The Obama Administration intends to sell 84 advanced F-15 fighters to Saudi Arabia under a proposed $30 billion arms package, according to press reports. Saudi Arabia already operates a fleet of F-15s. These new aircraft would be a more capable version, but the exact configuration has not been disclosed. The Wall Street Journal reported that the new Saudi airplanes would be comparable to the modern F-15s that Boeing has supplied to Singapore and South Korea in recent years. The company has also been developing a new F-15 variant called the Silent Eagle that has signature-reducing features. Boeing spokeswoman Pat Frost referred all questions regarding the sale to the US and Saudi governments. She did tell the Daily Report Tuesday that Boeing still believes that South Korea, which is looking to eventually procure more new fighters, will be the first Silent Eagle customer.
U.S. Air Forces in Europe is using one of its premier F-16 squadrons to develop and practice new tactics and weapons to counter drones. The exercise stems from the service’s experience in the Middle East, fighting off Iranian and Houthi attacks.