JACKSONVILLE, Fla., April 13 (UPI) -- Defense contractor Boeing unveiled in Florida the first ANG F-15C fighter jet equipped with a new active scanned array radar for the U.S. military.
Boeing is under contract with the U.S. Air Force to upgrade 14 F-15Cs and 10 Air Force F-15C/D fighters with Active Electronically Scanned Array radar.
The AESA radar system installed on the F-15s combines with advanced hardware to form a high-performance system that is 50 times more reliable than previous versions, Boeing said.
Jim Means, a director at Boeing Global Strike Systems, said the new array radar "will greatly improve F-15 pilots' situational awareness, beyond-visual-range targeting, and weapon accuracy."
The new system also enhances the ability of pilots to find and track small targets at lower altitudes, which the company said would contribute to the defense of U.S. airspace. Means added that the latest version is easier to maintain than earlier models.
The radar is part of a series of upgrades planned to increase the service duty of the F-15 in its air supremacy role.
