WDS 2026: Saudi F-15SA Fighter Jets Demonstrate Combat-Ready Capabilities.

Royal Saudi Air Force F-15SA fighter jets performed during aerial demonstrations at the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh. Their appearance underscored the aircraft’s central role in Saudi air defense strategy and its deep ties to decades of U.S. defense cooperation.

The Royal Saudi Air Force’s F-15SA fighter jets performed during aerial demonstrations at the World Defense Show 2026, underscoring the aircraft’s central role in the Kingdom’s air power structure. The advanced Boeing-built variant, acquired through a major U.S. Foreign Military Sales program, remains a cornerstone of Saudi air defense planning and a visible symbol of the long-standing defense relationship between Riyadh and Washington.
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The F-15SA during the aerial demonstrations at the World Defense Show 2026 in Riyadh (Picture source: Army Recognition)

The F-15SA, or Saudi Advanced, is currently the most modern F-15 variant in service with the Royal Saudi Air Force. It stems from a comprehensive program launched in the early 2010s to renew and standardize an already substantial heavy fighter fleet. Under this effort, Saudi Arabia ordered 84 newly built aircraft and initiated the upgrade of approximately 70 existing F-15S aircraft to the SA configuration, with deliveries completed around 2020. This modernization process provided the Kingdom with one of the most advanced F-15 fleets outside the United States.

Technically, the F-15SA combines the proven twin-engine F-15 airframe with an extensively updated systems architecture. It incorporates fly-by-wire flight controls, an active electronically scanned array radar capable of detecting and tracking multiple airborne targets at long range, and a digital electronic warfare suite designed to enhance survivability in contested environments. The fully digital cockpit supports mission management, the use of data links, and the integration of precision-guided air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons. With substantial payload capacity, extended range, and high-performance interception capabilities, the F-15SA is configured for the defense of a large national airspace and for sustained air superiority missions.

The flight demonstrations at WDS 2026 showcase these operational characteristics. The maneuvers performed emphasize the aircraft’s combination of thrust, endurance, and maneuverability, while illustrating its function as a multirole platform within an integrated air defense structure. The F-15 aircraft are therefore part of the WDS 2026 air show not as a legacy system, but as an operational platform that continues to shape Saudi air force planning.

Within the Royal Saudi Air Force, the F-15 remains the backbone of combat aviation. The total fleet is assessed at approximately 210 aircraft across all variants, placing Saudi Arabia second worldwide after the United States in terms of F-15 inventory. The F-15SA operates alongside F-15C and F-15D air defense fighters and upgraded F-15S aircraft, forming a coherent force structure intended to ensure air superiority, territorial defense, and the protection of strategic infrastructure, including energy facilities, ports, and major urban centers. These aircraft also contribute to the monitoring of key maritime approaches in the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf, in coordination with airborne early warning platforms, aerial refueling tankers, and ground-based air defense systems.

The operational use of the F-15SA is structurally linked to cooperation with the United States. Designed and manufactured by Boeing, the F-15 platform is supported by shared standards in training, maintenance, and operational doctrine, facilitating interoperability with the U.S. Air Force and partner air forces. This alignment enables regular joint exercises, real-time tactical data exchange, and integration into broader air and missile defense architectures, particularly in a regional environment characterized by the proliferation of long-range missiles and unmanned systems.

By featuring the F-15SA at WDS 2026, Riyadh underscores its commitment to sustaining a modernized heavy fighter platform that is already deeply integrated into its force structure. For Boeing, the F-15 program continues to demonstrate adaptability and long-term relevance, supported by an established industrial and logistical base. At the same time, this trajectory does not preclude future fleet evolution. Periodic discussions regarding a potential acquisition of the F-35 Lightning II indicate Saudi interest in fifth-generation capabilities, although no formal decision has been confirmed. In that context, the F-15SA remains a durable pillar of Saudi air power and could operate alongside next-generation aircraft as part of a diversified combat aviation structure in an evolving strategic environment.