Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle

The Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle was a modified F-15 Eagle with stealth characteristics, It was a concept developed by Boeing as an export-oriented, stealthier variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle. The F-15SE was designed with conformal weapons bays and other features aimed at reducing its radar cross section (RCS).^[6] Although marketed for export sales, the design was not selected for development and adoption by any military forces.

The F-15SE planned to incorporate several features to minimize its radar cross-section (RCS), making it harder to detect by enemy radar. The traditional vertical stabilizers were canted outward at a 15-degree angle to reduce radar reflections. Extensive use of radar-absorbent material (RAM)^[7] on the airframe helped absorb radar waves, further reducing the RCS. The F-15SE was designed to carry weapons internally, eliminating the need for external hardpoints that would increase the RCS.

The F-15SE was officially unveiled by Boeing on March 17, 2009, as a stealth-enhanced variant of the F-15E. It was designed primarily for foreign military sales,^[8] targeting countries that were restricted from acquiring the F-22 or seeking more affordable alternatives to the F-35.

The F-15SE was pitched to South Korea during its F-X fighter program. South Korea ultimately selected the F-35A in 2013,^[9] marking a major setback for the F-15SE. Other potential customers, such as Saudi Arabia, Japan, and Israel favored the F-15SA, F-15IA, or the F-35A.

By the mid-2010s, Boeing had shifted its focus to developing the F-15SA (Saudi Advanced), a less ambitious modernized evolution of the F-15 platform optimized for payload, range, and Open Mission Systems (OMS). Improvements include a new fly-by-wire system and, in later variants, the advanced cockpit originally intended for the F-15SE. The F-15SA became the basis for the Advanced Eagle family, eventually evolving into the F-15QA (Qatari Advanced) and the F-15EX. The F-15EX was intended to replace the F-15C/D primarily for the U.S. Air National Guard, would become the standard Advanced Eagle configuration for production and export.

The F-15SE was planned to feature an avionics suite based on the F-15E. It was planned to feature the APG-82 AESA radar, offering improved detection range, resolution, and electronic counter-countermeasures compared to earlier models. The F-15SE was planned to be equipped with the Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS),^[10] which could detect, track, identify, and categorize radar and electronic signals from potential threats, distinguishing between search, tracking, and targeting systems,^[11] as well as locate surface-to-air missiles, and perform jamming and deception against hostile radar. Its cockpit was planned to feature an 11x19–inch Large Area Display (LAD).^[12]

The F-15SE was planned to feature the AN/AAQ-33^[13] allowing for precision targeting in various operational conditions, The aircraft was planned to equip Link-16 for situational awareness and data sharing capabilities.

To reduce its radar cross-section (RCS), the F-15SE was designed with conformal weapons bays (CWB) replacing the standard conformal fuel tanks. This allowed for internal carriage of air-to-air missiles, such as AIM-120 and AIM-9, and air-to-ground weapons like Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) and Small Diameter Bombs (SDBs), minimizing external hardpoints.