South Korea to modernize F-15K Slam Eagle strike fighters following $2.8B contract with Boeing.

The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing a not-to-exceed $2.81 billion Foreign Military Sales contract to modernize South Korea’s F-15K Slam Eagle fleet, with an initial obligation of $540 million at award.

On January 30, 2026, the U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a not-to-exceed $2.81 billion Foreign Military Sales contract to modernize South Korea’s F-15K Slam Eagle fleet, with an initial obligation of $540 million at award. The program covers system design, development, and aircraft modifications through December 31, 2037. Work focuses on replacing avionics, sensors, electronic warfare, mission computing, and communications systems to sustain the F-15K's operational capability into the 2040s.
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All 59 F-15K Slam Eagle air superiority fighters are assigned to the 11th Fighter Wing, where they form the backbone of South Korea’s long-range strike force. (Picture source: South Korea Air Force)

On February 1, 2026, South Korea initiated a comprehensive modernization of its F-15K Slam Eagle fleet following the award to Boeing of a not-to-exceed $2,805,961,005 contract by the US Air Force covering system design, development, and modification work scheduled to run until December 31, 2037. The contract includes an initial obligation of $540,000,000 at award and is executed under a Foreign Military Sales framework. The scope focuses on replacing major avionics, radar, electronic warfare, mission computing, and communications systems, rather than limiting the effort to structural life extension. The stated objective is to maintain operational relevance into the 2040s while ensuring compatibility with allied air forces and sustaining South Korea’s long-range strike capacity.

The F-15K Slam Eagle is a variant of the F-15E Strike Eagle multirole strike fighter adapted to South Korea's operational requirements while retaining the core airframe, two-seat configuration, and strike-focused design of the original U.S. fighter. Compared with the F-15E, the F-15K incorporated enhanced mission systems from its entry into service, including different sensor combinations, tailored weapon integrations, and engine choices diverging from U.S. Air Force standards. From the outset, the F-15K was configured as a multirole strike fighter optimized for long-range precision attack, maritime strike, and air superiority tasks, reflecting South Korea’s emphasis on rapid response and deep strike capabilities across the peninsula and surrounding maritime approaches.

South Korea selected the F-15K in April 2002 under its FX fighter acquisition program after competition against several European and Russian fighters, by prioritizing interoperability, payload, and range. An initial $4.2 billion contract signed in June 2002 covered 40 aircraft, with deliveries beginning in October 2005 and concluding by October 2008, followed by a second procurement phase in April 2008 for 21 additional aircraft delivered between 2010 and April 2012. One F-15K from the first batch was lost in a 2006 training accident, and an additional aircraft was provided under the second contract, resulting in an operational fleet commonly cited at 59 aircraft. All F-15Ks are assigned to the 11th Fighter Wing, where they form the backbone of South Korea’s long-range strike force.

In terms of size, the F-15K is classified as a heavy air superiority fighter with a length of 19.43 m, a wingspan of 13.05 m, a height of 5.63 m, and a wing area of 56.5 m². The fighter’s empty weight is 14,379 kg, while the maximum gross takeoff weight reaches 36,740 kg, for a maximum external payload of about 13,400 kg. Propulsion differs by production batch, with the first 40 aircraft powered by General Electric F110 engines and the later 21 aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 EEP engines, each delivering thrust in the 29,000 lb class. With its two turbofan engines, the F-15K can reach a maximum speed of Mach 2.5, a service ceiling above 18,000 m, and a combat radius exceeding 1,800 km, depending on payload and fuel configuration, with ferry range extended through conformal fuel tanks and external drop tanks. These characteristics position the F-15K firmly as a long-range strike aircraft able to carry multiple precision-guided munitions, cruise missiles, and anti-ship weapons on a single sortie.

The cockpit is configured for a two-person crew consisting of a pilot and a weapon systems officer, operating within a fully digital glass cockpit. The avionics suite includes multiple color multifunction displays, upfront control panels, a wide field-of-view head-up display, and a Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System. Hands-on throttle and stick controls allow the direct management of radar, electronic warfare, navigation, and weapons systems by either crew member. Data exchange with other aircraft and command elements is enabled through Link 16, supporting coordinated operations and shared situational awareness. These features, central to the F-15K's combined operations, are directly affected by the contract awarded to Boeing.

With a price tag of about $100 million per aircraft, the F-15K could be armed with a broad spectrum of air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons while retaining the ability to carry fuel and sensors concurrently. Standard armament includes a 20 mm M61 cannon, AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-7 Sparrow, and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles. For strike and maritime missions, the F-15K can be armed with AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, AGM-84H/K SLAM-ER and AGM-130 air-to-surface missiles, along with laser-guided bombs, GPS-guided JDAMs, and small-diameter bombs depending on requirements. South Korea has also integrated the KEPD 350 Taurus cruise missile to improve its long-range precision strike capability against hardened and high-value targets. This weapons flexibility is a key factor in the South Korean decision to modernize its F-15K fleet rather than replace it in the near term.

Also included in the modernization effort, the sensor and protection suite of the F-15K centers on a combination of radar, electro-optical systems, datalinks, and integrated electronic warfare equipment. The F-15K is equipped with the AN/APG-63(V)1 radar, which provides air-to-air, air-to-ground, and maritime search modes, including tracking of high- and low-altitude targets, ground moving targets, and sea-surface contacts, as well as high-resolution ground mapping at extended ranges. For passive detection and targeting, the fighter integrates the AAS-42 infrared search and track system, supplemented over its service life by targeting and navigation pods, including the AN/AAQ-13 LANTIRN navigation pod, AN/AAQ-14 LANTIRN targeting pod, and later the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR, which became the standardized targeting pod across the fleet. Defensive protection is provided by a Tactical Electronic Warfare Suite combining the ALR-56C(V)1 radar warning receiver, ALQ-135 internal countermeasures jammer, ALQ-128 electronic warfare warning components, and the ALE-47 countermeasure dispenser system for chaff and flare deployment, enabling detection, identification, and response to radar-guided and infrared threats.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Ukraine, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.