F-15s Looking for the AESA Edge
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Fighters & Attack, New Systems Tech, Radars, Raytheon, Spotlight articles, Testing & Evaluation
(click to view full)
F-15C Eagle air superiority fighters have traditionally used APG-63 radars with mechanically steered arrays. While upgrades over the years have improved them, the mechanical steering components are a point of potential failure given the stresses put on them, and better radar technologies have appeared. With cruise missile defense rising in importance, and longer-range detection of threats desired, upgrades are necessary. They may also correct a known air-air weakness that can reputedly be exploited by aircraft like Russia’s SU-30 family, though other reports claim that the mechanically-scanned APG-63v1s have also worked to close that hole. Thus far, 18 USAF F-15Cs have been modified to carry APG-63v2 radars – a misnomer, since the upgrade uses a revolutionary new AESA technology that bears little resemblance to its predecessor.
The USAF is discussing a retrofit set that would turn the F-15Cs into multi-role fighters; an AESA radar will be part of that, and the program to equip select F-15C units with AESA radars as an air-air improvement continues. They will now be joined by the USAF’s entire 2-seat, multi-role F-15E Strike Eagle fleet, whose future AESA radar just received some improvements, and a new designation…
Displaying 215 of 2,252 words (about 6 pages)
Stay on top of the USAF investment into the upgrade of its F-15C/D fighters when you subscribe to DII. Our cross-linked article network and reference materials include:
- Tracking of hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts awarded to Boeing and Raytheon
- Review of system upgrades including: the APG-63(v)3 AESA radar, a fighter-to-fighter data link, GPS navigation, and the JHMCS helmet sight
- List of extended background reading and network of embedded links to corporate source material and related topics
- More coverage from DII including: "USAF Planning F-15C Upgrades," "Israel Kicks Off Program to Improve Its F-16s and F-15s," and "USAF Planning F-15C Multi-Role Upgrades"
- 5 photos and graphics
Subscribe now to the Defense Industry Insider. DII covers hundreds of defense procurement programs, and gives thousands of links, expert analysis and the latest industry news.
