U.S. Air Force eyes upgrades, service-life extension for Boeing F-15s

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force will likely have to spend billions of dollars in coming years to keep its fleet of Boeing Co (NYSE: BA) F-15 fighter jets flying longer, and upgrade their capabilities, a top general said Tuesday.

General Hawk Carlisle, commander of Air Combat Command, said recent stress tests of the F-15C had revealed longer-term structural issues, and the airplanes might eventually need new wings and longerons.

He said the test results were still being evaluated, and the service life extension program, or SLEP, was unlikely to happen for several years, but he would argue in favor of adding new radars, radios and other upgrades at the same time.

"If I could find a way with resources, I would do everything I could when we put those airplanes in to ... fix the structural issues ... to try to do capability upgrades at the same time," Carlisle told reporters at the annual Air Force Association conference.

"Those airplanes are going to be in the inventory for a long time to come, and we have to get them as capable as we can," he said.

Boeing on Tuesday unveiled a package of possible upgrades for the F-15C that would double the number of air-to-air weapons it carried from eight to 16, while adding conformal fuel tanks to extend their range, and adding a long-range infrared sensor and an updated AESA radar.

The company said the aircraft would help the Air Force meet growing air superiority challenges given the fact that its planned purchases of Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE: LMT) stealthy F-22 fighter jets were curtailed.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Ken Wills)

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