Posts Tagged ‘f-15se’
Boeing, KAI Sign Agreement for Production of F-15SE Conformal Weapons Bay
Boeing announced that they had entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) for KAI to design, develop and manufacture the Conformal Weapons Bay (CWB) for the F-15 Silent Eagle.
“KAI is a leading aerospace company with world-class core technical capabilities that complement Boeing’s,” said Roger Besancenez, Boeing F-15 program vice president. “We are excited about KAI’s growing role on the development and production of key technologies for Boeing aircraft.”
The CWB is an innovative internal carriage that will minimize the F-15SE’s radar signature and significantly increase its tactical options. The F-15SE is equipped with two internal bays — one on each side — and is designed for multiple carriage configurations, including advanced air-to-air and air-to-surface munitions.
The CWB is an option for any potential customer that requires the capability, and can be installed on either new-build or existing F-15 series aircraft. The modular CWB also can be removed from the F-15 when it is not required, enabling the aircraft to transform to an external configuration within a matter of hours.
“Korean industry is an important partner and supplier to Boeing. This agreement with KAI will strengthen and deepen a mutually beneficial relationship,” said Boeing Korea President Pat Gaines.
KAI builds the wings and forward fuselage for the F-15K program. KAI currently works with Boeing on programs including the AH-64D Apache, Peace Eye Airborne Early Warning and Control program, A-10 Wing Replacement Program, and all Boeing commercial airplane programs.
- Boeing
U.S. approves export license for Silent Eagle to South Korea
F-15 Silent Eagle
Boeing is looking to compete for a major fighter acquisition project in South Korea after receiving Pentagon approval to export the stealth version of its F-15 aircraft, the Silent Eagle, according to Boeing and South Korean procurement officials.
The F-15SE export approval for South Korea is the first of its kind, as Boeing is offering the aircraft to other current users such as Israel, Singapore and Saudi Arabia.
“Boeing submitted requests for licenses to brief South Korea about the F-15SE’s capability,” a Boeing official told The Korea Times on condition of anonymity. “The DSP-5 unclassified license for the export of unclassified items was approved in July, and the DSP-85 classified license for sensitive equipment was subsequently approved in August.”
The classified items include the F-15SE’s radar cross-section treatments and electronic warfare suite, said the official.
In a related move, a group of U.S. Air Force officers in charge of the stealth aircraft’s foreign military sales (FMS) program will visit South Korea this week to brief the South Korean Air Force and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) about the aircraft’s capabilities, according to Boeing and DAPA officials. Officials from the Joint U.S. Military Affairs Group-Korea (JUSMAG-K) will also attend the briefings. The
“The team will specify the degree of frontal aspect radar cross-section signature for the Silent Eagle in a closed-door briefing to the ROKAF Thursday at the Gyeryongdae military headquarters,” a DAPA official said, adding his agency will receive the same briefing on Friday.
“It’s certain that how much Boeing can reduce the fighter’s radar cross-section is a key consideration for South Korea’s potential selection of the Silent Eagle in the competition,” the official said. “We’re very interested in how much it can do and to what level the U.S. will allow the application of its latest stealth technologies to the Silent Eagle.”
Upgrades available for the F-15SE include active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars, radar absorbent coatings, large digital cockpit displays, fly-by-wire software, canted tails and bolt-on internal weapons bays.
The Silent Eagle, however, is expected to be fighting an uphill battle against the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightening II and the Eurofighter Typhoon for the F-X III contract.
- The Korea Times -
Silently but deadly: The F-15 Silent Eagle
The F-15 SE demonstrator
On March 17, 2009, Boeing introduced a demonstration version of the F-15E’s upgraded version which has fifth generation fighter features. It was named as such for its ability to penetrate protected airspace undetected. This stealth will be optimized for air to air missions and much less effective against ground based radars.
The $100 million F-15 Silent Eagle (SE) still in development and the company has been seeking other companies to be risk sharing partners in order to reduce its development costs.
It has a length of 63.8ft, height of 18.5ft, wingspan of 42.8ft, wing area of 608 ft², and maximum speed of more than 1,650mph. It can fly up to 60,000ft and can weigh up to 81,000lbs. It has a seating capacity of 2 crew members. It is equipped with a 20mm M61 Vulcan Gatling gun with 510 rounds of ammunition, various bombs, missiles, and external tanks.
It is also equipped with APG-82 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, DEWS Electronic warfare system, Digital “Fly-by-Wire” Flight Control System (DFCS), Lockheed Martin Sniper advanced electro-optical targeting system and Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system, and Link-16 fighter data link.
Boeing also eliminated the distinctive canted tails from the early prototype and production configuration of the proposed stealthy F-15 SE. According to Boeing F-15 project Vice President Mark Bass, the canted tail design, highlighted during Boeing’s F-15SE unveiling in St Louis, Missouri has been abandoned until later stages of the project.
In the meantime, the project is planning to start weapons firing tests late this year. Bass also mentioned that a Raytheon AIM-9 or AIM-120 missile will be launched in July or August by an F-15 with the modified internal weapons bay.
The Silent Eagle was made for current F-15 users such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea. But Boeing said that the F-15SE will be first formally offered to South Korea, which is expected to launch a competition for a fighter contract in early 2011. South Korea is also considering the Lockheed Martin F-35.
Saudi Arabia was reported in September 2009, to be considering the purchase of up to 72 F-15s. Although the exact variant is unspecified, they are reported to be interested in the Silent Eagle.
-wikipedia.org
- flightglobal.com (http://bit.ly/d0JoiM)
-worldwidewarpigs.blogspot.com
