Boeing is considering developing an electronic attack version of the F-15EX “Eagle II” for SEAD/DEAD missions, as a successor to the EA-18G Growler.
«We are evaluating the technical feasibility of combining EA-18G-like capabilities with the F-15EX platform», Boeing executive director of business development Rob Novotny said during a press conference at the Farnborough International Airshow
As reported by Aviationweek, Novotny clarified that the study is at an “incipient” stage. Boeing is already studying the interest that a SEAD/DEAD variant of the F-15EX could arouse in potential customers within NATO, such as Poland, but is also prospecting F-15 operators in the Indo-Pacific region, such as Japan or South Korea.
See also: Boeing to upgrade South Korea’s F-15K fighters with F-15EX electronics
“Modern aerial combat requires command of the electromagnetic spectrum, and this platform would lead the way into the next decade or two,” Novotny stated.
F-15EX, a platform for every occasion
The F-15EX was born primarily to excel in the air-to-air arena as a “missile truck” that, along with its powerful radar and advanced self-defense system, would seek to overwhelm enemy fighter jets by launching a barrage of guided missiles.
But like the original F-15 Eagle, which proved to be a highly versatile platform for other missions, such as long-range ground attack (and hence the F-15E variant), the Eagle II will also be able to take on other roles, thanks to its range, power, speed, payload, number of hardpoints and the advanced computing capability of its ADCP-II mission computer (the fastest in the world).
Surely a SEAD/DEAD version of the F-15EX will involve the integration of anti-radar weaponry such as the AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile Extended Range (AARGM-ER) and the Next Generation Electronic Warfare (NGJ) pods, originally developed for the U.S. Navy’s EA-18G Growler. It remains to be seen which solution Boeing chooses to install the electronic intelligence gathering (ESM) systems, which on the Growler are housed in small pods on the wingtips.
But the F-15EX has plenty of space and cargo capacity, so the installation of pods, advanced decoys or other offensive and defensive weaponry should not be a hassle. Certainly the potential to turn it into an electronic attack aircraft is there.
