Thailand Announces F-15T Contract

16-Jul-2007 15:30 |

DID has covered Thailand's bellwether fighter competition over the last 3 years, from the Jas39's Elimination, to Thailand's conditional order of accompanying American weapons and services for the F-15. DID also covered the announcement that the F-15E had beaten France's Rafale, adding some analysis of the award's impact on the global fighter market and where Thailand's order fit within that market's stratification. That last link will also contain any further updates regarding the deal.

Now Boeing and Thailand's Ministry of Defence have announced that a contract has been formally signed to produce 6 F-15T aircraft. The F-15T will be an advanced version of the U.S. Air Force's F-15E Strike Eagle, with minor customization to Thailand's specifications and the most up-to-date avionics available. The AN/APG-63v3 AESA radar will also be included , and there are rumours that a number of Israeli electronics and self-defense systems will be part of the F-15T as well. To power its fighters, Thailand has selected the more powerful GE F110 engine used in many F-16s, as opposed to Pratt & Whitney's F100 that powers some F-16s and most F-15s.

The result is an package that gives Thailand reasonable grounds to argue that it is flying the world's most advanced version of the F-15 Strike Eagle.

All 6 aircraft will be delivered in 2010-2011, and Thailand has an option for 6 more planes. Amounts were not disclosed, but previous reports have placed the contract value at around $500 million exclusive of options. As DID has noted, an associated weapons and services request could be worth another $350 million if all options are exercised.

Boeing has produced more than 1,500 F-15s during the past three decades. In addition to the USA, Israel, Korea, Japan,Saudi Arabia and Singapore operate F-15 fleets. The two-seat Strike Eagle variants, which add significant capabilities in the ground attack and precision strike role, are in use in the USA, Israel, Korea, Singapore and now Thailand.