One of the most exciting fighter jets now in development is the F-15SE Silent Eagle.

Stealth Fighter

The F-15SE Silent Eagle is a stealth fighter jet that is being developed by the Boeing Company. The F-15SE is being designed and built for the U.S. Air Force as a potential upgrade of the F-15E fighter jet. The original F-15 Eagle is a well known tactical fighter jet that first entered service with the U.S.

military in 1976 and had a storied combat career. The last of the original A / B model F-15 Eagle fighter jets were retired by the U.S. Air Force in 2009. The military is now looking to the next generation of F-15 fighter aircraft.

The F-15SE is an advanced version of the stalwart fighter jet, and boasts several unique features such as stealth capabilities, a high-tech electronic warfare system, radar-absorbent materials, and an internal weapons carriage. The aircraft is also lighter and more fuel efficient than previous versions of the F-15 fighter jet. Boeing first demonstrated the F-15SE Silent Eagle in March 2010 and the aircraft had its first flight in July 2010.

Foreign Sales

The F-15SE Silent Eagle can travel at supersonic speeds, with a top speed of Mach 2.5 – about 1,650 miles per hour. The plane typically has a crew of two people but can be flown with only one person. In terms of weapons, the F-15SE is armed with an M61 Vulcan Gatling gun that has 510 rounds of ammunition, and internal and external hard points that allow it to carry a variety of missiles.

The aircraft also has an advanced electro-optical targeting system and Infrared tracking system. 

Each F-15SE costs about $100 million to purchase. Boeing has announced plans to eventually sell the F-15SE outside the United States to countries such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea. As of 2011, Boeing was negotiating with the U.S. government over an export license that would allow it to sell the F-15SE Silent Eagle overseas.