South Korea receives first F-15K fighter jets from US
By Channel NewsAsia's Korea Correspondent Kathy Paik
Link to the article


SEOUL : South Korea has received its first batch of next generation fighter jets, a development that boosts its aerial defence over the Korean peninsula.

The American-made F-15K aircraft that arrived in Seoul are part of a 40-jet deal.

The selection of the F-15 over the Rafale from France had led to allegations of political manoeuvring from Washington, and even charges of graft, which Seoul has denied.

On Friday, two F15-K Eagles roared into Seongnam Air Force Base just south of the capital Seoul.

The country had ordered a total of 40 of the aircraft to form its next generation of fighter planes.

The US$5.5 billion deal saw the Eagle from America's Boeing beating off competition from the Typhoon Euro-fighter, and the Rafale from France.

In a show of its endurance, the two F-15Ks from St Louis flew into South Korea with stopovers in Hawaii and Guam for re-fuelling - flying a total of 16,000 kilometres in 21 hours.

Ed Wilson, Test Pilot of Boeing, said: "It is tiring to fly that long but it is a nice plane and easy to fly, so it makes it nice to fly in."

The F-15K is one of the most advanced multi-functional fighter jets in service today.

It is capable of air-to-air combat as well as ground attack.

And in its latest version, the Eagle can also launch missiles at enemy satellites.

The all-weather jet can carry more than 10 tonnes of weapons and equipment into combat, and has helmet-mounted sight and weapons-control systems.

Lee Soo-young, Squadron Leader of ROKAF, said: "We can confirm that full-fledged aerial defence over the Korean peninsula is totally possible now, as the F-15K has a wide operation radius and long-distance, jungle flying skills."

South Korea will receive another two of Eagles later this year, and the remaining 36 by 2008.

The jets are expected to be fully operational within three years.

The Korean Air Force has formed its first-ever aviation training squadron to teach pilots within the country.

It has also dispatched a group of selected pilots to the United States for extensive training.

The F-15K will make its public debut at the Seoul Air Show next month which will see more than 22 countries taking part. - CNA/de

One good reason why we should choose the F15 for our "long legs".

At Mach 2.5 and that awesome flight range?

Plus that canopy design which gives the pilot an excellent view of the rear quadrants?

Is there anything better?

Indeed even though the F-15 is too far out for the AFP's budget (or at least in the politicians' and generals' visions), it will always find a place in our hearts. :armycool:

Finally, a Korea with strike capability... strike fear to the hearts of commies.

Now that they have the F-15K's they are already have all the means of air superiority in their region. Communist North might also give additional beef up by adding new SU's jet family.

Sana makuha natin ang mga soon to be garage bound jet in American services like the F-14 and A-10. Pagmeron tayo neto tyak makakabalik na tayo sa dating tikas ng PAF sa ASEAN. At dagdag pa ang JAS-39 at F-18.

anyone knows what's new with this F15K?

F-15K Facts
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Korea will have the world's best multi-role fighter

The F-15E, the foundation of the F-15K offered to the Republic of Korea, is the world's best long-range, multi-role fighter. It's equally adept at air-to-air combat and air-to-ground strikes, in virtually any weather, during the day or at night. With advanced radar and avionics, and technologies such as a helmet-mounted cueing system in its cockpit, the F-15K will be even better.

Proven performance no other FX aircraft offers
The F-15 is the only combat-proven aircraft the Republic is considering. During action in the Balkans and the Persian Gulf it showed its superior ability to perform missions required of the FX.

An established plan to make the best multi-role fighter better
The U.S. Air Force and Boeing have a plan to sustain the F-15 at least through 2030. Korea will have access to new technology and system improvements developed for the U.S. Air Force, keeping its F-15Ks relevant for decades to come.
Unsurpassed Operational Capability Available Now
The F-15 has greater range, payload and speed capabilities than its FX competitors. It will get to a fight, strike with a lethal mix of weapons, and return more effectively than the other FX aircraft.

Established Production Excellence
The F-15 is in production. Current agreements with the U.S. Air Force will keep the F-15E in production at least through 2004. Boeing has built more than 1,500 of all its F-15 models, while fewer than 20 of the other aircraft offered to the Republic have been built.

Global Support
The Republic can tap into the knowledge and experience of F-15 crews and maintainers who have used the aircraft for many years, people who really know what the airplane can do. Only the F-15 offers such a reliable, global maintenance and support network that has proven itself to militaries around the world.

Length: 63.8 ft (19.45 m)

Height: 18.5 ft (5.65 m)

Wing Span: 42.8 ft (13.05 m)

Propulsion: Two General Electric F110 turbofan engines in 29,000 lb thrust class with afterburning.

Weight: 45,000 lb (20,411 kg) class
81,000 lb (36,700 kg) max gross takeoff

Speed: Mach 2.5 class

Armament:
F-15A/B/C/D



F-15E
Mix of air-to-air weaponry includes: 20mm cannon, AIM-120 (AMRAAM) missiles, AIM-9 (Sidewinder) missiles, AIM-7 (Sparrow) missiles
Air-to-ground ordnance includes precision guided munitions, and a variety of missiles and bombs. Air-to-air weaponry includes cannon, four medium- and four short-range missiles.



MORE: http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/f15/f-15k/

http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f15_27.html


F-15K for South Korea


The government of South Korea is under constant pressure from possible agressive moves from its neighbor to the north, and worries about a possible invasion. In addition, the government of South Korea feels itself endangered by the acquisition by the People's Republic of China by the highly-capable Su-30MKK long range interceptor, and it is concerned that there might even be friction with Japan over the Dok To islands, which have significant petroleum reserves.

In response to these pressures, in 1997 the government of South Korea announced a competition for a long-range strike fighter, which they called the F-X. The strike fighter would have to be extremely capable, and the succeeding entry would have to offer a considerable level of technology transfer to Korean industries.

A Request for Information (RFI) was issued in late 1997, calling for a long-range strike fighter capable of carring a 15,000 pound weapons load and also capable of handling 9G loads. Contenders were the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Sukhoi SU-35, and a Korean adaptation of the Boeing Strike Eagle, designated F-15K. The ROKAF issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to these four manufacturers, which added a requirement for an up-to-date infrared search and track system.

In early 2002, the Korean government announced that the competition had been narrowed down to the Dassault Rafale Mk 2 and the F-15K. It had been reported that the RoKAF favored the Rafale because of its better maneuverability and latest generation of avionics, although the US was pushing very hard for the F-15K.

On April 19, 2002, it was announced that the government of South Korea had decided to choose the F-15K, and ordered 40 examples. Dassault immediately filed a court injunction in Seoul, disputing the selection process, which it claimed to be biased in favor of US interests. The Korean defense ministry responded that the selection was made on the basis of the F-15K's multirole capability, payload, combat radius, performance, and the proven combat capability of the F-15E upon which the F-15K was based.

The General Electric F110-GE-129 turbofan was selected as the powerplant for the F-15K. This makes the F-15K the only variant of the Eagle to use this engine operationally, although the General Electric engine was installed on a trial basis in a USAF F-15E in 1999. It is rated at 29,500 lb.s.t. with afterburning. It should give the F-15K a significantly better performance than other Strike Eagle variants. Samsung Aerospace will build this powerplant as part of the offset package.

The F-15K is the most sophisticated of the export Strike Eagles, and is in many respects superior even to the USAF versions of the Strike Eagle. It includes a lot of systems that were omitted from the other export models, and includes some systems that are not even available on the USAF F-15E. In addition, there are certain systems provided which are unique to South Korea's needs.

The F-15K is to carry the extremely capable Raytheon (formerly Hughes) APG-63(V)I radar, which is provided with additional sea surface search and ground moving target indicator modes. The US Department of Defense has also allowed the RoKAF to receive the APG-63(V)2 Active Electronically-Scanned Array radar, which could provide the F-15K with increased detection ranges, faster detection, and the ability to engage up to 8 targets simultaneously. The cockpit display is compatible with the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, which contains a magnetic head tracker with a display projected onto the pilot's visor, providing a means by which sensors and weapons can be aimed by the pilot simply looking at them. Additional chaff and flare dispensers are carried, and the cockpit lighting compatible with night-vision goggles. An advanced display core processor replaces the central computer and multi-purpose display. The weapons hardpoints are wired with the MIL-STD 1760 databus, which makes it possible for the F-15K to carry and deliver GPS-guided weapons.

Since the F-15K is expected to have a significant antiship role in the event of war with North Korea, the F-15K is integrated with the AGM-84D Harpoon and the AGM-84E Stand-Off Land Attack Missile. The F-15K is also expected to have a significant air-to-air capability and will also be capable of carrying and firing the AIM-120C AMRAAM beyond visible range air-to-air missile, as well as the new AIM-9X latest-generation Sidewinder missile.

The F-15K will be able to carry the under-intake AN/AAQ-13 and AN/AAQ-14 tracking pods. The AN/AAQ-13 will provide infrared tracing and manual terrain following down to altitudes as low as 100 feet, and can generate FLIR video images on the pilot's heads-up display. It is not sure if the terrain-following mode will be provided. The AN/AAQ-14 target trackin gand laser ranging pod will feature a FLIR sensor andmay have a missile boresight correlator to allow automatic handoff of targets. It features several air-to-air modes.

An advanced electronic countermeasures suite is provided, the most sophisticated of that carried by any FMS Strike Eagles. These include an improved microwave power module-equipped ALQ-135M ICMS. The ALR-36M radar warning receiver will be provided as an alternative to the troubled ALR-56C. The US Department of Defense has permitted South Korea to receive LANTIRN pods, with FLIR capability and terrain-following radar, and a FLIR laser targeting pod, plus a long range infrared search and track capability.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2005, with the last of the 40 aircraft to be delivered in 2008.


------------


* seems to me that the F-15Ks are more powerful than the Israeli F-15Is and even those USAF F-15Es. :dunno:

When Singapore receive the F-15Ts, it will be the most advanced of its kind :thumb:

There is no doubt about it F15E or k or T is a very good and combat proven fighter and ground attack jet. Unfortunately we cannot afford it, it is a very expensive aircraft. The PAF should settle instead for the F16E block52/60 this new model of F16 has a conformal fuel tank thus significantly increasing its range , the effect to the aircraft's maneuverability is negligible. That is why Isreal pick this new F16, but the Israelis bought the F16 without the american made avionics, electronics, and weapons, instead the Israelis has decided to use their own locally made avionics and weapons such as the new Phyton 5 air to air missile. like the F15 it is also tandem seat.(there is a single seat model too)


If the PAF really wants a cheaper aircraft comparable to the F15E or maybe even better then it should consider acquiring the SU30MKI. Malaysia bought 18 of this aircraft from Russia, and Russia has agreed to send a Malaysian astronaut to ISS as part of the arms purchase agreement with the Malaysians.

There is another alternative, surplus MIG 25 from Russia and Ukraine. This jet may not have the maneuverability of the F15, or SU30, but this jet is very fast, can fly at a very high altitude, longer range, and with major modification and upgrade can be good as new fighter bomber and recon fighter

caterpillar: what made you say that the F-15T will be "the most powerful" variant of the F-15E ever made? :armyeek:

el commandante: the PAF really needs long-range strike fighters like the F-15E and Su-30MK given the Philippines' vast territory and airspace and the threat being posed by those PLAAF Su-30MKs. these long-range strike fighters will take on the role left by the F-8 Crusaders, which performed such duties for the PAF long time ago (imagine, those F-8s were able to intercept and drive away Soviet Tupolev bombers over Northern Luzon! :fire: ).

of course, the most obvious choices for the "long legs" planes are:


-- F-15E Strike Eagle

and


-- Su-30MK Flanker

Im saying "most advanced"..not "the most powerful".. :armysmile:

However, the airframe and engine wise will not much of the different...

But internally..in term of Radar and Avonics will be much advanced then the present variant. U will be surprised what is included in..like the F16D 52+. It will be in stages and classified as well...as usual.. :armyroleyes:

F-15K is supposed to be more advanced than the current USAF's F-15E, but the RSAF's F-15T will be even more advanced than them with Raytheon APG-63(V)3 AESA radar, a digital infrared upgrade and some other things not disclosed as compare to the rest of the F-15 variant.

US next upgrade will be the F-15E-Plus which is mainly with APG-63(V)4 AESA radar will be the most advanced F-15 in the near future , till then F-15T is the most advanced F-15 ordered.

http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/nation/200...22283511950.htm



-- a Korean Air Force F-15K multi-role fighter aircraft


F-15K Fighter Jet Missing in East Sea
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter, The Korea Times


An F-15K fighter jet on Wednesday that went missing during a routine nighttime training mission off the East Sea is believed to have crashed, the Air Force said.
At 7:45 p.m., one F-15K aircraft left a Taegu air base for a regular training sortie, but suddenly disappeared from the radar at around 8:20 p.m., an Air Force spokesman said, adding that the fates of two pilots on the aircraft have not been confirmed yet.

The Air Force immediately dispatched helicopters to the waters off Pohang, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, to search for the aircraft, he said.

The F-15K is the country’s next-generation fighter jet. Under the $5.5-billion deal struck in 2002, code-named ``F-X,’’ U.S. aircraft giant Boeing started delivering 40 F-15Ks to South Korea last year. Four F-15Ks have been delivered so far with the remaining 36, including 14 this year, scheduled to arrive here in stages by 2008.

The Air Force has decided to purchase 20 more F-15K multi-role aircraft beginning in 2009.

The state-of-the-art fighter jets will be deployed in the field for operational flights in 2007, according to the Air Force.

The F-15K, an advanced derivative of the U.S. Air Force F-15E, is capable of performing air-to-ground, air-to-air and air-to-sea missions day or at night, under any weather conditions.

The long-range fighter can carry over 23,000 pounds of weapons, including the Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Responses cruise missile, the satellite-guided Joint Direct Attack Munitions, anti-ship Harpoon missiles and AIM-9 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles.

The aircraft, measuring 19.45 meters in length and 13.05 meters in width, flies at a maximum speed of Mach 2.3 and incorporates up-to-date military technologies such as a helmet-mounted cueing system and third-generation navigation and targeting systems.

ouch

i hope the pilots are alright

American pilot trains South Koreas on new model of F-15 fighter
By Ashley Rowland, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Tuesday, September 25, 2007

When Maj. Craig Vincent returns to the United States, he will be one of only two American pilots who have flown Boeing’s newest fighter jet: The F-15K, also the newest jet in South Korea’s hangars.

Vincent arrived in South Korea in December to train Republic of Korea Air Force pilots to fly the fighters and train their instructors to teach pilots in the future.

“We basically had to create a squadron,” he said during a phone interview last week.

South Korean pilots have been flying the F-15K, which is similar to the F-15E model flown by American pilots, for about 18 months. Their other aircraft include F-5s, F-4s and F-16s.

Vincent is the second American F-15 instructor sent to South Korea as an extended training service specialist — someone who is lent to a foreign country for a set period.

During his nine months in South Korea, he directly or indirectly trained 40 to 45 pilots. He said the F-15K was a “huge upgrade in capability” for South Korea because of its versatility.

“In the big scheme of things, it is one aircraft that can perform every mission,” he said.

“It bridged a gap between the USAF and the ROKAF, and not just in their capabilities in what they can do to help in assisting the defense of their country,” he said. “They can now communicate on common ground with U.S. forces. It’s really going to be a huge improvement for joint operations in Korea.”

The United States has flown F-15s since the late 1980s, he said.

Vincent returned late last week to the United States, where he will be stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala. He logged more than 205 hours in the F-15K, “which is pretty aggressive for about nine months of flying,” he said.

The biggest difference between the F-15Es and the F-15Ks?

Engine power, Vincent said.

“It was a little bit sportier,” he said of the South Korean models.

http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?sectio...4&article=49002

The F-15 fleet is grounded pending the results of the investigation. It was a timely accident as the USAF is trying to get more money from the US Congress to fund more F-22's. :wow:

Perhaps if the USAF retires the F-15 en masse earlier, perhaps the PAF can get them for discounted price? hmmm....Perhaps that is just wishful thinking again!

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/na...ack=4&cset=true

A little update on the situation: some F-15s were allowed to return to flight status.

http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,1...2,00.html?wh=wh

USAF F15s are grounded AGAIN!

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,157157,00.html

USAF F15s are grounded at THIRD time. Oh well...

http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,1331...9,00.html?wh=wh
F-15s Grounded for a Third Time

Here is the latest in a series of woes for the USAF F15 fighter community: 2 F15s collide in mid-air, but the pilots have been rescued, at least.

:wow:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/20/jetcrash/index.html

An unfortunate update: one of the two crashed pilots has died.

RIP :salute:

blue skies

Whoa! The USAF F15 pilot who died last week was an American Muslim.

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/feb/23/me...s-laid-to-rest/

Some people give Muslim-Americans in the States a lot of crap for what most of them don't do; apparently the person who wrote this article wanted to salute one who gave the ultimate sacrifice. :salute:

Doesnt this picture make you warm and fuzzy? Don't you see a sense of solidarity? :armycheers:

The above pilot participated in an exchange program which is common between the US and its allies.

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/DefenceN...anOperation.htm

:headbang: BUMPPPPPPPS Saver111 to the side for pushing this thread below the top! Hehehe. :banana:

Alright, the USAF is having problems with its own fleet of F15s and the South Koreans opt to buy more?? :armyeek:

So far, no crashes of the F15E and its derivatives like the K, S and the F15 Ra'am were reported where the cause may have been related to the Longeron problem that raised issues on the wether the F15 should be in service.

I am really more intrigued with the FX the South Koreans are developing. Could this be the answer to the PAF's fighter needs?

F-15K were new built Eagles, than those from US F-15c

ROKAF remains the deadliest air force in Asia.

:armycheers:

:armyroleyes: Tell that to the Indian AF, the PLAAF (China) and the JASDF.

The first two have large numbers of aircraft, while the last one has comparable aircraft and training to their ROKAF counterparts.

Defective Parts In F-15s

June 7, 2008: South Korean Air Force officials had a "good news/bad news" message for the U.S. Boeing Corporation, regarding defective components in the 29 Boeing built F-15K fighter-bombers that were recently delivered. Some 1200 components were found to be defective. This did not create any serious operational problems with the aircraft. The South Koreans also pointed out that each aircraft had 65,000 components that might need to be repaired or replaced, which meant the 1,200 defective parts represented only one part in every 1,667. Boeing had no comment on this report.

The South Koreans have gone over their F-15Ks (similar to the U.S. Air Force F-15E) carefully since one was lost in 2005. That accident turned out to have resulted from the pilot turning too sharply and blacking out from excessive G-forces. South Korea has ordered another 21 F-15Ks, which cost about $100 million each.

http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htmurph/a...s/20080607.aspx

ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- Eighteen F-15E Strike Eagles and more than 400 Airmen from the 389th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, arrived here as part of a scheduled air expeditionary force rotation to help maintain deterrent capabilities in the Pacific.

The rotation of the 389th EFS, or Thunderbolts, will last approximately four months. While here they will conduct their standard training to keep their flying currencies and tactical proficiency with the added advantage of flying larger scale training scenarios free from tight air traffic control restrictions.

"We are looking forward to integrating with other agencies and training with the Navy in both small and large scale exercises," said Maj. Ki Jackson, 389th EFS instructor pilot. "The Pacific region will allow our fighters a chance to train in maritime interdiction missions."

"The F-15E Strike Eagle arrival is both advantageous to our squadron and to the mission here at Andersen," said Major Jackson. "Not only will our pilots have an opportunity to enhance their skills, our support personnel such as the crew chiefs, fuels, phase, ammo, intelligence, weather and many more will have the chance to hone their skills as well," he said.

"We will have numerous occasions to fly training missions, as well as give the Air Force the added benefit of having some Strike Eagles in the Pacific," said Major Jackson.

As part of the continuous package of fighting capabilities in the Pacific, the F-15E Strike Eagles here provide the Air Force flexible air-to-air and air-to-ground attack capabilities.

"This type of deployment represents Andersen's growth in engaging with our friends and allies," said Brig. Gen. Doug Owens, 36th Wing commander.

"These rotations and the training they afford are also absolutely essential for us to be able to respond quickly to any event or security situation the commander of U.S. Pacific Command might need us to do in the nation's interest," said General Owens.

http://www.air-attack.com/news/news_articl...he-Pacific.html

Strike Eagle's View to a Kill

Following the installation of the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) in the US Navy's F/A-18F, Vision Systems International (VSI) has been awarded an initial contract at more than $17 million from Boeing to equip 145 F-15E Strike Eagles with the helmet mounted display sight. Initial deliveries have already commenced and will continue through mid-2009. The new application underlines the advantages such systems offers for air-to-ground missions.
"The situational awareness capabilities afforded by JHMCS in the air-to-ground mission environment are necessities given today's battlespace, and providing a dual-seat capability is phenomenally important," said VSI President Drew Brugal "Getting our JHMCS on the Strike Eagle has been a key company goal since we started developing the system in 1996. " VSI, through its affiliated company Elbit Systems of America is working on a JHMCS derivative equipped with four image intensified tubes, offering wide-field-of-view night capability. Capt. Kevin Lord, an F-16 pilot with the 23rd Fighter Squadron, Spangdahlem US Air Base, Germany, demonstrates the Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System that is now used in 52nd Fighter Wing's F-16 Fighting Falcons here. The new system puts critical data less than three inches from a pilot's right eye. The device, known as 'Quadeye' will be able to replace the JHMCS helmet visor, offering effective night operating capability. The USAF plans to evaluate such systems on the A-10C and F-16.

The JHMCS provides the pilot with "first look, first shot" high off-boresight weapons engagement capabilities. The system enables the pilot to accurately cue onboard weapons and sensors against enemy aircraft and ground targets without the need to aggressively turn the aircraft or place the target in the Head-Up Display (HUD) for designation. Critical information and symbology, such as targeting cues and aircraft performance parameters, are graphically displayed directly on the pilot's visor. This information, combined with the display of data-link cues, as well as navigational and aircraft performance parameters, provides the pilot with a tremendous increase in situational awareness.
http://www.defense-update.com/newscast/080...s_f15.html#more

Perhaps the RAAF and Japan might be interested in this if they can't get the F22 for export orders from the US?

link to Aviation Week article

link to FLight Global article link

Interesting idea. Addresses the F-15's massive radar cross-section issue. Won't be truly stealthy but going low RCS with a reduced load of a 2 AAMs and 2 1k-class weapons in the CFTs would be a nice option to have. If it works as advertised, puts the Silent Eagle atop the heap of 4th/4.5-gen fighters.

Boeing and the F-15 could be going for a renaissance if and when the F-22 production is cut short which is highly likely under the Obama admin.

update: seems Israel may be interested in Silent Eagles intead of F35s.

There is still a future for the F-15 with the USAF. Even the Pentagon can't afford to replace the existing USAF F-15's with the F-22 on a one-on-one basis due to costs. The F-15SE will be a nice 4.5-gen fighter for the USAF to have to replace their aging fleet of F-15's.

Whoah!?! Now I'm Smoked!. WOW!! Bro.. This latest F-15SE will definitely be a bargain for any Nation's Air Force to have I would like to see the Philippine Air Force take interest in this latest reincarnation of the Legendary F15!.. :armycheers: :rifle:

Jo.At,

South Korea exercised its options to buy additional F-15K's for about $ 100 million a plane. I didn't look what came with this package. If we only get the basic jet and some necessary features, I suppose it will still cost at least half the price so about $ 50 million each. $ 70 ~ 80 million per jet is a more realistic figure for a brand-new F-15 Eagle.

Sorry but we can't still afford F-15SE's.