Wed, Mar 18, 2009
Enter The "Silent Eagle" -- Less Expensive Stealth
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems unveiled Tuesday the F-15
Silent Eagle (F-15SE), a new F-15 configuration designed to meet
the future needs of international customers... while also perhaps
steering a few potential orders away from rival Lockheed Martin's
F-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
"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, F-15 Program vice president for Boeing. "The
innovative Silent Eagle is a balanced, affordable approach designed
to meet future survivability needs."
Improvements in stealth include coatings and treatments on the
aircraft. With the added advantage of redesigned conformal fuel
tanks (CFTs) that allow for internal weapons carriage, the Silent
Eagle becomes a very attractive fighter for Boeing's international
customers.
Depending on the specific mission, the customer can use the CFTs
that are designed for internal carriage or change back to the
traditional CFTs for optimum fuel capacity and external weapons
carriage. The Silent Eagle will be able to internally 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). The standard weapons load used on current
versions of the F-15 is available with the traditional CFTs
installed.
The aircraft's canted vertical tails 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.
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.
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