F-15K Performance Upgrade Negotiations Begin

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The military is entering full-scale negotiations with Boeing, the manufacturer, to promote the performance improvement project of the F-15K, the Air Force's main fighter jet nicknamed 'Slam Eagle.' The F-15K performance improvement project was reflected in last year's "2020-24 Defense Mid-term Plan." Since the F-15K, introduced in 2005, is now in its 15th year of operation, performance upgrades are necessary to respond to future battlefield environments.

On the 23rd, a military official said, "Recently, a negotiation team composed of Boeing personnel visited Korea and started price negotiations," adding, "The performance improvement project will commence soon."

The F-15K performance improvement project is a GPS system project to counter aircraft electronic jamming. This project involves equipping the F-15K fighter jets with ▲anti-jamming antennas ▲Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) devices ▲joint tactical data link (Link-16) to strengthen resistance against enemy electronic jamming and enhance security functions. A total budget of 300 billion KRW has been allocated for the project until 2025.

The military plans to start an additional F-15K performance improvement project from 2022. The specification that can be considered an upgraded version of the current F-15K is the Advanced F-15. According to Boeing, the manufacturer of the F-15K, the Advanced F-15, which has evolved through a stable production program, offers superior weapon payload, performance, and endurance compared to other models, making it a low-risk multipurpose fighter solution.

Recently, the U.S. Air Force's F-15E Strike Eagle successfully conducted a low-yield tactical nuclear bomb delivery performance test. The F-15EX is the final model of the F-15 series and is a cost-effective aircraft in terms of combat operation range, weapon payload, and price. The U.S. Air Force plans to purchase over 100 F-15EXs over the next five years to replace the F-15C/D.

While establishing the 2021-2025 Defense Mid-term Plan, which includes military force construction and operation plans for the next five years, the military decided to equip the F-15K with an Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar. This means upgrading it to a 4.5-generation fighter jet.

Some expect that if the domestically developed AESA is used for the performance upgrade, it will be possible to install a domestically produced radar. The domestic AESA radar can simultaneously detect and track about 1,000 targets at once. So far, it is known that about six countries, including the U.S., Japan, and China, have developed AESA radars. The domestic AESA radar will enter airborne testing by the end of this year and will be installed on the KFX prototype from 2023 for final testing.