"Just a nice Picture...!"
Best picture so far of a Qatar Emeri Air Force (QEAF) Boeing F-15 Qatar Advanced. Our friend and contributor Dan Stijovich captured RHINO 01 on its Return to Base into Palmdale (CA) on 12 November 2020. This is F-15QA serial 17-0001 is destined for the QEAF and made its first flight on 14 April 2020. The aircraft is part of a 2017 Foreign Military Sales programme, worth some USD 12 billion, that involves 36 Eagles along with associated equipment and support services.
The Qatar Advanced Eagle is a derivative of the F-15 "Saudi Advanced," version that is flown by Saudi Arabia. Boeing says that the F-15QA is the most advanced production version of its F-15 Eagle series to date. The airframe includes an integrated AN/AAS-42 Tiger Eyes Infrared Search and Track (IRST) system, a robust digital electronic warfare suite, the world's fastest mission computer, a Raytheon AN/APG-82(V)1 active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar, a redesigned glass cockpit with a new Head Up Display which is added a single, large, customizable flat-screen displays. The structure of the Eagle is well improved, so its stronger than any other Eagle. The Eagle is also equipped with two additional underwing pylons so its able to carry up to sixteen AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) at once.
The QEAF F-15QAs will replace the air forces Mirage 2000-5 fleet and the country took option in the aforementioned contract for another 36 airframes.
Photo by Dan Stijovich