighter and bomber fleet. Collins, in a release, said its new seat includes improved head, neck, arm, and leg “flail prevention,” along with a catapult that can adjust based on the occupant’s weight.

The company claims the new seat reduces ejection-related injuries to less than 5 percent, and spinal injuries to less than 1 percent.

Video: Collins Aerospace on YouTube

Work will be conducted in Colorado Springs, Colo., and is expected to be complete by Oct. 22, 2030. ACES 5 has already been selected for the T-7A Red Hawk, and will also be installed on the F-16, F-22, B-1, and A-10 fleets. Under a justification and approval notice posted in October 2019, the service plans to buy 3,018 of the seats, according to FlightGlobal.

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org