Free Republic

Israel is contemplating the acquisition of additional Boeing F-15Is to support its future combat requirements. Although the country's air force investment is currently focused on the acquisition of 50 Lockheed Martin F-35s, Tel Aviv believes it needs more than one strike aircraft in its inventory. During briefings ahead of the 12 December arrival of Israel’s first F-35s, air force officials indicated that they were considering buying more of the legacy Boeing fighters. According to sources familiar with the matter, although the F-35’s stealth capabilities will be vital in the initial phase of a conflict, the air force will subsequently need...

Israel will embark on a “deep” upgrade of its Boeing F-15I Ra’am fleet as it looks to maintain the type as the backbone of its air force’s strike capability, despite the parallel acquisition of the Lockheed Martin F-35. The enhancement has been mooted for some time, but Tel Aviv has recently given the green light to the programme. Modifications will include structural changes, the addition of an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar, updated avionics and new, unspecified weapon systems. A selection process for the radar is ongoing, with a decision due mid-year. It is thought Israel favours the Raytheon APG-82(V)1...

When the F-15 was created, it was created to be a pure air-to-air fighter, with the philosophy of “not a pound for air-to-ground” guiding designers. So how did Israel end up turning their F-15s into deadly long-range multi-role strike aircraft well before the F-15E Strike Eagle became a reality? Here’s how. In Need Of A Game Changing Fighter Israel’s love affair with the F-15 began out of the need to procure a fighter that could trump the increasingly complex fighters that surrounding Arab states were amassing from Russian and French sources. Both the F-14 Tomcat and the F-15 Eagle were...

The Israeli air force has updated the status of an ongoing modernisation programme for its fleet of Boeing F-15I "Raam" strike aircraft. "This is the first major upgrade of this excellent aircraft and it will enable it to fly for many more years," says Col Shimon Tsentsiper, commander of the service's depot 22. Intended to help retain the two-seat F-15I's status as the air force's primary long-strike platform in a variety of operational scenarios, the upgrade introduces a "great number" of new avionic systems, most of which were developed in Israel by drawing on the service's operational experience. The F-15I...

Israel's F-15I upgrade tackles new threats The Israeli air force plans to complete the full upgrade of its Boeing F-15I "Raam" strike aircraft in 2013, with the work aiming to give the type the capability to perform a "larger scale" of missions. "This is a real revolution in the operational envelope of these fighter aircraft, and will allow the F-15I to better cope with new threats that were not so acute until recently," says one air force source. Israel's air force is considered to be the nation's main tool to cope with an Iranian nuclear threat. Modifications to the F-15I...

Israeli F-15I to be equipped with removable probe for buddy air-to-air refueling in case of attack on Iran? Even though nobody knows if an attack on Iranian nuclear program will ever be launched by the Israeli Air Force almost all analysts concur that, whathever its size, the strike force will be made of a certain amount of F-15Is, the Israeli version of the U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle. Like all the other assets involved in the extremely difficult strike, the IAF F-15s would face serious fuel problems on such a long journey, requiring the support of several tankers; a tanker force...

Israel's F-15Is get small diameter bombs By Arie Egozi The Israeli air force has armed its Boeing F-15Is with the US manufacturer's small diameter bomb (SDB). The precision-guided weapon comes in two variants: the 113kg (250lb) GBU-39, which uses inertial navigation and GPS guidance to strike fixed and stationary targets, and the GBU-40. The latter is equipped with a terminal seeker with automatic target recognition capabilities for use against moving targets. The F-15I is the first Israeli type to field the SDB, with the air force expecting the combination to achieve initial operational capability by mid-2011. The service is currently...

Israel is mulling the purchase of more Boeing F-15Is or Lockheed Martin F-16Is to fill the operational gap caused by the growing delays -- and soaring price tag -- of the ill-starred F-35 stealth fighter the air force wants to buy. Jane's Defense Weekly reported the Israeli air force is considering the acquisition of one squadron -- 18-24 aircraft -- if the delay in developing the F-35, also known as the Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, is prolonged. Alternatively, if the delays become too problematical, the IAF may postpone its procurement program and retain aircraft such as the F-16A, which...