Boeing has selected Raytheon’s active electronically scanned array radar to upgrade USAF’s F-15E Strike Eagles. The service already is upgrading F-15C models with Raytheon’s AESA radar. A company release states that the E model program would start in 2008 and “run parallel” with the C model upgrade to active duty and Air National Guard fighters. According to Jon Jones, president of Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, the AESA upgrade would extend operational capability for the E model through 2035. He said, “We’re confident this revolutionary radar will perform well beyond expectations.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.