F-15SE Silent Eagle
Encyclopedia
The Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle is a proposed upgrade of the F-15E by Boeing
using stealth
features, such as internal weapons carriage and radar-absorbent material.
, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea
, among others.
The F-15SE is to have the level of stealth allowed for export by the US government. Boeing has stated that this stealth will only be in the range of fifth generation aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II
from the frontal aspect. The F-15SE will have a Raytheon AESA radar, and a new electronic warfare system from BAE Systems
. This stealth will be optimized for air to air missions (against X-band radars) and much less effective against ground based radars (which use other frequencies).
In March 2009, Boeing formally launched the F-15 Silent Eagle and began to offer it for international sales. The aircraft is capable of carrying both internal weapons and external weapons mounted on hardpoints under each wing. The F-15SE's lower cost compared to fifth generation fighters is intended to aid the aircraft's appeal to the export market. The aircraft would require export licenses similar to the F-35.
Unit cost has been estimated by Boeing at approximately US$100 million, including spares and support. The company has been seeking other companies to be risk sharing partners to reduce its development costs. Studies of different possible levels of reduction in radar cross-section (RCS) are underway. In June 2009, Boeing stated it planned for a demonstration flight of the Silent Eagle in the third quarter 2010.
During August and September 2009, Boeing performed radar cross section testing on an F-15E with different radar absorbent coatings to select a coating for the Silent Eagle. In September 2009, Saudi Arabia was reported to be considering the purchase of up to 72 F-15 strike aircraft. Although the exact variant is unspecified, they are reported to be interested in the Silent Eagle.
Although Boeing has been in tentative talks with South Korea since 2009 regarding the purchase of the Silent Eagle, it is unable to market the aircraft to international customers until it receives an export license from the United States government. The company filed for an export license in early 2010, and received it in July 2010. In August 2010 clearance was granted to export the radar cross-section treatments and electronic warfare suite of the Silent Eagle to ROK. Diplomatic Sources reported that on 6 July 2010, in a face to face meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
asked US President Obama to expedite the export of the "stealth F-15E" but received no reply.
The first production F-15E (86-0183) was modified to the F-15E1 configuration to serve as a Silent Eagle demonstrator. It first flew on 8 July 2010 with a left-side conformal weapons bay and on 20 July 2010 launched an AMRAAM from the CWB.
In November 2010, Boeing signed an agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries for KAI to design, develop and manufacture the conformal weapons bay for the F-15SE. KAI has previously produced wings and forward fuselages for F-15K and F-15SG.
New build Silent Eagles will be lighter and more fuel efficient than Strike Eagle conversions because of "canted tails, digital Fly-By-Wire and digital EW". This allows them to mount two additional weapons stations on the wings.
The Silent Eagle has been eliminated from the Japanese F-X project.
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
using stealth
Stealth
Stealth may refer to:*Stealth technology, technology used to conceal ships, aircraft, and missiles*Stealth aircraft, aircraft which use stealth technology*Stealth ground vehicle, ground vehicles which use stealth technology...
features, such as internal weapons carriage and radar-absorbent material.
Design and development
A demonstration version of the F-15SE was first displayed by Boeing on 17 March 2009. The F-15SE will use fifth generation fighter technologies to reduce its radar cross-section (RCS). Distinguishing features of this version are the conformal weapons bays (CWB) that replace the conformal fuel tanks (CFT) to hold weapons internally and the twin vertical tails canted outward 15 degrees to reduce radar cross section. Weapons storage takes the place of most of each CWB fuel capacity. This variant will also have radar absorbing material where needed. The Silent Eagle is aimed at current F-15 users such as IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, among others.
The F-15SE is to have the level of stealth allowed for export by the US government. Boeing has stated that this stealth will only be in the range of fifth generation aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II
F-35 Lightning II
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is a family of single-seat, single-engine, fifth generation multirole fighters under development to perform ground attack, reconnaissance, and air defense missions with stealth capability...
from the frontal aspect. The F-15SE will have a Raytheon AESA radar, and a new electronic warfare system from BAE Systems
BAE Systems
BAE Systems plc is a British multinational defence, security and aerospace company headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that has global interests, particularly in North America through its subsidiary BAE Systems Inc. BAE is among the world's largest military contractors; in 2009 it was the...
. This stealth will be optimized for air to air missions (against X-band radars) and much less effective against ground based radars (which use other frequencies).
In March 2009, Boeing formally launched the F-15 Silent Eagle and began to offer it for international sales. The aircraft is capable of carrying both internal weapons and external weapons mounted on hardpoints under each wing. The F-15SE's lower cost compared to fifth generation fighters is intended to aid the aircraft's appeal to the export market. The aircraft would require export licenses similar to the F-35.
Unit cost has been estimated by Boeing at approximately US$100 million, including spares and support. The company has been seeking other companies to be risk sharing partners to reduce its development costs. Studies of different possible levels of reduction in radar cross-section (RCS) are underway. In June 2009, Boeing stated it planned for a demonstration flight of the Silent Eagle in the third quarter 2010.
During August and September 2009, Boeing performed radar cross section testing on an F-15E with different radar absorbent coatings to select a coating for the Silent Eagle. In September 2009, Saudi Arabia was reported to be considering the purchase of up to 72 F-15 strike aircraft. Although the exact variant is unspecified, they are reported to be interested in the Silent Eagle.
Although Boeing has been in tentative talks with South Korea since 2009 regarding the purchase of the Silent Eagle, it is unable to market the aircraft to international customers until it receives an export license from the United States government. The company filed for an export license in early 2010, and received it in July 2010. In August 2010 clearance was granted to export the radar cross-section treatments and electronic warfare suite of the Silent Eagle to ROK. Diplomatic Sources reported that on 6 July 2010, in a face to face meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu
Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu is the current Prime Minister of Israel. He serves also as the Chairman of the Likud Party, as a Knesset member, as the Health Minister of Israel, as the Pensioner Affairs Minister of Israel and as the Economic Strategy Minister of Israel.Netanyahu is the first and, to...
asked US President Obama to expedite the export of the "stealth F-15E" but received no reply.
The first production F-15E (86-0183) was modified to the F-15E1 configuration to serve as a Silent Eagle demonstrator. It first flew on 8 July 2010 with a left-side conformal weapons bay and on 20 July 2010 launched an AMRAAM from the CWB.
In November 2010, Boeing signed an agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries for KAI to design, develop and manufacture the conformal weapons bay for the F-15SE. KAI has previously produced wings and forward fuselages for F-15K and F-15SG.
New build Silent Eagles will be lighter and more fuel efficient than Strike Eagle conversions because of "canted tails, digital Fly-By-Wire and digital EW". This allows them to mount two additional weapons stations on the wings.
The Silent Eagle has been eliminated from the Japanese F-X project.