Royal Saudi Air Force to Purchase 84 F-15SA Fighters and Upgrade 70 F-15S Fighters to F-15SA Configuration

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Saudi Arabia of:

84 F-15SA Aircraft

170 APG-63(v)3 Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar

(AESA) radar sets

193 F-110-GE-129 Improved Performance Engines

100 M61 Vulcan Cannons

100 Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution

System/Low Volume Terminal (MIDS/LVT) and spares

193 LANTIRN Navigation Pods (3rd Generation-Tiger Eye)

338 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS)

462 AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggles (NVGS)

300 AIM-9X SIDEWINDER Missiles

25 Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM-9X)

25 Special Air Training Missiles (NATM-9X)

500 AIM-120C/7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM)

25 AIM-120 CATMs

1,000 Dual Mode Laser/Global Positioning System (GPS) Guided Munitions (500 lb)

1,000 Dual Mode Laser/GPS Guided Munitions (2000 lb)

1,100 GBU-24 PAVEWAY III Laser Guided Bombs (2000 lb)

1,000 GBU-31B V3 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) (2000 lb)

1,300 CBU-105D/B Sensor Fuzed Weapons (SFW)/Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD)

50 CBU-105 Inert

1,000 MK-82 500lb General Purpose Bombs

6,000 MK-82 500lb Inert Training Bombs

2,000 MK-84 2000lb General Purpose Bombs

2,000 MK-84 2000lb Inert Training Bombs

200,000 20mm Cartridges

400,000 20mm Target Practice Cartridges

400 AGM-84 Block II HARPOON Missiles

600 AGM-88B HARM Missiles

169 Digital Electronic Warfare Systems (DEWS)

158 AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Targeting Systems

169 AN/AAS-42 Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Systems

10 DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods

462 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System Helmets

40 Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receivers(ROVER)

80 Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation Pods

Also included are the upgrade of the existing Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) fleet of seventy (70) F-15S multi-role fighters to the F-15SA configuration, the provision for CONUS-based fighter training operations for a twelve (12) F-15SA contingent, construction, refurbishments, and infrastructure improvements of several support facilities for the F-15SA in-Kingdom and/or CONUS operations, RR-188 Chaff, MJU-7/10 Flares, training munitions, Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices, communication security, site surveys, trainers, simulators, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistical support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated cost is $29.432 billion.

For the past twenty years the F-15 has been a cornerstone of the relationship between the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the RSAF. The procurement of the F-15SA, the conversion of the F-15S fleet to a common configuration, and the CONUS training contingent will provide interoperability, sustained professional contacts, and common ground for training and support well into the 21st century.

The F-15SA will help deter potential aggressors by increasing Saudi’s tactical air force capability to defend KSA against regional threats. The CONUS-based contingent would improve interoperability between the USAF and the RSAF. This approach will meet Saudi’s self-defense requirements and continue to foster the long-term military-to-military relationship between the United States and the KSA.

Posted in: Fighter jet,Saudi Arabia