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November 4, 2010 –
Boeing has 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.
The Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle is a proposed upgrade of the F-15E by Boeing using stealth features, such as internal weapons carriage and radar-absorbent material. A demonstration version of the F-15SE was first displayed by Boeing on 17 March 2009. The F-15SE will use fifth generation fighter technologies to reduce its radar cross-section (RCS). |
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Distinguishing
features of this version are the Conformal Weapons Bays (CWB) that
replace the Conformal Fuel Tanks (CFT) to hold weapons internally and
the twin vertical tails canted outward 15 degrees to reduce radar cross
section. Weapons storage takes the place of most of each CWB fuel
capacity. This variant will also have radar absorbing material where
needed. The Silent Eagle is aimed at current F-15 users such as
"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 is
equipped with two internal bays, one on each side and is designed for
multiple carriage configurations, including advanced air-to-air and
air-to-surface munitions.
The CWB is an
option for any potential customer that requires the capability, and can
be installed on either new-build or existing F-15 series aircraft. The
modular CWB also can be removed from the F-15 when it is not required,
enabling the aircraft to transform to an external configuration within a
matter of hours. |