Boeing has won a contract valued at up to $2.8 billion from the US Air Force to modernise the Republic of Korea Air Force’s F-15K Slam Eagle fleet, the South Korean variant of the US-built F-15E Strike Eagle.
The agreement covers the design and development of an integrated suite of aircraft systems, although the US Department of Defense has not disclosed the specific subsystems involved.
All work will be carried out in St. Louis, Missouri, with the programme scheduled to run through December 2037.
The contract builds on a $6.2 billion foreign military sales (FMS) package approved in November 2024, which includes radar upgrades, mission systems, and associated support equipment for the F-15K.
Tailored to the operational environment of the Korean Peninsula, the F-15K Slam Eagle is designed for air-to-air combat, long-range deep-strike missions, and anti-ship operations.
It is especially optimised for attacks against hardened and underground targets, reflecting the challenge posed by North Korea’s extensive subterranean infrastructure, and complements South Korea’s fleet of F-35A stealth fighters.
Powered by General Electric F110 engines, the F-15K can carry Taurus long-range cruise missiles as well as domestically developed precision-guided weapons.
With a fleet of around 59 aircraft, South Korea’s F-15K modernisation programme is intended to extend service life into the next decade, enhance survivability and sensor performance, and maintain interoperability with US and allied forces.
