Boeing Unveils F-15 “Silent Eagle”

Boeing has unveiled a new version of its globally recognised F-15 Eagle. Boeing says the new F-15SE (“Silent Eagle”) has been designed to meet the future needs of international customers.

“The F-15 Silent Eagle is designed to meet our international customers’ anticipated need for cost-effective stealth technologies, as well as for large and diverse weapons payloads,” said Mark Bass, the F-15 Programme vice president for Boeing. “The innovative Silent Eagle is a balanced, affordable approach designed to meet future survivability needs.”

Improvements in the new aircraft’s stealth characteristics come from improved coatings and treatments on the aircraft’s structure.

The aircraft will feature redesigned conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) that allow for internal weapons carriage, which, Boeing says will increase the Silent Eagle’s appeal with international customers. Depending on the specific mission, customers can use CFTs that are designed for internal carriage or fit “traditional” CFTs that provide optimum fuel capacity while carrying weapons externally.

Using the internal weapon carriage capability of the new CFTs, the Silent Eagle will be able to carry air-to-air missiles such as the AIM-9 and AIM-120 and air-to-ground weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) internally. The standard weapons load used on current versions of the F-15 is available with the traditional CFTs installed.

Boeing has completed a conceptual prototype of the CFT internal-carriage concept, and plans to flight-test a prototype by the first quarter of 2010, including a live missile launch. The design, development, and test of this internal carriage system are available as a collaborative project with an international aerospace partner.

The new F-15SE’s canted vertical tails (the twin tails of previous models of F-15 have all been vertical) improve aerodynamic efficiency, provide lift, and reduce airframe weight. Another aerodynamic improvement is the digital flight control system, which improves the aircraft’s reliability and reduces airframe weight.

Survivability improvements include a BAES Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS) working in concert with the Raytheon Advanced Electronic Scanning Array (AESA) radar.