Boeing awarded contract for Japan’s Super Interceptor

Aerospace giant Boeing has been awarded a $129 million undefinitized contract action for Japan’s F-15 Super Interceptor program.

This ceiling contract involves incorporating several engineering change proposals into the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s existing fleet of F-15s to enhance their capabilities. The project is part of a Foreign Military Sales agreement with Japan, emphasizing the nation’s ongoing efforts to modernize its air defense capabilities amid regional security concerns.

Work on the F-15 Japan Super Interceptor program will be conducted across multiple locations, including St. Louis, Missouri; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; El Segundo, California; and Hunt Valley, Maryland. The expected completion date for the contract is January 31, 2030. Funding for this contract includes $44 million from Fiscal Year 2024 Foreign Military Sales funds, which will be obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, based at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, is managing the contracting activity (Contract Number: FA8634-22-C-2705).

Japan’s F-15 fleet consists of 163 F-15Js and 36 two-seat F-15DJs, which were built under license by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), along with 14 additional aircraft assembled by McDonnell Douglas at its St. Louis facility. Unlike the United States Air Force, which opted to replace its aging F-15Cs with new F-15EX models, Japan has chosen to retain its 1980s-era F-15Js and upgrade them with new features derived from the Advanced Eagle, the current production standard of the aircraft.

While dubbed the “Super Interceptor,” the upgrade package for Japan’s F-15s will include the APG-82(v)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, which has already been retrofitted to the USAF’s F-15E Strike Eagles and is featured in the F-15EX. The integration of this radar system will enhance the aircraft’s air-to-air combat capabilities while also providing improved detection and targeting. Additionally, the potential inclusion of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) points to expanded multi-role capabilities, suggesting a nod towards transforming Japan’s F-15s into versatile platforms capable of executing long-range strike missions.

Back in 2017, there were reports indicating that Japan intended to transform its F-15s into cruise missile carriers for extended strike operations, an ambition that appears to align with these ongoing upgrade efforts. Boeing had previously offered the United States Air Force a similar set of enhancements for its F-15 fleet, known as the F-15 2040C upgrade package, but the USAF ultimately decided to proceed with acquiring new F-15EX aircraft instead.