The first tactical fighters, the F-15, entered service over 45 years ago. The newest aircraft, built at the St. Louis aircraft factory, have little in common with those first aircraft. Boeing is committed to keeping the venerable Eagle's combat capability at its highest.
Since 1972, the Boeing Aircraft Factory (formerly McDonnell Douglas) has built more than 1,600 F-15 Eagle fighters. The production of this aircraft lasts longer than the production of any other fighter in aviation history.
Over the past 45 years, the F-15 has been the backbone of the US Air Force's combat capabilities, and has served and continues to serve in the air forces of Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and South Korea. However, Boeing strongly disagrees that Eagle's time has passed and that it must give way to younger and more ambitious fifth-generation competitors, and is therefore actively promoting its new Advanced Eagle concept to the market.
Steve Parker, F-15 fighter program manager at Boeing, said that “The Advanced Eagle that we developed and deliver today is not the Eagle of the 70s. We want to break this notion and show everyone that the F-15 is absolutely up to date. At first glance, the new version is practically no different, but it is a completely different machine."
During an interview at the F-15 fighter assembly shop at the St. Louis aircraft plant, Parker noted that the first F-15 fighters differ from those on offer today, in the same way that family cars differ from racing cars. “We should have given a new name to this aircraft long ago; this is indeed what Boeing is actively promoting. The "problem" is that the Eagle has a very solid reputation, even though the car we ship today has only the outer lines the same, and everything else has changed dramatically."
“When we talk to potential customers, it turns out that 9 out of 10 cases, some of the assumptions they make about the capabilities of the Eagle are not entirely correct,” Parker continued. - They think of the last plane and from the point of view of brand promotion, renaming is something that would definitely be worth thinking about. No mass-produced air superiority fighter can compare with the F-15 today - nothing flies so fast, nothing flies high, nothing carries so much."
According to Jane's World Air Forces, the current Eagle fleet is distributed as follows: 458 US Air Force F-15C / D / E fighters; 59 F-15C / D / I off Israel; 201 F-15J / DJ from Japan; 165 F-15C / S / SA from Saudi Arabia (deliveries of the latest SA model continue); 40 F-15SG off Singapore; and 60 F-15KS from South Korea. A contract was also recently signed for the supply of 36 F-15QA fighters to Qatar.
Home upgrades
As the largest operator of Eagle aircraft, the US Air Force has three variants of this fighter: the F-15C air superiority fighter with a reinforced airframe, the F-15D two-seater combat trainer, and the F-15E Strike Eagle two-seater strike fighter.
Boeing is currently upgrading the F-15C and F-15E aircraft of the United States Air Force and the National Guard Air Force. The need and desire to upgrade the Eagle is such that the US Air Force has so far invested over $ 12 billion (the largest ever allocated for an aircraft of this type) to extend its life beyond 2040.
The Air Force plans provide for financing of modernization until 2025. To date, a number of improvements have already been made on some of the aircraft, after which they were transferred to combat units. For example, the pilots have already received the JHMCS (Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System) helmet-mounted targeting systems, which, when connected to the latest AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile, allow the missile to be guided and tracked with head movements alone. In addition to the single-seat version of the F-15C, JHMCS systems are also integrated into the front and rear cockpits of the two-seat F-15E.
The last (in time) stage of modernization is based around the new advanced flight control computer. The F-15C fighter and the F-15E Eagle strike fighter will be equipped with a new set of hardware and software Suite 9, which is designed to enhance the combat capabilities of these aircraft. In this regard, Parker said that “Suite 9 is the first software to significantly enhance the capabilities of the new Advanced Display Core Processor II computer. It is the fastest flight control computer in the world. It is capable of processing up to 87 billion instructions per second. This is very important, because with it it is possible to use the electronic warfare system supplied at the moment at full capacity."
This is the latest EPAWSS electronic warfare system (Eagle Passive / Active Warning and Survivability System - a passive / active warning and combat stability system for the Eagle platform). The EPAWSS complex is designed to analyze the radio frequency spectrum, identify threats, determine priorities and create radio frequency interference. The complex will replace the Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite (TEWS), created in the 80s, with which the US Air Force Eagle aircraft are equipped.
In February 2017, Boeing completed a critical analysis of the system, which followed a similar analysis of the electronic warfare complex conducted by BAE Systems at the end of 2016. “This will be the most advanced electronic warfare system that implements some of the proven technologies already integrated into the fifth generation aircraft,” said Parker. “This program is an exemplary example of the Ministry of Defense's arms procurement process, we were two months ahead of each checkpoint. Boeing began modifying some of its aircraft in late 2017 and flight tests began this year. We will begin a broader modernization of the entire fleet in the early 2020s. Media reported in March that the EPAWSS upgrade for the F-15C aircraft was rejected by the US Air Force, although a notice to start production for the F-15C and F-15E, issued around the same time, indicated that the installation of the complex was in full swing.
In addition to the Suite 9 / Advanced Display Core Processor (ADCP) II computer and the EPAWSS electronic warfare complex, another item in the Eagle aircraft upgrade plan is the replacement of the mechanical scanning radar (M-Scan) with a new radar with AFAR (active phased antenna array). The US Air Force is installing these radars on the F-15C (Raytheon AN / APG-63 [V] 3 for air-to-air operation) and F-15E (Raytheon AN / APG-82 [V] 1 for air-to-ground operation. "). "AFAR qualitatively improves the aircraft's capabilities in terms of range and protection against cruise missiles and the like," Parker said.
Work carried out under the RMP (Radar Modernization Program) program includes the refinement of the M-Scan radars by adding transceiver modules from the AFAR AN / APG-79 radars, which are already installed on the F / A-18E / F Super Hornet carrier-based fighter-bombers … At the moment, more than 125 F-15C fighters have been modernized with new AFARs, while the modernization of the F-15E also continues and will last until the early 2020s.
So that the Eagle platform does not get lost among the modern fifth generation combat systems. Phantom Works, a research arm of Boeing, has developed the Talon HATE, a new "gateway" communications system. This container-type system allows fourth-generation fighters such as the Eagle to communicate with fifth-generation fighters such as the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II over Link 16, Common Data Link (CDL) and broadband satellite channels.
Advanced flight tests of the Talon HATE system were completed in early 2017. The system was deployed during the Northern Eagle exercise in Alaska, where reviews were positive. Boeing and the US Air Force, however, did not disclose information about Talon HATE. "Proceeding from the secrecy of this program, there is nothing more to add to what has been said," said Parker as he snapped.
The central overhead container with the Talon HATE system is also equipped with an infrared search-and-track (IRST) system. This IRST system, however, is only an interim solution prior to deploying an integrated system. Boeing has selected Lockheed Martin's Legion Pod to meet this requirement and is expected to issue a rework and production contract by the end of 2018. “In January this year, lead contractor Boeing and partner Lockheed Martin worked with the Air Force at Eglin Air Force Base, where 11 test flights were conducted to validate the new system. The Legion Pod gives the F-15 the ability to search and track targets in a jammed environment."
The Legion Pod pod houses the IRST21 long-wave infrared sensor (officially designated AN / ASG-34), which is already installed on the US Navy's Super Hornets as part of a temporary dropable fuel tank / IRST sensor combination. According to Jane's C4ISR & Mission Systems: Air, the Legion Pod is equipped with advanced networking and data processing technologies and is compatible with the latest Multi-Domain Adaptable Processing System. According to the company, the Legion Pod is capable of receiving additional sensors and thus acts as a multifunctional sensor station, thus eliminating the need for costly aircraft modifications.
IRST's ability to detect and track aircraft based on their thermal signatures has spawned many rumors and speculation about it as the killer of stele technology. An aircraft with low unmasking features is able to avoid radio detection due to a combination of airframe design and special airframe coatings, but at the same time it cannot hide its thermal signatures. The nature of special coatings and surfaces used in stealth aircraft is such that they actually increase their thermal signature (unlike previous generations of aircraft), making it easier for IRST systems to detect such systems.
In addition to upgrading F-15 fighter systems, the US Air Force intends to increase its capabilities by installing additional conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) on National Guard aircraft, which perform most of the tasks of protecting United States airspace. This work is being carried out in conjunction with NATO's Supply and Procurement Authority, rather than traditional US contractors, as this is the fastest way for the customer to gain new opportunities. The CFT tanks themselves are manufactured by Boeing's subcontractor Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The first aircraft (F-15C from the 159th Aircraft Wing of the Louisiana National Guard) equipped with these tanks made its maiden flight in February this year. Currently, the assessment flights are continuing.
However, all these improvements can only be implemented on a serviceable airframe, the service life of which was originally set at 9000 flight hours for the F-15C and 8000 flight hours for the F-15E. These numbers were later increased to 15,000 flight hours for both options, and Boeing considers it possible to increase these numbers even more, if necessary, to 30,000 flight hours. “We can do this because we have full-scale F-15C and F-15E fatigue test aircraft at the St. Louis plant. Both aircraft have already exceeded 30,000 flight hours for a long time, so we know how fatigue degradation manifests itself on aircraft and how to solve these problems,”said Parker.
In its current plans, the US Air Force is going to extend the service life of the F-15E variant until about 2045. For the F-15C variant, the future is less clear, with talks underway to determine an earlier decommissioning date due to funding problems in the mid-2020s. However, Parker noted that it would be relatively easy to extend the operation of the F-I5C aircraft until the mid-2030s, at least for a modest amount of money.
“In order to extend the life of the F-15C beyond 2040, the US Air Force has assigned $ 30-40 million per plane. This money should go to the construction of a new fuselage, wings and landing gear, where Boeing could simply integrate existing functional systems and let it fly for another 40 years."
“We believe that this is the most expensive scenario and there is no particular need for it. In fact, we don't even think that the Air Force is counting on this development, since for just one million per plane, Boeing can extend the life of most of its 230 aircraft until the mid-2030s, '' Parker explained, adding, `` Why write off the F gliders. -15C, when they can still serve, it makes no sense. We believe that extending the service life will give the US Air Force time to decide what it wants to do with its forward-looking Penetrating Counter-Air concept.”
Advanced eagle
The US Air Force provided most of the funding that has kept the Eagle fighter alive today, but its future will undoubtedly be supported by further sales overseas. To this end, Boeing took the F-15E as the base for a multitasking export-market variant dubbed the Advanced Eagle. The previous project of the stealth variant F-15SE Silent Eagle did not interest foreign customers and was closed at the concept stage, although many of its technologies were used in the Advanced Eagle project.
“Advanced Eagle builds on what the US Air Force has been doing for the past 10-15 years. We do the same for overseas customers. These are routine upgrades and upgrades that the customers themselves want, first of all, it concerns radar systems and electronic warfare systems, '' Parker explained. "We have slightly refined the airframe design and integrated some new technologies into the fuselage and wings."
“From the point of view of the prospects for cooperation with other countries, it should be borne in mind that they operate a combination of single-seat F-15C aircraft and two-seat F-15E aircraft. Boeing has been actively introducing new technologies over the past 10 years, so the Advanced Eagle option is well suited to modern needs. Existing F-15s have a glider life of around 9000 hours, while the Advanced Eagles will boast over 20,000 flight hours.”
The following systems and equipment are offered for foreign customers: radars with AFAR: GE F-110-129 engine as a base engine (already installed on supplied aircraft); digital JHMCS systems in the front and rear cockpits; the digital electronic warfare complex Digital EW System (DEWS), which Boeing took as a basis when developing the EPAWSS complex in order to reduce costs and risks; container for targeting and guidance Lockheed Martin AN / AAQ-33 Sniper; IRST; missile attack warning system; video recording and mapping system VRAMS; digital instrument flight system; an increase in the number of external suspension nodes to 11; modern crew workstations with large-format LAD displays; ADCP II computer; display of information on the windshield; and the EPAWSS complex.
A key option in the Advanced Eagle variant are separate LAD displays for the front and rear cockpits. LAD, developed by Elbit Systems under the designation CockpitNG (Next Generation), is based on multifunctional touchscreen technology. The color touchscreen display takes up most of the display area in the cockpit and provides the pilot with basic flight information and sensor data. Using technology developed for the latest generation of smartphones, the touchscreen display allows the pilot to drag and drop the displayed information according to their preferences. Interestingly, the Saudi Air Force did not choose to install LAD on its new F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) fighters, opting instead to keep the traditional cockpit. Qatar will be the first customer of this option when it receives its F-15QA (Qatar Advanced) aircraft.
Another new element of the Advanced Eagle variant is the AMBER (Advanced Missile Bomb Ejector Rack) weapon holder system, developed by Boeing on its own initiative. According to Parker, flight tests began in late 2017, and negotiations are currently underway with a potential customer. After integration into the Advanced Eagle fighter, the AMBER system allows its armament to be increased from 16 to 22 missiles.
“The complex of weapons for Advanced Eagle is designed not only to combat modern threats, but also with promising ones. When performing an escort mission, I can take 16 AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile [AMRAAM] air-to-air missiles on board the Advanced Eagle fighter; four ATM-9X Sidewinder short-range missiles; and two High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile [HARM]. For precision strikes, I can take 16 Small-Diameter Bomb [SDB]; four AMRAAM; one 2000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition [JDAM]; two HARM; and two disposable fuel tanks. For anti-ship missions, I can take two Harpoon missiles; four decoy targets Miniature Air-Launched Decoy [MALD]; two Sidewinder missiles; and two HARM missiles."
Due to the order from Saudi Arabia, Boeing ensured the production of aircraft by the end of 2019, and if we take into account the order from Qatar, then production can go until the end of 2022. Another order from an unnamed customer will keep the production line going until the late 2020s, a solid long-term portfolio that provides jobs. Currently, the rate of aircraft production is 1.25 aircraft per month, but Boeing can increase production and plans to do so in case of receiving another contract.
Over the past 10 years, together with foreign partners, Boeing has invested more than $ 5 billion in the Eagle platform. However, the headache for Boeing and its long-term plans for the Advanced Eagle platform is the latest F-35 fighter.
It seems that the F-35, declared as the only fifth-generation combat aircraft in service (apart from the inaccessible F-22 Raptor), can successfully compete for foreign markets. However, aircraft such as the Eagle are still in demand, mainly in the Middle East, where the F-35 fighter cannot be sold yet due to Israeli objections. This situation cannot last forever and as soon as the F-35 is approved for export to the region, it will undoubtedly be sold there.
However, Boeing is optimistic about the Advanced Eagle's prospects, competition in general, and competition with the F-35 in particular. Parker noted in this regard that “the F-35 fighter may well cost 80 million by 2020. Today it is worth over 100 million and is aiming for the 94 million mark. Of course, in the future, with mass production, the price will drop to 80 million, but I am confident that our prices for our aircraft will ensure a decent future for us."
The F-15 fighter has some stealth characteristics, but it is a defective stealth aircraft. Parker believes that this is not an obstacle, as this aircraft can complement stealth platforms. “We don’t need to get into fierce competition and break into closed doors, but if competitors open those doors before us, then we can offer our Eagle with the kind of firepower you immediately want to have.”
“The F-15 fighter has a long range, it can perform a mission for a long time in a given area, carrying an excellent set of weapons on board. In addition, it is equipped with modern electronic warfare systems, a modern search and tracking system from which aircraft with stealth technology cannot hide, and, finally, a system for exchanging information with aircraft of the fifth generation. We believe it is worth considering buying this tried and tested machine for a reasonable price.”
