F-15 Silent Eagle: South Korea Rejects Boeing Fighter Jet, Cites Stealth Issues
Boeing said in a statement this week that it was "deeply disappointed" after South Korea rejected the aircraft company's bid to provide 60 fighter jets.
The Korean nation deemed the F-15 Silent Eagle jet too vulnerable in terms of stealth capabilities and said that it would be unable to keep up with rival North Korea's warmongering nuclear threats.
After it was all said and done, South Korea did say it would reopen the tender but an official date was not mentioned.
Boeing said it "rigorously" followed South Korea's arms standards throughout the entire process but ultimately the nation wasn't happy enough with the result. According to the Associated Press, South Korea has a history of purchasing jets from the United States and it comes as no surprise considering the friendly relationship between the two nations as they try to keep North Korea at bay. The U.S. stations 28,500 troops in South Korea to help defend against any further aggression from the nation's rivals to the north.
In recent days, the South Korean government was advised by the media as well as retired military experts not to pursue the F-15 jet due to the lack of stealth capabilities compared to other similar jets.
In a recent letter sent to President Park Geun-hye, the military officials collectively pushed the South Korean president to reconsider.
"Only with stealth capabilities can (warplanes) covertly infiltrate North Korea and get rid of its nuclear threats," the letter said.
According to the Wall Street Journal, this jet was the best one to fit under South Korea's budget. South Korea is looking to update an aging fleet of planes.
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