Korean Air upgrades U.S. F-15s

SEOUL, March 20 (UPI) -- Korea Air has delivered the first rewired U.S. F-15 jet fighter under a contract to upgrade avionics on 60 of the aircraft.

Korean Air won a $400 million U.S. Air Force contract to upgrade and rewire the avionics on 60 F-15s last September.

The first delivery of an upgraded jet was made from Korea Air's Busan Tech Center, The Korea Herald reported. The aircraft are stationed in the Pacific region and the contract work is to be completed within the next four years.

Korean Air reported that under the terms of the contract it had replaced 15,000 Kapton wires used in the F-15's airframe with more elastic Teflon wires and ran tests to make sure all systems work to specifications.

The contract also calls for Korean Air to replace the F-15's tail wings and rewire them in accordance with the U.S. military's project to improve the fighters' combat strength.

Korean Air will also carry out maintenance work on the F-15s that it services.

Since 1983 Korean Air has repaired 530 F-15 fighter jets belonging to U.S. armed forces.