Saudis weighs major F-15 buy as Iran advances

"Growing security concerns over Gulf neighbor and perennial troublemaker Iran are pushing the Saudis to upgrade their air fleet with a particular emphasis on precision strike aircraft," the U.S. defense website DoD Buzz reported.

Industry sources said Riyad has been discussing the procurement of up to 72 advanced F-15 fighters. They said the Saudi order could include the purchase of Boeing's latest stealth design for the F-15, titled Silent Eagle.

DoD Buzz, citing industry and defense sources, said the Defense Department would approve any Saudi request for the F-15. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which processes requests for major weapons procurement, has not confirmed the Saudi interest.

Boeing has reported interest by Israel and Saudi Arabia of the F-15 Silent Eagle, which remains in the design stage. Silent Eagle was meant to comprise an F-15E platform modified to reduce its radar signature. The platform would also contain internal conformal fuel tanks.

Saudi Arabia has been operating about 150 F-15s, procured in deals in the 1970s and 1990s. In 2008, Riyad received approval for Joint Direct Attack Munitions tail kits for the F-15 fleet. The sources said Riyad has sought to modernize its F-15 fleet as well as bolster defense relations with the United States. The Saudis have also been preparing for the first deliveries of the Eurofighter Typhoon as part of an $8.9 billion deal with BAE Systems.

Hmmm ...I have serious doubts on the SE. Making a F-15 stealthy is like making a battleship invisible ...in terms of RCS the F-15 has a signature larger than that of the B-52. While the internal weapons carriage and canted tail will help, as will RAM, I doubt it would have any effect against larger radars. Furthermore, even against smaller X-band radars, the engine inlets of the F-15SE will not even get the anti-detection measures given to the F/A-18E/F. That will be a major radar return right there from those exposed blades(alleged reason for not doing so was cost). Thus, the claims that the SE will have a frontal signature equivalent to that of the F-35 have to be taken with a considerable grain of salt ...I am no fan of the JSF, but it was built from the ground up as a stealthy platform, and while it is no Raptor (by any measure), it is definitely far stealthier than any Eagle (including so called Silent ones).

The Eagle purchase would be a good move for Saudi Arabia (although maybe more Typhoons with StormShadow stealthy cruise missiles might be a better choice ...I get the Brits didn't bribe enough this time 'round), but I'd have to be convinced that the F-15SE is really the game changer Boeing is trying to make it to be.

Anyways, if it were ever to be made public, it would be interesting to see what the RCS for the 15-SE is ...the last RCS figures I saw of the 'normal' Eagle were not flattering (the B 52 had a slightly smaller RCS, and its says something when the BUFF can say that).

This just demonstrates one of the main reasons for not letting Iran get the bomb. All the other middle eastern states will have to also to defend themselves from the Persians.

The good news is this will be a stimulus package for the defense industry (or the evil military-industrial complex as Ron Paul refers to it).

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