Boeing is slipping the first flight-test for the F-15 Silent Eagle prototype about six months to allow time to add inputs over features desired by interested international customers...
“We’ve identified some interest from
some potential international co-development partners. These are opportunities we wanted to allow proper time to consider, and where appropriate integrate into the program,” Boeing officials said June 23 when asked to clarify the earlier statement.
The company embarked on the effort as an internal research and development project, but Boeing Military Aircraft President Chris Chadwick said before the air show that he intended to explore potential cooperative development funding options in Paris with other countries.
Israel, which already operates F-15s, has expressed interest. Others likely to be interested include Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Saudi Arabia...
Boeing’s discussions with potential overseas customers seem to have prompted some
changes to the program’s focus and to the design of the Silent Eagle’s components. At a press briefing before the show, Brad Jones, F-15 future fighters program manager, said Boeing was conducting trade studies on the conformal bays, including how to actuate the doors and launch the weapons. “We’re looking at electric, hydraulic, pneumatic and a combination,” he said. “It’s a question of how fast you get the missiles out.” Prior to unveiling the project, Boeing’s design focused on using all-electrical actuators.
Potential international customers also have expressed interest in what other payloads —
a side-looking radar or broadband electronic jammer, for example — could be suitable for carriage in the conformal fuel tank bay.
Jones said in March that Boeing was open to co-production of the conformal fuel tanks, which would carry weapons internally, with customer nations. Israel, for example, already produces conformal fuel tanks in its 10 configuration. A U.S. 3 tank configuration, made by Boeing and developed specifically for the F-15C/D models, is eyed for the flight-tests of the Silent Eagle.
