Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle

The Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle is a proposed upgrade of the F-15E strike fighter by Boeing using stealth features, such as internal weapons carriage and radar-absorbent material.

On 17 March 2009, Boeing first displayed a F-15SE demonstrator. The F-15SE will use fifth generation fighter technologies, such as radar absorbing materials, to reduce its radar cross-section (RCS). Distinguishing features are the conformal weapons bays (CWB) that replace the conformal fuel tanks (CFT) to hold weapons internally (reducing fuel capacity) and the twin vertical tails canted outward 15 degrees to reduce radar cross section. Different levels of RCS reduction were studied.

The F-15SE shall have a level of stealth that the U.S. government allows for export, being optimized for air-to-air missions (against X-band radars) and much less effective against ground radars (which use other frequencies). Boeing stated that this stealth will only be in the range of fifth generation aircraft such as the F-35 Lightning II from the frontal aspect. The F-15SE will have a Raytheon AESA radar, and a new BAE Systems electronic warfare system. Weapons can be carried both internally and externally on hardpoints under each wing. New build F-15SEs will be lighter and more fuel efficient than Strike Eagle conversions due to the canted tails, fly-by-wire controls, and digital EW equipment; enabling two additional weapons stations on the wings.

In March 2009, Boeing formally launched the F-15SE for international sales; it was aimed at F-15 users such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan, and South Korea. Boeing estimated the unit cost as approximately US$100 million, including spares and support; its lower cost compared to fifth generation fighters was intended to appeal to the export market. In 2009, Boeing began tentative talks with South Korea over the Silent Eagle, but was unable to market it to international customers without an export license from the US government. Boeing filed for an export license in early 2010, and received it in July 2010. In August 2010, clearance was granted to export the F-15SE's radar cross-section treatments and electronic warfare suite to South Korea.