IDF F-15s

Yes old I know…..

Date Posted: 03-Oct-2003

INTERNATIONAL DEFENSE REVIEW – NOVEMBER 01, 2003

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Improved Israeli F-15 AUP displayed in Poland
Grzegorz Holdanowicz

The Heyl Ha’avir (Israeli Air Force – IAF) publicly revealed its upgraded Boeing F-15D multirole fighters during the recent international air show in Radom, Poland. The upgraded aircraft are known as Baz Meshopar (Eagle Improved) but are also referred to as the F-15 AUP (Avionics Upgrade Program). The first upgraded aircraft was rolled out at Tel Nof air base, Israel, in August 1998, and the first serial upgrades returned to service during early 2000.

According to Israeli spokesmen, the upgrade package was developed by IAF engineers in co-operation with Elbit Systems and work begun in 1995. In general, the package resembles the US Air Force (USAF) F-15 Multi-Stage Improvement Program, although it was implemented with a significant element of Israeli-built electronics and avionics.

In March 2001, the USAF’s Warner Robins Air Logistics Center avionics management directorate software division confirmed that it had “delivered the final software operational flight program suite to the Israeli air force recently, finalizing a six-year effort to upgrade that country’s F-15 fleet”.

According to Dawn Etheredge, the USAF’s IAF avionics upgrade primary program manager, the USAF engineers “provided hardware and software modifications and upgrades of the Israeli fleet to incorporate advanced medium-range air-to-air missile capability”.

She also said: “The program demonstrated the level of confidence the IAF had in [Warner Robins’] ability to support them throughout the program… The modification has been supported via a two-phase integration approach”. The first phase, she said, consisted of hardware and technical integration expertise, while Phase Two involved software developments.

According to the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center, by 2001 the AUP effort had been “in full development and implementation for the past six years and the IAF has modified 20% of their fleet and will soon have [AIM-120] AMRAAM [Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile] capability”. The IAF team engineers and pilots participated in Baz Meshopar flight tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida.

The aircraft shown in Radom belonged to the Tel Nof-based Tayeset (squadrons) 106 and 133. One of the aircraft flew from Israel with the Rafael’s AGM-142D Popeye air-to-ground TV/infrared- (IR-) guided missile and the latest variant of the IAI Elta’s EL/L-8222 electronic countermeasures pod, that was installed on forward, port-side fuselage weapon station.

IDR was told that the upgrade will bring all IAF early-model F-15s up to the standard closely resembling the F-15I Ra’am interdiction variant. The upgrade process should be concluded by the end of 2004 and, so far, all F-15B/D two-seaters have been brought up to the Baz Meshopar standard, with new avionics and electronics integrated around the MIL-STD 1553/1760 databuses. Incorporation of that standard would simplify any further modifications as well as integration of new weapon systems.

The upgrade, apart from the new databus and modern digital avionics covers, also includes installation of three new multifunction displays provided by Elbit Systems. The aircraft had earlier been equipped with Elbit DASH (Display And Sight Helmet) multifunction display helmet systems, supporting the Rafael Python 4 air-to-air missiles.

Reliable Israeli defense industry sources told IDR that Rafael AGM-142 Popeye missiles have been used operationally by IAF F-15D crews for “more than five years”. A single F-15 can carry two such missiles. Until now the F-4 Kurnass 2000 was the only confirmed IAF platform operating the AGM-142 family. The IAF has used Popeye missiles on its F-4s operationally for 10 years.

IDR was also told that the current variant of the AGM-142 is equipped with two different guidance systems: a Z-charge-coupled device TV with dual fields-of-view (4.5 x 3.4º and 1.6 x 1.2º) plus a Z-IR seeker seeing 4.4º and 1.5º. It is also capable of using two different warheads – either a 77kg (170 lb) penetrator or a 150kg (330 lb) blast-fragmentation type. Launched from low altitude (and aimed by a second aircraft), the AGM-142 can fly 45km, while release from high-altitude allows it to reach targets “located more than 70km away”.

A few questions will the upgraded F-15D AUPs get the APG-70I radar? It does mention this upgrade is to bring them up the same stanard as the F-15I.

Will the F-15D AUP make use of other F-15I weapons such as the AGM-65 and JDAM?

(Plus this gives me an excuse to post IDF/AF F-15 pics 😀 )