Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON
Boeing's hopes of keeping the F-15 fighter production line open beyond early next year rests on an order from Israel, following its failure to dissuade Greece from purchasing additional Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds and Dassault Mirage 2000-5s.
The company's St Louis plant is to deliver its final outstanding F-15 order in the first quarter of next year. Boeing confirms that its disappointment at losing the Greek competition leaves the offer of extra F-15Is to Israel as its "firmest and nearest" sales possibility.
Israel has asked Boeing and Lockheed Martin for pricing on aircraft ranging in quantity between 30 and as many as 110. Israel has left the question open so far of whether to order one type or split the purchase between the F-15 and F-16. A decision could come within the next few weeks, say sources.
Boeing has handed over the final three of 25 F-15Is to Israel, ordered in 1994 and 1995. Delivery of 18 remaining F-15S to Saudi Arabia, out of the 72 ordered in 1992, will be completed by the end of the year. The first of 17 USAF attrition replacement F-15Es has just been delivered and the final jet will follow early next year.
Production from June will be reduced from 3.5 F-15s a month to two. In an effort to close its widening production gap, Boeing had offered Greece delivery of F-15s as early as May next year. Normal production time is around 24 months, but the company is understood to have secured long-lead items in anticipation of a Greek and/or Israeli order.
Lockheed Martin, in the meantime, has closed the gap in production that was threatening to open up in 2001, with the planned Greek order for between 50 and 58 Block 50-plus F-16C/Ds and Egypt's purchase of another 24 Block 40 F-16s. Long-lead work on the latter is believed to have begun.
Source: Flight International
