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South Korea will obtain 40 Lockheed Martin F-35A fighters under its F-X III requirement. A report by state news agency Yonhap quotes the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) as saying that Seoul will obtain 40 F-35s starting in 2018, with an option to buy 20 more aircraft. The deal will be conducted through the US government’s Foreign Military Sales mechanism. "The F-35A will be used as a strategic weapon to gain a competitive edge and defeat the enemy in the early stage of war," Yonhap quotes the JCS as saying. "The South Korean military will also use the aircraft...

ANALYSIS: Seoul’s F-X III backdown raises thorny questions about competition Seoul’s decision to re-tender the F-X III competition for 60 fighters raises questions about the viability of a revised process, and greatly enhances the Lockheed Martin F-35’s chances of securing the deal. After announcing its decision not to move forward with an F-15 Silent Eagle acquisition, Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has yet to clarify how it plans to replace the South Korean air force’s McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms and Northrop F-5s. In an email to Flightglobal, Boeing was quick to register its dismay at Seoul’s announcement. “Boeing is...

Analysis: South Korea setback shows pressure on Boeing warplane orders (Reuters) - South Korea's decision to reopen bidding for a fighter-jet contract rather than accept Boeing Co's (BA.N) F-15 Silent Eagle signals a wider problem for the aerospace giant: revenue from its most profitable but aging military aircraft is winding down. At the same time, U.S. government budget cuts have dimmed the prospects of Boeing developing replacements for the higher-margin legacy aircraft, such as the F-15, acquired when it merged with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. That suggests overall profit margins from Boeing's defense business will come under pressure in coming...

S. Korea's ex-air force chiefs slam Boeing choice in fighter deal SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's 15 former air force chiefs have signed a petition opposing the selection of Boeing Co's F-15 Silent Eagle for the country's 8.3 trillion won ($7.64 billion) fighter jet program, one former chief said on Thursday, saying the plane lacked the cutting-edge stealth capabilities of more modern fighters. The petition comes after Boeing's F-15SE became the only bid eligible to be chosen in South Korea's biggest-ever arms procurement program, ahead of Lockheed Martin's costlier F-35 stealth fighter and the Eurofighter consortium's Typhoon. Lockheed and the...

(2nd LD) Boeing's F-15SE reportedly chosen as final candidate for S. Korea's next fighter plane SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) - The Eurofighter Tranche 3 Typhoon by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company (EADS) has reportedly been eliminated from South Korea's multibillion-dollar fighter jet project, leaving Boeing's F-15 Silent Eagle as the sole final candidate, government sources said Sunday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said that one of the two finalists -- Boeing and EADS -- in the nation's 8.3 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) fighter project has dropped out of the bidding due to problems with their documents. EADS...

US reveals details of F-15SE, F-35A bids for South Korea The US Department of Defense formally notified the US Congress of potential sales of the Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle and Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to South Korea on 29 March. The two aircraft are on offer to the Asian nation as part of South Korea's F-X III fighter competition. The Eurofighter Typhoon is a third contender for the 60 aircraft tender. For the potential F-35 sale, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) says that South Korea could order 60 conventional A-model aircraft and associated support equipment for $10.8...

Cutaway & technical description: How Boeing developed the F-15 Silent Eagle By: Stephen Trimble Washington DC The first major evolution of the F-15 Eagle occurred in the late 1970s, when the US Air Force started looking for a replacement for the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark. McDonnell Douglas and Hughes teamed up to convert an F-15B two-seater - designed under the "not-a-pound-for-air-to-ground" philosophy - into the world's most effective strike aircraft. They bulked up the F-15B's internal structure by about 2,720kg (6,000lb), allowing designers to boost maximum take-off weight by 20% to more than 36,400kg, and the back-seat was converted into...

[Exclusive] Boeing may give up offering stealthy jet Little progress made in weapons bay development By Lee Tae-hoon Industry insiders raised questions Wednesday about whether U.S. aerospace giant Boeing will fulfill its pledge to offer F-15 Silent Eagles (F-15 SEs) with an internal weapons bay and twin canted tails, two of the core technologies for stealth jets, to Seoul. A source familiar with Boeing’s plan to modify its F-15s said little progress has been made in the making of the F-15SE, especially in the development of its conformal weapons bay (CWB), which allows the aircraft to carry weapons internally. “Only...

SEOUL AIR SHOW: Boeing sexes up F-15 Silent Eagle for ROKAF By Stephen Trimble on October 18, 2011 You're the marketing guy. It's between your aircraft, the Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle, and the Lockheed Martin F-35. The latter is the latest fifth-generation fighter to hit the market and the former is the last and, perhaps, ultimate expression of a 40-year-old fighter series. You fear the Republic of Korea Air Force really wants the shiniest, newest product. What do you do? You roll out a new paint job and simulate blowing stuff up in North Korea.

S. Korea seeking early purchase of stealth jets: sources SEOUL, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea is moving to introduce the fifth generation of stealth fighter jets at an early date to replace its aging Air Force fighters and to secure capabilities to counter North Korea's increasing provocations, government sources said Sunday. The move comes after the parliament cut the defense ministry's request for some 15.7 billion won (US$14 million) to launch a new fighter jet procurement program this year, granting only 300 million won. "There is a growing consensus within the government that the next-generation fighter program must be...

Boeing and Korea Aerospace Industries have entered a memorandum of agreement for the Korean firm to design, develop and manufacture the conformal weapons bays for the former's F-15 Silent Eagle. The announcement is significant because South Korea is likely to issue a request for proposals for its F-X3 fighter contract in the first quarter of 2011. In a deal that could number up to 60 aircraft, the F-15SE will compete with the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and Eurofighter Typhoon to replace the country's ageing Northrop F-5s and McDonnell Douglas F-4s. The F-15SE's conformal weapons bays will provide internal...

Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced that the company has entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) for KAI to design, develop and manufacture the Conformal Weapons Bay (CWB) for the F-15 Silent Eagle. "KAI is a leading aerospace company with world-class core technical capabilities that complement Boeing's," said Roger Besancenez, Boeing F-15 program vice president. "We are excited about KAI's growing role on the development and production of key technologies for Boeing aircraft." The CWB is an innovative internal carriage that will minimize the F-15SE's radar signature and significantly increase its tactical options. The F-15SE...

[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...

The Boeing Company successfully launched a missile from the F-15 Silent Eagle's newly designed Conformal Weapons Bay (CWB) on July 14. Demonstration aircraft departed from Point Mugu Naval Air Weapon Station, Calif., at 5:59 p.m Pacific time, launched an inert AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) from its left-side CWB, and returned to base at 6:52 p.m. The test demonstrated the CWB's flightworthiness and ability to deploy an AMRAAM in flight with no adverse effect on the performance of the aircraft or the CWB itself. "I've been flying F-15s for more than 20 years, but this flight...

One year ago, a nascent F-15 Silent Eagle programme needed to be rescued from what seemed like an internal crisis of confidence given away by a stray comment made by a top Boeing executive. Tom Bell, a business development director briefing reporters at the Paris air show, pronounced as "premature" a previously announced flight-test schedule to certificate the Silent Eagle's three key technologies: conformal weapons bays; an electronic warfare upgrade; and possibly canted tails. Bell's statement also contradicted a lower-ranking Boeing official, F-15 director Brad Jones, who had only a week earlier said that its first flight was planned in...

Obama rejected Netanyahu request for F-15E in 'tough' session WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has rejected another Israeli request for advanced combat platforms. Diplomatic sources said Obama refused a request by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for Israeli access to a proposed stealth variant of the F-15E fighter-jet. Netanyahu, during what was termed a tough and unpleasant session, failed to win Obama's agreement to approve the export of U.S. offensive systems, including combat jets and helicopters produced by Boeing. "Netanyahu asked that the United States expedite the export of military equipment and allow Boeing to export the stealth F-15 as part...

The Israeli Defense Ministry is talking with the Pentagon about buying Boeing's F-15E1 because of delays in developing Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Israel's first choice for its next major fighter purchase, The Jerusalem Post reported Monday. The Israeli air force took considerable interest in the F-15E1's 80-minute maiden flight over St. Louis at the weekend. "While Boeing is still reportedly awaiting Pentagon approval to export the plane, Israel has already held a number of initial discussions regarding the plane and its capabilities," the Post reported. The Israelis haven't reached a decision on whether to stick with the F-35,...

Boeing on 8 July received a license to export the F-15 Silent Eagle to South Korea and tested in flight one of the key upgrades for the stealthy new design. "It was a big week for the F-15," says Brad Jones, Boeing director for F-15 development programmes. The US Department of State awarded the license after a two-month review based on an undisclosed export policy established in May, Jones says. South Korea is expected to issue a request for proposals for the F-X3 contract in the first quarter of 2011, Jones says. The F-15SE will compete with the Lockheed Martin...

Political and programmatic upheaval is shifting the ground under U.S. and European combat aircraft builders as they await the outcome of competitions in Asia, Latin America and Europe. Japan is just one case in point. Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Eurofighter are awaiting the release of a request for proposals to buy a new fighter to replace its F-4EJ Phantom.However, domestic political turmoil that led to a change in government, as well as controversy over the U.S. Marine Corps base on Okinawa, has drawn attention elsewhere. As a result, the fighter contest may not begin until next year or possibly later,...

Boeing has applied for an export licence to brief South Korea on sensitive details of a stealthier version of the F-15E that is within a few months of its first flight. The US government approved an export policy in the second quarter for the F-15SE Silent Eagle after Boeing submitted details of its radar cross-section about six months earlier, says Brad Jones, Boeing programme director for F-15 development programmes. The export policy allows Boeing to request an export licence for specific customers, with South Korea as the first in queue, Jones says. The F-15SE is competing against the Lockheed Martin...