Special to WorldTribune.com

WASHINGTON — The United States has advanced in a program to develop
a variant of the F-15 fighter-jet for Saudi Arabia.

The U.S. Air Force has been testing a prototype of an advanced F-15
developed by Boeing for the Royal Saudi Air Force. Riyad has ordered 84
so-called F-15SA fighters as part of a $29.4 billion U.S.-led modernization
of the kingdom’s F-15 fleet, acquired more than 30 years ago.

“The F-15SA will add critical capability to the RSAF and enhance the
security of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. C. D.
Moore said.

On Feb. 20, the F-15SA conducted its first flight at Boeing facilities
in St. Louis, Mo. The flight is said to have met all test objectives and
bolstered the prospects that the project would be completed on schedule.

“The successful first flight of the F-15SA is a tremendous milestone for
the program and a testament to the relationship between the [Air Force],
Boeing, and our RSAF partners,” Moore, commander of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, said.

Officials said the F-15 for Saudi Arabia included a range of
enhancements. They cited improved situational awareness, avionics,
electronic warfare. infrared search and track and an active
electronically-scanned array radar.

The prototype also contains two additional weapon stations for increased
payload capacity. Officials said Saudi Arabia would also receive
latest-generation air-to-air and air-to-ground missiles as well as the Joint
Helmet Mounted Cueing System. JHMCS has been developed for the U.S. Air
Force by a subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems.

Officials said Riyad has urged an acceleration of the F-15 project,
scheduled to begin delivery in 2015 and end four years later. They said the
air force and Boeing removed bureacratic and other obstacles to develop an
F-15 prototype for the testing stage. The flight test program, they said,
would include three F-15SAs, based in St. Louis and Palmdale.

“Completing this major milestone [of the first F-15SA flight] in less
than one year after program implementation was truly remarkable,” U.S. Air
Force Col. Robert Stambaugh, manager of the program, said.

  Boeing, Col. Robert Stambaugh, F-15SA, Lt. Gen. C.D. Moore, Royal Saudi Air Force, U.S. tests advanced F-15 variant destined for Saudi Arabia