BAE Systems has been awarded a contract to deliver AN/ALQ-250 EPAWSS to upgrade the Republic of Korea Air Force’s F-15K Slam Eagle fighter aircraft.
BAE Systems announced that it has been awarded a contract by Boeing to supply the AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survival System (EPAWSS) for the Republic of Korea Air Force’s F-15K Slam Eagle fighter upgrade. This development follows a contract with Boeing earlier this year and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) approval in 2024.
The upgrade program was launched in 2022 by the Korea Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), and the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is working with U.S. industry on behalf of the Republic of Korea Air Force and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The goal is to upgrade the ROK Air Force’s F-15K Slam Eagle fleet to a configuration similar to the F-15EX Eagle II, significantly improving long-range strike and survivability capabilities.
EPAWSS is included in the systems mentioned in the FMS bulletin. So far, there has been no confirmation that EPAWSS will actually be installed on the F-15K, as the systems mentioned in the notice do not necessarily reflect those that will be part of the contract.
The new Electronic Warfare (EW) suite will provide Korean pilots with 360-degree threat detection and more countermeasures. In addition to improving the F-15K’s performance in hostile, signal-dense electromagnetic environments, EPAWSS will improve interoperability with the U.S. Air Force.
“We are working closely with Boeing, the Republic of Korea Air Force and local industry teams to deliver the most technologically advanced EW system for the F-15K aircraft upgrade,” said Phillip Casalegno, BAE Systems’ F-15 International Program Director. “Our focus is to provide our allies with the EW capabilities they need to support regional stability and security.”
AN/ALQ-250 EPAWSS
The Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System is a state-of-the-art self-protection system designed to enable the F-15 to detect, identify, locate, deny, degrade, disrupt and defeat air and surface-to-air threats while operating in highly contested environments. This system replaces the previous self-protection suite installed on the Strike Eagle.
EPAWSS is fully integrated with radar warning, geolocation, and enhanced chaff and flare capabilities to detect and defeat ground and air threats in signal-dense and highly contested environments. This allows the system to freely maneuver and deeper penetration into the combat space protected by modern integrated air defense systems.
“EPAWSS is a leap forward in technology that increases the lethality and warfighting capabilities of the F-15E and F-15EX in competitive and challenging environments against advanced threats,” said Maj Bryant “Jager” Baum, EPAWSS test lead at the Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center (AFOTEC). “EPAWSS has set the standard for EW within the warfighter community.”
System manufacturer BAE Systems says EPAWSS is noticeably smaller and lighter than the F-15’s previous EW system thanks to its fully digital technology. EPAWSS also has wide instantaneous bandwidth and high-speed scanning capabilities to detect all RF threat classes, including modern agile threats with a low probability of intercept, it said.
Additionally, EPAWSS can increase the F-15’s chaff and flare capacity by 50 percent. Four dispensers (two for each fairing) can be added to the EPAWSS fairings behind the tail fin, for a total of 12 dispensers to accommodate 360 cartridges. These improvements are important because in modern scenarios, chaff and flares are often released preemptively to counter Man Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). This means Eagle can now use more countermeasures for better protection.
EPAWSS integrates cognitive electronic warfare to better identify signals received by the system. This capability was demonstrated at the Northern Edge 2023 large-scale force exercise test event, which tested EPAWSS’s ability to quickly respond to never-before-faced electromagnetic threats. The tests challenged the system’s ability to process in-mission sensor data, generate sophisticated techniques, and optimize waveforms in real time.
The Operational Test and Evaluation Director’s report notes that EPAWSS replaces functionally obsolete F-15 legacy tactical electronic warfare system components: the AN/ALR-56C radar warning receiver, the AN/ALQ-135 internal countermeasures set, and the AN/ALE-45 countermeasures dispenser set. The system also integrates with the F-15 AN/APG-82(V)1 radar and Advanced Display Core Processor II mission computer.
F-15K Upgrades
The $2.86 billion contract, awarded to Boeing in early 2026, includes “the design and development of a suite of integrated aircraft systems to support the modification of the F-15K,” according to a notice released by the Pentagon. As for contracting activities, it was mentioned that the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center acts on behalf of the Korean Air Force and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.
The notice further states that the work will be performed at Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by December 31, 2037. The schedule is broadly consistent with the Defense Agency’s original plan of 2024 to 2034, taking into account delays in contract award.
The FMS, approved in 2024, cited an estimated cost of $6.2 billion, covering both design and development and equipment and work to upgrade the aircraft, included in the contract with Boeing.
As part of the DAPA program, a number of components have been requested for upgrades, including 96 Advanced Display Core Processor II (ADCP II) mission system computers, 70 AN/APG-82(v)1 Active Electronically Scanned Arrays (AESA) radars, and 70 AN/ALQ-250 Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) EW radars, according to an FMS bulletin from the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). (EW) family and 70 AN/AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS).
The components included in the sale indicate that the ROK Air Force plans to upgrade its entire fleet of F-15Ks to a configuration similar to the new F-15EX Eagle II currently being delivered to the U.S. Air Force. Interestingly, the Korean configuration also includes CMWS, which is not currently installed on the EX, so the F-15K will require some structural modifications to add blisters to each side of the canopy rails where the sensors are installed.
The inclusion of aerial refueling support and aircraft ferry support in the FMS notification suggested that at least initial aircraft could be transported to the United States for modification before the remaining aircraft were modified domestically. References to work to be done in St. Louis further point to that possibility.
