The 2006 Saudi Shopping Spree: Pimp My (F-15S) Ride
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On Nov 14/06, a US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notice hinted that Saudi Arabia was about to become the first F-15 operator to switch its Pratt & Whitney F100 jet engines for General Electric’s F110, as part of a wider-ranging upgrade program for Saudi Arabia’s multi-role air superiority and strike fighters.
There’s often a long delay between the DSCA announcement and a contract, let alone delivery. Saudi Arabia’s F-15S variant did become the first fleet to perform a re-engining switch, however, and other upgrades are also underway.
- The Saudi F-15S, and its Upgrades
- Contracts & Key Events
- Additional Readings
The Saudi F-15S, and its Upgrades
The Saudi F-15S is an F-15E Strike Eagle variant with downgraded avionics, downgraded LANTIRN night viewing and targeting pods, and a simplified Hughes APG-70 radar without computerized radar mapping. It serves beside F-15C/D air superiority fighters in the Royal Saudi Air Force. Each fighter has 2 Pratt & Whitney F100 engines, and any purchases must also account for inventory spares.
The GE F110 was developed as an engine alternative to Pratt & Whitney’s original F100, and has since become very popular in F-16s due to its higher thrust. Most of the USAF’s current F-16 fleet currently flies with GE F110 engines, for instance. Despite extensive US F-15E trials in 1999, however, almost all F-15s worldwide use the P&W F100 engine. Some of South Korea’s new F-15Ks, and all of Singapore’s new F-15SG Strike Eagles, will fly with the F110 as pre-installed equipment. They will become the first F-15 fleets to do so.
Other Saudi upgrades revolve around sensors and weapons delivery.
Lockheed Martin’s Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod offers a single 4th generation replacement for the firm’s 2nd generation, twin-pod LANTIRN system. It boasts significantly longer range and higher resolution, as well as the ability to geolocate targets for use with GPS-guided munitions, and perform independent laser targeting for laser-guided bombs like the Paveway. Its main competitors are RAFAEL/ Northrop Grumman’s LITENING (designed in Israel), Raytheon’s ATFLIR (not qualified on F-15s), and Thales Damocles (not qualified on F-15s).
Contracts & Key Events
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Foreign Military Sales from the USA are typically managed by a US military agency, working on the customer’s behalf. In October 2010, Saudi Arabia signed a massive $29 billion contract that included major upgrades to every F-15S aircraft in their fleet, along with 84 new F-15SA Strike Eagles sporting APG-63v3 AESA radars, top-end electronic warfare systems, full fly-by-wire systems, and more. The existing F-15S fleet will be upgraded to F-15SA status, with the likely absence of full fly-by-wire controls. Read “2010-12 Saudi Shopping Spree: F-15s, Helicopters & More” for full coverage.
March 25/10: Data Link Solutions, LLC in Cedar Rapids, IA received a maximum $5.7 million firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for F-15 aircraft fighter data link system spare parts and installs, on behalf of Foreign Military Sales for Singapore (F-15SG), Japan (F-15J), and Saudi Arabia (F-15 C/D/S). There was originally one proposal solicited with one response, and the contract will run until June 30/11. The Defense Logistics Agency at Warner Robins Air Force Base, GA manages the contract (SPRWA1-10-C-0010).
March 16/10: Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Orlando, FL received a $41.9 million contract which will provide for the purchase and contractor logistic support of AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced targeting pods for Saudi Arabia. At this time, $20.9 million has been obligated by the 448th PKHCB at Robins Air Force Base, GA (FA8522-10-C-0003).
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Fire Control’s Saudi Sniper ATP program manager, John Rogers, added that deliveries on the initial F-15S Sniper ATP contract were completed ahead of schedule. See also Lockheed Martin release, June 15/09, and Dec 7/07 entries.
January 2010: Operational evaluation of the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper ATP concludes on RSAF F-15S Strike Eagles. The pod is declared mission ready. Source.
June 15/09: Lockheed Martin announces a foreign military sales contract to deliver Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods (ATPs) to the Royal Saudi Air Force. This is the first phase of a multi-year, $100 million precision sensor modernization program to replace The RSAF’s Lockheed Martin LANTIRN targeting and navigation pods, which have served on F-15S aircraft since the mid-1990s. A subsequent May 2010 release places the contract signing date in March 2009.
Sept 9/08: The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has ordered 91 F110-GE-129C engines to re-engine 41 more F-15S aircraft. This order follows the Oct 3/07 order of 65 F110 engines, and the combined value of the 2 Royal Saudi orders exceeds $750 million for 156 engines, which will re-engine 70 aircraft while leaving spares in inventory. Engine deliveries will begin later in 2008. GE release.
The original DSCA request covered 155 F110 engines and associated support services, with a expected maximum of $1.5 billion.
July 24/08: Don’t forget the training. The USAF is modifying a cost plus fixed fee contract with Battelle Memorial Institute of Columbus, OH by an estimated $18.5 million. BMI will modify Royal Saudi Air Force F-15S aircraft maintenance trainers and integrated avionics trainers to add training related to the new GE engines. At this time all funds have been obligated. 558 ACSG/PK at Hill AFB, Utah manages this FMS contract (FA8223-08-C-0006).
Jan 14/08: the US DSCA announces the Government of Saudi Arabia’s official request for 900 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits that turn ordinary bombs into GPS-guided smart bombs. The estimated cost is $123 million, and Boeing would be the prime contractor.
The JDAMs are specifically noted as being “for use on RSAF F-15S aircraft”; its Tornado GR4 fleet would also present a logical set of candidates, but JDAM requires a MIL-STD-1760 data bus. The deal becomes controversial, however, and gets hung up.
Dec 7/07: The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces Saudi Arabia’s request for 40 of Lockheed Martin’s AN/AAQ-33 SNIPER Advanced Targeting Pods, which would replace the older LANTIRN twin-pod systems installed on Saudi F-15S Strike Eagles. Sniper ATP pods significantly enhance an aircraft’s strike capability by adding stabilized long-range laser tracking and targeting illumination, high performance day/night surveillance, GPS targeting capabilities, and even some air-air target detection and tracking abilities to aircraft using them.
The estimated contract value for the Sniper ATPs would be $220 million, which would include aircraft installation and checkout, digital data recorders/cartridges, pylons, spare and repair parts, support equipment, publications and technical documentation, contractor engineering and technical support, and other related support. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Company in Dallas, TX would be the prime contractor, and implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of about 4 contractor representatives to Saudi Arabia. It will also require U.S government and contractor personnel to travel to Saudi Arabia to conduct annual, 1-week Program Management Reviews.
Note that a DSCA request is not a contract. See “Saudis Seek Sniper ATP Supplementation for F-15S” for more coverage of this initial request.
Oct 3/07: GE announces that the Royal Saudi Air Force has selected General Electric Company’s F110 fighter engine to begin to re-engine its twin-engine Boeing F-15S aircraft.
The initial agreement calls for the purchase of 65 of GE’s F110-GE-129C engines, plus a logistic support package. This will re-engine 29 aircraft, while also providing spares. Deliveries begin in 2008, and the entire package has a total value of more than $300 million.
The F110-GE-129 engine model that will power the Royal Saudi aircraft incorporates GE’s Service Life Extension (SLEP) hardware, which includes the core of a successful CFM56 commercial engine, 3D aero technology, and upgrades to the combustor and high-pressure turbine. The enhancements reportedly provide up to a 25% improvement in cost-per-flying hour, a significant on-wing increase, and elimination of special inspections. GEAE release.
Nov 14/06: The DSCA release makes Saudi Arabia’s original request, with a total value of up to $1.5 billion. The release states that this purchase “will help overcome an ongoing sustainment problem with RSAF’s F-15S engines that has affected their air operations. The RSAF is considering re-engining its 70 F-15S aircraft [DID: of the original 72], or undertaking a massive recovery/re-sustainment plan of the current engines, or a combination of both.”
The purchase will involve aircraft integration, program management, publications, trainers; mission planning, training, spare and repair parts, repair and return services, contractor technical assistance and other related elements of logistics support, plus either:
- 155 General Electric (GE) F110-GE129 engines; or
- 20 Pratt &Whitney F100-PW229 engines to restore/refurbish the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) current inventory of P&W engines; support equipment; engine improvement program services; flight tests; Technical Coordination Group/International Engine Management; Hush House refurbishment; et. al.
The prime contractor will be General Electric Corporation of Fairfield, CT and/or Pratt and Whitney of East Hartford, CT.
There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale, and implementation of this proposed sale will potentially require the assignment of up to 10 U.S. Government representatives and up to 10 contractor representatives to Saudi Arabia for approximately one week, semi-annually, in order to participate in program support and technical reviews. Implementation of this sale also will potentially require the assignment of several U.S. Government Quality Assurance Teams to Saudi Arabia for two weeks to assist in the delivery and deployment of the engines. There may also be approximately 15 contractors in Saudi Arabia providing technical assistance on a full time basis.
Additional Readings
- N.B: Readers outside of North America and Europe, note the cultural translation of “pimp my ride.” The corresponding Arabic show is called Dale’ Sayaratak.
- GE – The F110 Engine Family
- Lockheed Martin – Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod
- Lockheed Martin – LANTIRN ER. An upgraded version of the original LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night) pod set.
- See all articles in DID’s “Saudi Shopping Spree” series.
- Flight International (Nov 20/06) – Saudis seek fix for Boeing F-15 engine woes
