Friday, March 12, 2010

Saudi Arabia to Purchase Two Additional Squadrons of F-15s

Posted by newsonline at 10:02 PM 0 Comments

The Middle East newsline has confirmed that Saudi Arabia has advanced in negotiations to purchase a fighter jet from the United States.

The Saudi leadership, in wake of receiving the first Eurofighters, has been examining the U.S.-built F-15 for a procurement contract in 2010. They said Saudi Defense Minister Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz has supported the prospect of an additional purchase of at least two squadrons of F-15s in a deal that could top $5 billion.

“The assessment is that the Royal Saudi Air Force requires a platform that it is comfortable with, yet much more advanced than those it now operates,” an industry source said.The Saudi air force operates about 150 F-15s, purchased in the 1970s and 1990s. The sources said Riyad has been briefed on the option to develop a stealth version of the F-15E.