Boeing recently completed the final assembly of the first F-15K Strike Eagle fighter aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF).

“We are very pleased to see our first F-15K begin its final assembly and look forward to its completion and first flight,” said Col. Lim, ROKAF Senior National Representative for the Republic of Korea Air Force.

During final assembly in St. Louis, the F-15K forward, center, and aft fuselage assemblies were joined, followed by the wing assemblies. Once the structural splice was completed, mechanical and electrical subsystems were installed and checked out. Assembly was completed in October. The first F-15K flight will take place in March 2005 and the first two aircraft will be delivered in October 2005.

The Korean Air Force selected the F-15K Strike Eagle as the winner in its Next Generation Fighter Program in 2002. Valued at $4.2 billion, Boeing will deliver 40 F-15Ks with associated weapons beginning in 2005 and ending in August 2008.

“Initiating these major milestones on schedule shows how committed we are to delivering the world’s finest fighter on-time to the ROKAF,” said Steve Winkler, Boeing F-15K program manager.

The F-15K is an advanced derivative of the U.S. Air Force F-15E, the world’s most capable long-range, multi-role fighter. It can perform air-to-ground and air-to-air missions during the day or at night, in virtually any weather. It can carry more than 23,000 pounds of payload, reach Mach 2.5, and incorporates the latest military technologies. These include the APG-63(V)1 radar, a third-generation forward looking infrared system, a helmet-mounted cueing system, and weapons-control systems that support advanced weapons such as the Joint Direct Attack Munition, Standoff Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response, Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile, and AIM-9X Sidewinder missile.