TSAMTO, October 28. Boeing has sent to Qatar the first batch of F-15QA (Qatar Advanced) fighters ordered for the country's Air Force.
As the resource reports Scramble.nl, the first four F-15QA left the Boeing facility at St. Louis International Airport (pcs.Missouri) on the morning of October 27. The fifth F-15QA did not take off for unknown reasons.
It was planned that these four aircraft would be refueled by an air tanker KC-10A of the US Air Force (call sign Gold11) on the flight route to the Lakenkhet Air Base of the British Air Force, however, apparently, technical problems arose with the tanker and four F-15QA made an unplanned landing at Bangor International Airport (Maine) for refueling.
After refueling the fuel tanks, the squadron was supposed to fly to Leiknhet with an estimated arrival time in the evening of October 27. However, bad weather or a faulty KC-10A prevented the departure of F-15QA fighters.
The resource also reports that a few days before the departure of the first batch of aircraft in St. Louis, the following five F-15QA were identified preparing for departure (s.n. 17-0006, 17-0013, 17-0014, 17-0015 and 17-0016).
As previously reported by TSAMTO, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Qatar's Minister of State for Defense Khaled bin Mohammed Al-Attiyah signed a preliminary agreement of intent on the sale of F-15QA (Qatar Advanced) fighters for the Qatari Air Force on June 14, 2017.
Earlier, in November 2016, the US State Department approved the potential supply to Qatar under the Foreign Military Sales program of up to 72 F-15QA multi-purpose fighters, as well as weapons and services related to the contract. The total value of the sale was estimated at $21.1 billion.
In December 2017, the US Department of Defense signed the first contract with Boeing worth $6.173 billion, providing for the supply of 36 new aircraft in the F-15QA configuration to the Qatar Air Force under the Foreign Military Sales program. Boeing started assembling the first F-15QA (s.n. 17-0001) in August 2018. Its flight tests began in April 2020.
It is assumed that Boeing will complete deliveries of the F-15QA to the customer in 2023. They will replace the fleet of aging French Mirage-2000-5. The contract contains options for the supply of 36 more aircraft. If they are implemented, production will continue until 2026. In addition, until 2024, Boeing will create a training center for the training of flight and technical personnel of the Qatar Air Force at the Al-Udeid Airbase, and will also supply spare parts and provide logistical support services in Qatar after the delivery of aircraft.
The F-15QA is distinguished by new generation technologies, including remote control, digital cockpit, upgraded sensors, radar and electronic warfare equipment, and a high-performance onboard computer.
On August 25, 2021, Boeing announced the roll-out and naming ceremony of the first F-15QA fighter of the Qatar Air Force held jointly with the command of the US Air Force and the Qatar Air Force at the St. Louis enterprise. As it was announced during the event, the aircraft received the official name "Ababil" (Ababil).
The F-15QA (QA500) demonstrated at the event was equipped with a range of weapons, including the AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile, the AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missile, the AGM-84A Harpoon missile, the GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) precision aerial bomb. The aircraft was also equipped with AN AN/AAQ-28(V) "Lightening" container targeting system and an AN/AAQ-33 "Sniper" suspended targeting container, an integrated IR detection and tracking system AN/AAS-42 Tiger Eyes (IRST).
