Arábia Saudita recebe seus primeiros caças F-15SA

A Arábia Saudita incorporou no dia 25 de janeiro um novo lote de aviões de combate F-15SA, produzidos pela Boeing, durante a comemoração do 50º aniversário da King Faisal Air Academy, marcando sua fundação.

Apresentados pelo Rei da Arábia Saudita, Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, esses jatos F-15SA, também conhecidos como ‘Eagle Fighters’ se juntaram à frota da Saudi Royal Air Force (Força Aérea Real da Arábia Saudita) após um acordo com os Estados Unidos feito em 2012, para a compra de 84 unidades, informou a agência de imprensa saudita.

O príncipe Muhammad Bin Salman, vice-primeiro-ministro e ministro da Defesa, sublinhou a vontade da Arábia Saudita de fortalecer suas capacidades militares e de defesa modernizando suas forças armadas. O príncipe Muhammad disse que “o F-15SA irá proteger suas fronteiras, os locais sagrados, seus interesses nacionais, suas capacidades econômicas e manter a segurança e estabilidade para garantir a paz na região”.

O Comandante da Força Aérea Real da Arábia Saudita, general Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Otaibi disse que os aviões de combate F-15SA ajudarão o Reino a manter a segurança e a sua supremacia nos céus.

Como a variante mais avançada do F-15 Eagle construída até agora, o F-15SA apresenta pontos duros adicionais (de 9 a 11) e novo sistemas de armas; aviônica atualizada (com um cockpit digital “glass”, sistema de mira montado no capacete e capacidade de recuperação de desorientação); um Sistema de Guerra Eletrônica Digital BAE Systems/Common Missile Warning System (DEWS/CMWS); controles fly-by-wire; sistema de busca e rastreio por infravermelho (IRST); radar Raytheon AN/APG-63 (V) 3 de varredura eletrônica ativa (AESA); e motores mais poderosos General Electric F110-GE-129.

As entregas de 84 novos aviões e 68 F-15SA remanufaturados estavam originalmente programadas para serem executadas entre 2015 e 2019. No entanto, problemas no desenvolvimento empurraram essa programação para a frente em quase um ano. A Alsalam Aircraft Company da Boeing perto Riyadh está construindo os conjuntos de asas para as aeronaves remanufaturadas.

Segue abaixo a notificação ao Congresso feita pela DSCA (Defense Security Cooperation Agency) de 2010, sobre a compra dos F-15SA feita pela Arábia Saudita:

WASHINGTON, October 20, 2010 – The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress today of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Saudi Arabia of:

• 84 F-15SA Aircraft
• 170 APG-63(v)3 Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (AESA) radar sets
• 193 F-110-GE-129 Improved Performance Engines
• 100 M61 Vulcan Cannons
• 100 Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System/Low Volume Terminal (MIDS/LVT) and spares
• 193 LANTIRN Navigation Pods (3rd Generation-Tiger Eye)
• 338 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS)
• 462 AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggles (NVGS)
• 300 AIM-9X SIDEWINDER Missiles
• 25 Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM-9X)
• 25 Special Air Training Missiles (NATM-9X)
• 500 AIM-120C/7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM)
• 25 AIM-120 CATMs
• 1,000 Dual Mode Laser/Global Positioning System (GPS) Guided Munitions (500 lb)
• 1,000 Dual Mode Laser/GPS Guided Munitions (2000 lb)
• 1,100 GBU-24 PAVEWAY III Laser Guided Bombs (2000 lb)
• 1,000 GBU-31B V3 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) (2000 lb)
• 1,300 CBU-105D/B Sensor Fuzed Weapons (SFW)/Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD)
• 50 CBU-105 Inert
• 1,000 MK-82 500lb General Purpose Bombs
• 6,000 MK-82 500lb Inert Training Bombs
• 2,000 MK-84 2000lb General Purpose Bombs
• 2,000 MK-84 2000lb Inert Training Bombs
• 200,000 20mm Cartridges
• 400,000 20mm Target Practice Cartridges
• 400 AGM-84 Block II HARPOON Missiles
• 600 AGM-88B HARM Missiles
• 169 Digital Electronic Warfare Systems (DEWS)
• 158 AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Targeting Systems
• 169 AN/AAS-42 Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Systems
• 10 DB-110 Reconnaissance Pods
• 462 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System Helmets
• 40 Remotely Operated Video Enhanced Receivers (ROVER)
• 80 Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation Pods

Also included are the upgrade of the existing Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) fleet of seventy (70) F-15S multi-role fighters to the F-15SA configuration, the provision for CONUS-based fighter training operations for a twelve (12) F-15SA contingent, construction, refurbishments, and infrastructure improvements of several support facilities for the F-15SA in-Kingdom and/or CONUS operations, RR-188 Chaff, MJU-7/10 Flares, training munitions, Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices, communication security, site surveys, trainers, simulators, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistical support services, and other related elements of logistical and
program support. The estimated cost is $29.432 billion.

This proposed sale will enhance the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by strengthening our on-going strategically important relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

For the past twenty years the F-15 has been a cornerstone of the relationship between the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the RSAF. The procurement of the F-15SA, the conversion of the F-15S fleet to a common configuration, and the CONUS training contingent will provide interoperability, sustained professional contacts, and common ground for training and support well into the 21st century.

The F-15SA will help deter potential aggressors by increasing Saudi’s tactical air force capability to defend KSA against regional threats. The CONUS-based contingent would improve interoperability between the USAF and the RSAF. This approach will meet Saudi’s self-defense requirements and continue to foster the long-term military-to-military relationship between the United States and the KSA. Saudi Arabia, which currently has the F-15 in its inventory, will have no difficulty absorbing the F-15SA aircraft into its armed forces.

The proposed sale of this service will not alter the basic military balance in the region.

This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded.