Boeing’s F-15E1 was the tech demonstrator for some of the features that would be the F-15SE, the Silent Eagle. However sadly the Silent Eagle program would be shut down due to a lack of interest from the USAF and export partners leading F-15E1 to be retired and sent to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan AFT in Arizona in 2014.
History
F-15E1 was the tech demonstrator modified from F-15E 86-0183 for the F-15SE program which was unveiled in March of 2009 with it first taking flight in 2010. It would test the Conformal Weapons Bay during it’s flights and also RAM coating which was tested on F-15E’s earlier in August-September of 2009.
Although initially showing interest, the USAF would ultimately look at other options, primarily looking to acquire a fifth generation multi-role aircraft. This left Boeing looking for customers in the international market. The potential customers were Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea, and Israel however after some time Saudi Arabia chose to purchase the F-15SA whilst Japan, South Korea, and Israel decided on the F-35 Lightning II.
If the F-15SE would have gone into production it most notably would have featured a reduced radar signature, angled twin vertical tails, 2 additional weapons stations on the wings for 4 more air-to-air missiles, and Conformal Weapons Bay (CWB) which could hold a variety of weapons including AIM-9 and AIM-120 air-to-air missiles, 500lb/1000lb JDAM bombs or several Small Diameter Bombs (SDB’s). The F-15SE would also still carry the same armament of the F-15E however with the exception of mounting weapons directly underneath the CWB’s as internally mounted weapons would be deployed from there. However this could be changed as the CWB’s could be removed and replaced with CFT’s, this would alter the stealth of the F-15E but keep the same armament options as the F-15E and more given it’s additional 2 pylons added to the wings which could give it 4 more air-to-air missiles.
Specifications
Size
- Length: 63.8 ft (19.43 m)
- Wingspan: 42.8 ft (13.05 m)
- Height: 18.5 ft (5.63 m)
- Wing area: 608 ft² (56.5 m²)
Engines
- 2 x Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220
Performance
- Max Speed: 1,617mph (2,602kph)/Mach 2.45
- Cruise Speed: 571mph (919kph)
- Service Ceiling: 65,000ft (20,000m)
Armament
Gun
- 20mm M61 Vulcan with 510 rounds of ammunition
Air-to-Air Missiles:
- 6 x AIM-9 Sidewinder (4 external +2 internal
- 8 x AIM-120 AMRAAM (4 external +4 internal)
Air-to-Ground Weapons:
- 5 x GBU-10 Paveway
- 11 x GBU-12 Paveway
- 7 x GBU-24 Paveway
- 7 x GBU-31JDAM
- 9 x GBU-38 JDAM
- 6 x GBU-54 LJDAM
- 20 x GBU-39 SDB
- 12 x MK-82 500lb Bombs (Dumb Bombs or High Drag)
- 7 xMK-84 2000lb Bombs (Dumb Bombs or High Drag)
- 6 x AGM-65 Mavericks
- 2 x AGM-130
- 2 x AGM-84 Harpoon
- 2 xAGM-158 JASSM
- 2 x SLAM-ER
Internally Carried Armament
- Air-to-Air Missiles
- 2 x AIM-9 Sidewinder
- 4 x AIM-120 AMRAAM
Air-to-Ground Weapons
- 2 x GBU-32 1000lb JDAM
- 4 x GBU-38 500lb JDAM
- 8 x GBU-39 SDB
Targeting Pod
- LANTIRN
- AN/AAQ-33 Sniper
Avionics/Misc
- JHMCS
- AN/ALE-45 Countermeasure Dispensers
- AN/APG-82 AESA Radar or AN/APG-70 (depending on if it was upgraded or not).
- AN/ALR-56 Radar Warning Receiver
- Radar Absorbent Material (RAM) coating. (Tested on a few F-15E’s in 2009, sources vary on if the future F-15E1 was one of these few.)
Pictures
F-15E1 in-flight with testing AIM-120 AMRAAM loaded into the CWB.
The design card for the F-15SE
The additional wing pylon that would give the F-15SE access to 4 more missiles.
The mockup of the F-15SE with dummy AMRAAM’s in the CWB.
Cockpit layout for what the F-15SE would have gotten.
Visualised F-15SE CWB weapons load.
F-15E1 Test Fire AIM-120 Video
- Yes
- No
- Tech Tree Vehicle
- Squadron Vehicle
- Event Vehicle
- Premium Vehicle
- I said no
- 13.7
- 14.0
- 14.3
- 14.7
- 15.0
- 15+
- I said no
Sources (For the SE as they contain information about F-15E1
The Aviation Geek Club - Here’s why although the F-15SE Silent Eagle could have an RCS less than one-fifth of the original F-15 Eagle it was never built
National Security Journal - Boeing’s F-15SE Silent Eagle Fighter Just Wasn’t Stealth Enough
E-Scholarly Community Encyclopedia - Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle
ParkFlyers International - Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle G2R
Air Space Tech - F-15SE Silent Eagle
Thai Military and Asian Region - Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle
Airforce Technology - Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle
Defense Update - Silent Eagle F-15SE
Simple Flying - Why The Stealthy Silent Eagle F-15 Variant Didn’t Take Off With The USAF
Wikipedia - McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle (Proposed Variants)
19 Forty Five - F-15SE Silent Eagle: The Stealth Fighter the Air Force Didn’t Want
Defence Aviation - Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle Specification & Technical Data