WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio – Military avionics experts at the Boeing Co. will upgrade South Korea's fleet of 59 F-15K jet fighter-bombers under terms of a $2.8 billion contract announced Friday.
Officials of the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, are asking the Boeing Defense, Space & Security segment in St. Louis for F-15K Republic of Korea aircraft upgrades.
Upgrades will involve the F-15K's radar, electronic warfare (EW), mission computer, warning, and cockpits systems. The F-15K is an advanced variant of the Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, customized for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF). It excels in multi-role missions like air-to-air combat, air-to-ground strikes, and anti-ship attacks.
The South Korea F-15K upgrade program launched in 2022 following U.S. Foreign Military Sales approval in November 2024 for a $6.2 billion package including radars and mission systems. It aims to extend the F-15K's service life into the 2040s by enhancing long-range strike capabilities, survivability, and interoperability with U.S. combat aircraft. The F-15K upgrades align the F-15K closely with the U.S. F-15EX Eagle II standard, including structural changes for new sensors.
$6.2 billion project
Upgrades will involve installing RTX Raytheon AN/APG-82(v)1 AESA radar for multi-target tracking at long ranges; the BAE Systems AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS); the Honeywell Advanced Display Core Processor II (ADCP II) mission computers; the BAE Systems AN/AAR-57 common missile warning system; and will redesign the F-15K's cockpit similar to the F-15EX layout with large-area displays and possibly a full-glass cockpit.
The first two upgraded F-15K jets, possibly designated F-15K+, are expected by late 2028.
Armament for the upgraded F-15K jet fighter-bomber will have the General Electric M61A1 or M61A2 20-millimeter cannon; the RTX Raytheon AIM-120C-5/7 AMRAAM long-range air-to-air missile; the RTX-Raytheon AIM-9 Sidewinder heat-seeking air-to-air missile; the Boeing AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER and AGM-84D/E Harpoon air-to-ground and anti-ship missiles; the Taurus Systems GmbH Taurus KEPD 350K cruise missile; and the Boeing Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM).
On this contract, Boeing will do the work in St. Louis, and should be finished by December 2037. For more information contact Boeing Defense, Space & Security online at www.boeing.com/defense/fighters-and-bombers/f-15ex-eagle; or the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at www.aflcmc.af.mil.
