(DEFENCE SECURITY ASIA) – Boeing has been awarded a $450.5 million (RM2 billion) contract by the United States Air Force (USAF) to support the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s (JASDF) F-15 fighter jets to “Super Interceptor” variant.
Under the contract, approximately 70 of Japan’s more than 200 F-15 fighter jets will be upgraded as part of the Super Interceptor Program.
Facilitated through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, Boeing will acquire the necessary systems to upgrade the JASDF’s F-15J fleet.
Key components of the upgrade include the Raytheon APG-82(v)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, Boeing’s Advanced Display Core Processor II (ADCP II), and the AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) developed by BAE Systems.
This program will provide the 1980s-era aircraft with capabilities nearly equivalent to the latest iteration of the F-15, the F-15EX Strike Eagle II.
The work will be carried out in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by February 2030.
These upgrades will significantly enhance the operational capabilities and situational awareness of Japan’s air defense fleet.
Additionally, the Japan Super Interceptor variant will be capable of launching Lockheed Martin’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM).
With a range of up to 575 miles (925 kilometers), the JASSM-ER-equipped aircraft will pose a significant threat to Chinese warships across the western Pacific region.
The air-to-surface missiles will complement the 400 Tomahawk land-attack and anti-ship cruise missiles that Japan purchased from the United States earlier this year.
Japan F-15J
The Mitsubishi F-15J, a domestically manufactured version of the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle, serves as the primary interceptor aircraft of the JASDF.
The Japan Super Interceptor program, initiated in 2019, faced a temporary halt in 2020 due to rising costs, partly attributed to the need for a new production line and the adoption of a more advanced electronic warfare system.
The Japanese government eventually included funding for the modernization of 68 F-15J aircraft in its fiscal year 2022 budget.
According to the World Air Forces 2024 report, the JASDF currently operates 155 single-seat F-15J and 44 two-seat F-15DJ aircraft, some of which have already been upgraded under the Japan Multi-Stage Improvement Program (J-MSIP).
Japan’s Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Agency (ATLA) has emphasized that these upgrades are vital for national security, particularly amid rising regional tensions and the advancements in military technology by China and North Korea. — DSA