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Hello everybody. Today, I’d like to introduce and suggest the F-15SA Eagle, the very first member of the F-15 Advanced Eagle family, to War Thunder. This upgraded, highly advanced version of the F-15S was specifically developed for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF). Packed with modern digital systems and enhancements, it significantly boosts both performance and versatility. First taking flight in 2013, the F-15SA was introduced to modernize the RSAF’s fleet, supplementing (and later upgrading) their older F-15S strike fighters.
- Multirole strike fighter/air superiority fighter
- Fully digital fly-by-wire system
- AN/APG-63(V)3 AESA radar
- New F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofan jet engines
History
BackgroundThe Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, originally developed by McDonnell Douglas before the companies merged, emerged from the US Air Force’s Enhanced Tactical Fighter program launched in March 1981. Later renamed the Dual-Role Fighter competition, this initiative sought to replace the F-111 Aardvark fleet with multirole strike fighters capable of conducting deep interdiction missions independently without requiring fighter escorts or dedicated electronic warfare support. While the F-15 was initially conceived as an air superiority platform, engineers secretly explored adapting it for ground attack roles despite official resistance. The F-15E ultimately won the competition due to its relatively low development costs and the inherent survivability of its twin-engine design.
The USAF began receiving F-15E Strike Eagles in 1988, with the aircraft proving its combat worth during the 1991 Gulf War, its first major operational deployment. Since then, F-15Es have participated in nearly every US military operation in the Balkans and Middle East, establishing themselves as the Air Force’s premier strike platform. Continuous upgrades have extended its service life and enhanced its capabilities. Boeing developed several export variants, including the F-15I for Israel, F-15S for Saudi Arabia, F-15SG for Singapore, and F-15K for South Korea, allowing these nations to replace aging F-4 Phantom fleets or meet specific operational needs.
Boeing pursued further evolution of the F-15E platform with the F-15SE Silent Eagle, unveiled in 2009. This ambitious design incorporated modern stealth features like conformal weapons bays for internal armament storage and radar-absorbent materials. Its twin vertical tails were canted outward 15 degrees to reduce radar cross-section. Marketed as the first exportable fighter with stealth characteristics, the Silent Eagle targeted customers including Saudi Arabia, Israel, Japan, and South Korea. However, despite producing a mockup and a demonstrator, the project never progressed beyond development as potential buyers chose other options.
Shifting focus from stealth enhancements, Boeing refined the F-15E platform for international customers through the F-15 Advanced Eagle family. The F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) and F-15QA (Qatari Advanced) represented key developments in this lineage, replacing outdated hybrid electronic/mechanical controls with a fully digital fly-by-wire system that improved reliability and extended airframe life. These variants incorporated lessons from earlier exports like South Korea’s F-15K Slam Eagle and Singapore’s F-15SG while integrating select technologies from the F-15SE program. These advancements ultimately laid the groundwork for the F-15EX Eagle II for the US Air Force.
Enter the F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) EagleBefore the 1980s, the Royal Saudi Air Force maintained a modest fleet compared to neighboring air forces, but this changed dramatically with three major acquisitions. In 1981, Saudi Arabia procured over 120 F-15C/D fighters, followed by 70 Panavia Tornados in 1993 to bolster strike capabilities. The mid-1990s saw the delivery of 72 F-15S aircraft - a Saudi-specific F-15E variant - making the RSAF the world’s second-largest F-15 operator after the United States.
Saudi Arabia initially showed interest in Boeing’s stealth-focused F-15SE Silent Eagle in 2009 but ultimately chose to enhance the proven F-15S platform instead. This decision culminated in a historic $29.4 billion agreement signed on December 29, 2011, for 84 new F-15SA aircraft, representing the first member of Boeing’s Advanced Eagle family. The deal was complemented by a June 2012 Foreign Military Sales agreement to upgrade over 60 existing F-15S aircraft to F-15SR (Saudi Retrofit) standard, further solidifying Saudi Arabia’s regional air dominance.
The F-15SA incorporates the most advanced Strike Eagle technologies, blending improvements from export variants like South Korea’s F-15K and Singapore’s F-15SG with select F-15SE concepts. Powered by twin F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofans delivering thrust comparable to the F100-PW-229, the aircraft replaces outdated hybrid systems with a fully digital fly-by-wire flight control system. The modernized cockpit design restores two additional wing pylons, significantly expanding weapons capacity.
Key avionics include the Raytheon AN/APG-63(V3) active electronically scanned array radar for superior air-to-air and air-to-ground tracking, coupled with the BAE Systems AN/ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare System featuring an integrated Common Missile Warning System for enhanced survivability. The Lockheed Martin AN/AAS-42 infrared search and track system, nicknamed “Tiger Eyes,” can be mounted on the targeting pod pylon for passive detection of heat signatures. Pilots benefit from the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System and Link-16 datalink for networked operations, while the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper and AN/AAQ-13 LANTIRN pods provide precision targeting and night attack capabilities.
For air combat, the F-15SA carries AIM-9X Sidewinder and AIM-120C-7 AMRAAM missiles, while its strike arsenal includes AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER standoff missiles, AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, GBU-24 Paveway III laser-guided bombs, JDAM precision munitions, and conventional Mk 82/84 general-purpose bombs.
Deliveries and Operational ServiceBoeing rolled out the first F-15SA in April 2013 from its St. Louis production facility. Deliveries to the Royal Saudi Air Force commenced in December 2016 and concluded in December 2020. Today, these advanced fighters serve across multiple RSAF squadrons, including the Fighter Weapons School, No. 6 Squadron, No. 29 Squadron, No. 55 Squadron, and No. 92 Squadron, forming the cornerstone of Saudi Arabia’s air defense and precision strike capabilities.
Specifications
Boeing F-15SA EagleGeneral Characteristics
- Crew: 2 (Pilot and Weapon Systems Officer)
- Dimensions:
- Length: 19.45 m (63 ft 9.6 in)
- Height: 5.64 m (18 ft 5.64 in)
- Span: 13.05 m (42 ft 9.6 in)
- Wing Area: 56.5 sq m (608 sq ft)
- Powerplant:
- Type: 2 x General Electric F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofans
- Thrust (A/B): 262 kN (59,000 lbf) total
- Thrust (Dry): 151 kN (34,000 lbf) total
- Fuel Capacity:
- Internal Fuel: 5,858 kg (12,915 lb)
- Conformal Fuel: 10,100 kg (22,267 lb)
- Weights:
- Empty Weight: 14,380 kg (31,700 lb)
- Max. Takeoff Weight: 36,740 kg (81,000 lb)
- Payload Limitation: (13,400 kg) 29,500 lb
Performance
- Thrust-to-Weight Ratio: 0.93
- Speed:
- Sea Level: Mach 1.2 (1,482 km/h; 921 mph)
- At Altitude: Mach 2.5 (2,655 km/h; 1,650 mph)
- Wing Loading: 650 kg/sq m (133 lb/sq ft)
- Rate of Climb: 250 m/s (50,000 ft/min)
- Service Ceiling: 18,000+ m (60,000 ft)
- Range:
- Combat Range: 1,270 km (790 miles)
- Max. Range: 3,900 km (2,400 miles)
Weapons System
- Avionics:
- AN/APG-63(V)3 AESA radar
- Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System
- AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggles
- Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System
- Pods:
- AN/AAQ-13 Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night System
- LANTIRN Navigation (3rd Generation-Tiger Eye)
- AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Targeting System
- AN/AAS-42 Infrared Search and Track System
- Armament:
- Gun: 1 x 20mm M61A1 Vulcan (512 rounds)
- Hardpoints:
- Up to 12 Air-to-Air Missiles
- Up to 24 Air-to-Ground Munitions
- Air-to-Air Missiles:
- 4 x AIM-9X Sidewinders
- 12 x AIM-120C-7 AARAAMs
- Air-to-Ground Bombs:
- Mk.82 bombs (500-lb)
- Mk.84 bombs (2,000-lb)
- GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided bombs (500-lb)
- GBU-24 Paveway III laser-guided bombs (2,000-lb)
- GBU-31B JDAMs (2,000-lb)
- GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (250-lb)
- Air-to-Ground Missiles:
- AGM-84L Block II Harpoons
- AGM-84H SLAM-ERs
- AGM-88B HARM missiles
- AGM-154C JSOWs
- Countermeasures:
- AN/ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare System
- AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning System
- Chaff/flares dispenser system
I feel the F-15SA would be perfect to represent the Advanced Eagle series in-game, as it combines cutting-edge air superiority and ground strike capabilities, becoming the RSAF’s most capable jet. Furthermore, adding it as a premium aircraft in the US tech tree could give players a greater research boost before reaching 5th-gen fighters like the F-22 and F-35.
- Saudi Arabia - Various Munitions and Support
- Saudi Arabia – F-15SA Aircraft | Defense Security Cooperation Agency
- An in-depth look at Saudi Arabia’s advanced F-15SA fleet
- Saudi Arabian F-15 Peace Sun
- F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) | Thai Military and Asian Region
- McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle - Wikipedia
- Boeing F-15EX Eagle II - Wikipedia
- Royal Saudi Air Force - Wikipedia
