US approves sale of stealthy F-15 to South Korea

The Korea Times ^ | 09-12-2010 | Jung Sung-ki

[sukhoi-30mki]

[Exclusive] US approves sale of stealthy F-15 to South Korea

By Jung Sung-ki

U.S. aerospace company 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, 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 is vying with U.S. Lockheed Martin and the European consortium EADS for Seoul’s third-phase F-X program that requires as many as 60 stealth fighters. The F-X III is to start as early as next year.

“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 group is attached to the U.S. Embassy in Seoul with missions to support and coordinate Korea-U.S. alliance affairs, including the FMS program.

“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.”

Boeing, which already had won the previous two phases of F-X deals for 61 F-15K aircraft, unveiled the F-15SE concept in March last year. The first flight of the F-15SE flight demonstrator was made July 8.

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.

Compared to the all-stealth F-35 aircraft, the F-15SE only features the frontal-aspect radar cross-section, which is one of the reasons why the U.S. Air Force won’t use the aircraft.

In addition, Boeing is reportedly having difficulties engaging potential suppliers and international risk-sharing partners.

[sukhoi-30mki]

Boeing’s stealthy F-15 Silent Eagle makes its maiden flight over St. Louis Airport in the United States on July 8, 2010. / Courtesy of Boeing

[ASOC]

Good news, when the F-35 finally dies, we will have a procustion line open for F-15s...

[Yo-Yo]

The F-15SE replacing the F-35? The F-35 is in the F-16 class. The F-15SE is a two seat cockpit, and it is much more expensive to operate.

I'd rather see the USAF purchase F-16 Block 60s.

Meanwhile, the Navy can just purchase more Super Hornets to replace their aging Hornets, which again the Super Hornet is more in the F-15 class aircraft, where the Hornet is in the F-16 class, making it more expensive to fly.

The Marine Corps will just have to get used to operating out of fixed bases, or off of Navy carriers, when the F-35B is cancelled and their Harriers wear out.

The only other major F-35B operator, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, look as if they're going to either vastly scale down their F-35B purchases, convert them to F-35Cs, or cancel the F-35 purchase altogether. That will be the final nail in the STOVL variant's coffin.