The Perfect Soldier: Special Operations, Commandos, and the Future of Us Warfare by James F. Dunnigan |
Dirty Little Secrets
F-15SA
The U.S. has agreed to sell Saudi Arabia 84 F-15s. These are special models, similar to the two-seater F-15E, and unlike the single seat F-15s the Saudis already have. Israel protested selling the Saudis such advanced bomber technology, but the U.S. worked this out via secret discussions. The Saudi "F-15SA" will be similar to the South Korean version of the F-15E, the F-15K. This is a customized version of the 36 ton U.S. F-15E (a two seat fighter bomber version of the single seat, 31 ton F-15C fighter). Already in service for twenty years, the F-15E can carry up to 11 tons of bombs and missiles, along with a targeting pod and an internal 20mm cannon. The Saudi F-15SA sale is part of a larger, $30 billion arms deal. The Saudis would begin receiving their new F-15SAs in about four years.
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