F-15 Qatar advanced jet completes avionics and flight test
NewsApril 15, 2020
QATAR. Boeing completed the first flight of the F-15QA fighter, designed to be the most advanced version of the jet ever manufactured. Developed for the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF), the jet demonstrated its next-generation capabilities during its 90-minute mission. The flight took off and landed from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis.
Boeing’s flight test team, led by Chief Test Pilot Matt Giese, implemented a mission checklist to test the multirole aircraft’s capabilities. According to the company, the aircraft demonstrated its maneuverability during its vertical takeoff and by pulling nine Gs in its subsequent maneuvering in the test airspace.
Checks of systems such as avionics and radar were also completed. A test team monitoring the data in real time confirmed the aircraft performed as planned. The F-15QA brings to its operators next-generation technologies such as fly-by-wire flight controls, digital cockpit, modernized sensors, radar, electronic warfare capabilities, and a mission computer.
The U.S. Department of Defense awarded Boeing a $6.2 billion contract in 2017 to manufacture 36 F-15 fighter jets for the QEAF. Boeing will begin delivering aircraft to the customer in 2021. In addition, Boeing was awarded a U.S. Air Force foreign military sale contract in 2019 for F-15QA aircrew and maintenance training for the QEAF.
