As negotiations for Seoul’s plan to buy 60 fighter jets near an end, American defense giant Boeing on Monday made a last sales pitch that promises to provide its stealth version of the F-15 customized for the South Korean Air Force at an affordable price.
Boeing can offer “a highly capable, yet low-risk, affordable Silent Eagle on a schedule that meets the ROK (Republic of Korea) requirements,” Bob Ciesla, the vice president of the F-15 and F-22 program, said in an email interview with Yonhap News Agency.
Boeing’s F-15 Silent Eagle is locked in competition with American defense contractor Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and multinational European company EADS’s Eurofighter to replace South Korea’s old fleet of F-4 and F-5 jets.
The Defense Acquisition and Procurement Agency is currently in the final negotiations with the companies to pick a prime bidder for the 8.3 trillion won ($7.2 billion) deal as early as next month.
The Boeing F-15SE is a proposed upgrade of the F-15 using stealth features, such as internal weapons carriage and radar-absorbent material, though it’s less stealthy than the F-35 that is still under development.
“Silent Eagle is not a radical, untested aircraft in the midst of a risky development program with no price guarantees,” Ciesla said. “Rather, Silent Eagle is evolving from a mature low-risk production program, which helps us ensure a price-competitive and affordable solution through the direct commercial sale process.”
Ciesla said Boeing can offer jets “within the budget constraint,” but he didn’t go into details citing the ongoing negotiation process.
His remarks were apparently pointed at Lockheed Martin’s radar-evading F-35 jet, which has faced criticism in the U.S. in recent months over its growing costs and technological flaws discovered during flight tests.
Although F-35 sparked media speculation that it would not be able to meet Seoul’s budget, the stealth jet built for the U.S. military still remains as a favorite given South Korean Air Force’s long pursuit of a stealth fighter that can pass through North Korea’s complex web of radars and close relation between the two allies.
Ciesla said distinguishing features of the F-15SE version are that its Conformal Weapons Bays (CWB) capable of carrying internal and external weapons are designed by the Korean industry, noting it will be manufactured by local firms if Boeing wins the contract.
“These CWBs afford the ROKAF (Republic of Korea Air Force) warfighter the capability to rapidly tailor the airframe configuration for optimal performance in a wide array of combat missions,” he said.
With studies of different possible levels of reduction in radar cross-section (RCS) underway, Ciesla said Boeing’s stealth technology is “a low-risk engineering, manufacturing and development program,” in comparison with the high-priced, unproven F-35 stealth jet.
“Silent Eagle brings an impressive reduction in radar signature for enhanced survivability in the early days of a conflict when the battle space is contested,” he said.
While technology transfer is another condition Seoul has been emphasizing, as it is grappling with its own long-overdue fighter jet development project called “KFX,” the Boeing official said his company has proposed “a comprehensive offset package” that includes logistics, technology transfer and parts manufacturing, as well as technology transfer for Korea’s indigenous fighter jet development program.
First launched in 2002 to build F-16 class fighter jets, Seoul’s ambitious plan to develop fighter jets in the next decade has been delayed as experts question the feasibility of a costly project as well as the technical aspects to domestically produce aircrafts and meet overseas demand.
Ciesla offered more than $1.2 billion in parts manufacturing and design and development, both direct to Silent Eagle, as well as export work for other defense and commercial programs.
In that regard, Boeing and its partner, the Korea Aerospace Industries, have made prototype jets and completed preliminary design review last year, he said.
KAI, South Korea’s sole aircraft maker, has previously produced wings and forward fuselages for other models in the F-15 family, including the F-15K and F-15S.
Boeing’s proposed investment was seen as efforts to highlight its competitive edge over EADS, which has aggressively promoted its technology transfer and investment offers in recent months.
“We look forward to the opportunity a ROK Government acquisition of Silent Eagle would give us to further strengthen and extend our relationships here as the Korean industry expands its indigenous capabilities and continues its rapid advancement in the global aerospace and defense supply chain.” (Yonhap News)
koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
