Boeing unveiled the F-155E Silent Eagle in a ceremony at St Louis, Missouri, on March 17. The new variant began life as Project Monty in September 2008. The programme's aim was to make the F-15E Strike Eagle more stealthy and survivable by reducing radar cross section, adding a state-of-the-art digital electronic warfare system and by offering the option of internal weapons carriage.rnWithout new orders, Boeing's St Louis F-15 production line will close some time in late-2012 after it finishes work on the current backlog of 38 aircraft for Singapore and South Korea.rnBoeing hopes that the new variant will attract around 190 orders - 60 from Korea, 50 from Japan, 72 from Saudi Arabia and between eight and 16 from Singapore. Of these. South Korea, is viewed as the strongest prospect, since the RoKAF's F-X Phase III programme specifically calls for 60 aircraft in the F-15 class. Boeing is prepared to 'sweeten' the deal by offering some local industrial participation, including work in the detail design, development, and test of the new internal carriage system.
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