Improving the F-15J Eagle fighters turned out to be more expensive than planned in Japan. Therefore, instead of the 98 aircraft planned for modernization, only 68 will be upgraded to the Japan Super Interceptor (JSI) level. Yesterday, January 8, the portal janes.com He reported that the Japanese government has finalized the JSI program with a reduced number of upgraded aircraft. The Japanese Defense Ministry indicates that the estimated cost of the thirty-year life cycle of 68 Japanese Air Force aircraft, including modernization, will amount to 646.5 billion yen ($5.6 billion).
Render of the F-15 fighter in the JSI modification
Image source: thedrive.com
In July 2020, Japan agreed with the American Boeing Corporation to support the modernization of 98 Japanese F-15J/DJ Eagle interceptors. But the final figures for the cost of the program were higher than expected, so the number of aircraft had to be reduced.
The modernization program of the Japanese F-15 was named Japanese Super Interceptor (JSI). As part of the program, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will receive APG-82(v)1 radar with AFAR from the United States, as well as modern avionics and weapons control systems. In general, the Japanese JSI in terms of equipment will correspond to the latest version of the F-15EX fighter.
The F-15 Eagle is an American fighter of the 4th generation. The aircraft was developed in 1972 and entered service with the American Army four years later. Since 1976, more than 1,500 F-15 fighters have been produced in various modifications. In addition to the United States, these aircraft are in service with the armies of Japan, Saudi Arabia, Israel, South Korea and Singapore. As of March 2021, the Japanese Air Force had 201 single-seat (F-15J) and two-seat (F-15DJ) fighters.
The F-15EX is the newest version of the F-15 Eagle fighter. This version will receive fundamentally new radars, a computer system and protection technologies (electronic warfare and threat detection systems). The key feature of the F-15EX is the ability to carry more than 20 air-to-air missiles. Boeing indicates that the fighter airframe is designed for 20,000 flight hours, while the first versions of the F-15 required maintenance after 5,000 hours.
