Saudi Arabia F-15SA Deal Details Released

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 20 Oct 2010, 21:32

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.

http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/ ... _10-43.pdf

A couple of big points:

1. All existing F-15S fighters are to be upgraded to F-15SA.

2. IRST Included

3. Harm and Harpoons included

c5crewchief · by **c5crewchief** » 20 Oct 2010, 23:54

Wow, I didn't think the deal would include AIM9X, AIM120 C7, AESA and HARM. I didn't know the HARM was considered a defensive weapon. Wonder how the Israelis think about the Saudi F-15s armed with HARMs.

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 21 Oct 2010, 00:05

Well, it is the B version of the HARM instead of the current E. The B is from 1987.

http://www.designation-systems.net/dusrm/m-88.html

yakuza · by **yakuza** » 21 Oct 2010, 08:33

all the 4 saudi deals of yesterday are really strange,why 3 different Apache deals?
why HARM on F-15 when they always prefered ALARM on Tornado+EF2000 ?
I guess some shoppings are for other friends but paid by saudis,they did it in the past..just my 2 cents

geogen · by **geogen** » 21 Oct 2010, 09:08

Thnks for the info, Spud.

Some points of interest based on the above, from the top:

- GE-129 'Improved Performance Engines'? Improved vs a stock GE-129, or the base F-110?
- JHMCS broken up into two separate lists? 338x JHMCS + 462x JHMCS helmets? Maybe it's the actual electronic system described, which mounts to the helmet?
- 5,100x 2k pounders, wow... That would definitely qualify as deterrence.

So basically it's an F-15SG equiv sounding airframe (w/same radar)? Interesting though, no external tanks are included? Or maybe the wing tanks are standard issue? Standard CFT? At most, the F-15S have the 'FASTPack' CFT(?), or none at all, so their upgrade would apparently be to avionics and engines mostly as an Intercept variant perhaps and not so much configured for full weaps carry..

SpudmanWP · by **SpudmanWP** » 21 Oct 2010, 15:06

yakuza wrote:why 3 different Apache deals?

Three customers within the SA government.

Saudi Arabian Royal Guard
http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2010/Saudi_Arabia_10-46.pdf

Royal Saudi Land Forces
http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2010/Saudi_Arabia_10-45.pdf

Saudi Arabian National Guard
http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2010/Saudi_Arabia_10-44.pdf

One thing of note, all the 70mm rockets ordered are of the laser guided version.. that's new.

That_Engine_Guy · by **That_Engine_Guy** » 21 Oct 2010, 15:19

geogen wrote:GE-129 'Improved Performance Engines'? Improved vs a stock GE-129, or the base F-110?

Both the GE-129 and PW-229 are considered 'IPE' engines.

From the baseline F110/F100 designs they both had 'Improved Performance'

The PW-229 IPE now includes 'EEP' or 'Enhanced Engine Package', which improves durability/reliability there by reducing life cycle costs; but this did not result in increased 'performance'. The PW-229 EEP has taken the 4300 cycle TBO and increased it to 6000 cycles.

This still leads one to wonder why no one since UAE has purchased the GE-132?

:shrug:

TEG
(via Blackbury)

yakuza · by **yakuza** » 21 Oct 2010, 16:14

Oh,thanks Spudman it´s clear now!

boff180 · by **boff180** » 22 Oct 2010, 18:57

yakuza wrote:all the 4 saudi deals of yesterday are really strange,why 3 different Apache deals?
why HARM on F-15 when they always prefered ALARM on Tornado+EF2000 ?
I guess some shoppings are for other friends but paid by saudis,they did it in the past..just my 2 cents

I believe Alarm is no longer in production (stupid decision, the system is amazing) also from what I have read the decision has been made not to integrate Alarm onto Typhoon; would the Saudi's be willing to foot the bill alone?

Andy