Boeing has applied some stealth design principles to the F-15 Strike Eagle, and is marketing the modified aircraft for export as the F-15SE Silent Eagle. On the new model, the conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) already added to the F-15E are adapted to carry weapons internally and the vertical tails are canted outwards to reduce radar-cross section under certain conditions.
Radar-absorbing and -reflecting materials will be added to the airframe, although the types and places “would depend on U.S. government release policy,” according to Boeing. The result would be an aircraft that matches “5th-Generation Fighters” such as the F-35 in frontal-aspect stealth, the company says.
The F-15SE could be quickly reconfigured for conventional external carriage of a wide variety of weapons, just like today’s multi-option Strike Eagles. The weapons that can be carried internally comprise only the AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, and the 500-pound JDAM or 250-pound Small Diameter Bomb.
The weapons-adapted CFTs can be kept in place or replaced by standard CFTs with more fuel. This upgrade may be directed specifically at Japan, which has been refused F-22s, but it may also interest other F-15 operators such as Korea, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.
Israel has chosen the F-35, and may be interested, if it proves too politically or technically difficult to add Israeli electronic warfare systems to their F-35s. The F-15SE cannot match the F-22 or F-35 for all-aspect stealth, especially against ground radars, but Boeing is also offering a new BAE Systems digital electronic warfare system to compensate.
This replaces four legacy systems, includes a low-band antenna and is interoperable with the aircraft’s APG-63 (V)3 AESA radar.Boeing said it would flight-test the modified aircraft in 2010, but is seeking an international partner to design, develop and test the internal carriage system.
Back
|
VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Loses Critical Support
November 05, 2009 Not unlike the way the Philadelphia Phillies’ chances of winning this year’s World Series decreased substantially on Sunday when they lost game... |
||
|
Airbus A400M Makes Progress as Negotiations Continue
October 26, 2009 Airbus Military is increasingly confident about the technical progress of the A400M airlifter, but has refused to comment on the difficult,... |
||
|
Euro Hawk Is Unveiled, But Latest Global Hawks Face Problems
October 26, 2009 The first Euro Hawk UAV for the German Air Force (GAF) was unveiled last month at Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, Calif. facility. It was apparent... |
||
|
VH-71 Presidential helicopter teeters on the edge
September 28, 2009 The future of the VH-71 presidential helicopter program neared the wire last month as Congress worked to pass a final 2010 defense... |
||
|
BAE 146 Airliners To Meet Airlift Shortfall, Budget Crunch?
September 15, 2009 With the delay to the A400M in mind, as well as tight defense budgets, BAE Systems Regional Aircraft is marketing surplus BAe 146 airliners to... |
||