The US Air Force has awarded Boeing a $450.5-million contract to upgrade dozens of Japanese F-15 fighter jets.
Around 70 of Japan’s 200-odd F-15s will reportedly be upgraded under the contract as part of the Super Interceptor Program requirement.
The upgrade includes Raytheon APG-82(v)1 active electronically scanned array radars, advanced display core processor II mission system computers, and BAE Systems AN/ALQ-250 eagle passive warning survivability systems.
Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, with expected completion by February 2030.
The enhancements will improve the aircraft’s situational awareness, electronic warfare capabilities, and operational efficiency.
The program provides the 80’s aircraft with roughly the same capabilities of the F-15’s latest iteration — the 15EX Strike Eagle II.
F-15 Super Interceptor Program
A licensed version of the US F-15C/D, the F-15 J was acquired in the 1980s for air superiority and interception.
In 2021, the US government approved the $4.5-billion Super Interceptor program upgrade, including integrating the aircraft with the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile Extended Range (JASSM-ER).
With a stand-off range of 575 miles (925 kilometers), the JASSM-ER-armed aircraft can put Chinese warships at risk across the western Pacific region.
The air-to-surface missiles will complement the 400 ship-launched Tomahawk land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles Tokyo bought from the US earlier in January.