F-15SA A Formidable Fighter, But Can It Compete with the F-35?

The Boeing F-15A Eagle, first flown in July 1972, was a premier air superiority fighter, unmatched by the Soviet Union. Over time, it evolved into the F-15E Strike Eagle, a multirole fighter that remains in U.S. Air Force service. However, the most advanced version of this jet, the F-15SA, has been ordered by Saudi Arabia, raising questions about its competitiveness against the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

In 2011, Saudi Arabia signed a $29.5 billion contract for 84 new F-15SAs and 70 upgrade kits, marking the largest foreign military sale in U.S. history. The F-15SA includes significant upgrades, such as a fly-by-wire flight control system and advanced APG-63 v.3 AESA radar. The aircraft is also equipped with BAE’s Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS), similar in capability to systems in the F-22 and F-35.

The F-15SA’s enhanced systems, including infrared search and track and large-format colour displays, make it a highly capable fighter. However, with the F-35’s stealth capabilities and strong U.S. government backing, it may dominate the fighter market in the long term. While the F-15SA is formidable, its success may be limited to specific regions like the Middle East or Asia, where the F-35 may not be available in the near term. Ultimately, fighter purchases are influenced more by geopolitics than by performance alone.