Saudi Arabia is the world’s second largest operator of the F-15 Eagle, behind only the US Air Force.

Even as one door has closed for aerospace giant Boeing in recent weeks, another has opened. Only days after Indonesia announced it would not proceed with a deal to acquire the F-15ID variant of Boeing’s upgraded F-15EX Eagle II twin-engine multi-role fighter, reports circulated that Saudi Arabia had expressed interest in the aircraft instead. Riyadh has been a loyal customer of Boeing for many years, and the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) is the largest operator of the F-15 Eagle and its variants after the United States Air Force.

Boeing has proposed upgrading many of the RSAF’s fleet to the same standard as its F-13EX.

“We currently [are] talking right now with the Royal Saudi Air Force on F-15EX,” Vince Logsdon, Boeing vice president for International Business Development at Boeing Defense, told journalists Feb. 9 on the second day of the World Defense Show, per Aviation Week. “The F-15 is 52 years old, and the F-15EX is the latest and greatest [version] of that … and we are looking at potential upgrades to the SA aircraft and potential new buys as well.”

About Saudi Arabia’s “Desert Eagles”

• Year Introduced: 1976
• Number Built: 1,500+ (all variants, including F-15C/D/E)
• Length: 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)
• Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.63 m)
• Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.05 m)
• Weight: ~28,000 lb (12,700 kg) empty; ~68,000 lb (30,845 kg) MTOW
• Engines: Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-100/220/229 afterburning turbofans (~23,770–29,000 lbf thrust each, depending on variant)
• Top Speed: ~1,650+ mph (2,655 km/h; Mach 2.5 at altitude)
• Range: ~1,000 nmi (1,900 km; 1,150 mi) combat radius with external tanks
• Service Ceiling: ~65,000 ft (20,000 m)
• Loadout: 11 hardpoints; typical load includes AIM-7 Sparrow, AIM-120 AMRAAM, AIM-9 Sidewinder, external fuel tanks, plus optional bombs/precision munitions (in Strike Eagle variants)
• Aircrew: 1-2, depending on variant

The RSAF operates more than 200 US-made aircraft in four versions, including the F-15C/D, the F-15SA, and the F-15-SR, the latter an updated version of the F-15S. The aircraft operate with the No. 3 Wing at King Abdulaziz Air Base, No. 92 Squadron RSAF; and No. 5 Wing at King Khalid Air Base, No. 6 Squadron RASF, and No. 55 Squadron RSAF.

The F-15SA and F-15SR are heavily upgraded, modern variants of the F-15E Strike Eagle, specifically developed for the RSAF. The aircraft incorporates advanced Raytheon APG-63v3 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar and fly-by-wire systems, but as Boeing noted, many of the airframes are 15 years old.

The first F-15SA was rolled out at Boeing’s St. Louis facilities in April 2013, while the final F-15SA advanced fighter aircraft was delivered in December 2020.

Boeing Is Giving New Life to Old Warbirds

The aerospace firm has proposed equipping the aging Eagles with the technology used in the F-15EX, including the AGP-92 AESA radar and the Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS). As previously reported by Maya Carlin for The National Interest, EPAWSS consists of “integrated radar warning, geolocation, situational awareness, and self-protection solutions.”

The Eagle II’s Open Mission Systems Architecture also provides Advanced Battle Management Systems (ABMS) capabilities, enabling the F-15EX to operate independently in isolation and reconnect to the global cloud.

The F-15EX also features a deep magazine that allows it to carry advanced weapons, with a 28 percent larger payload than the older F-15E.

Boeing has claimed that the F-15EX will be easier to build and quicker to put into service, while the Eagle II can enable rapid technology insertion that will ensure the platform’s relevance for decades to come.

In addition to upgrading the existing fleet, Saudi Arabia is now exploring the acquisition of new-build F-15EXs as part of its Vision 2030 military modernization efforts. However, Riyadh is also considering European options, including the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon, while also holding out hope of acquiring the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

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