The Boeing F-15E Eagle has been in the service of the US Air Force since 1989. This aircraft has recommended itself well. However it becomes older and may need upgrades in the near future. Boeing began development of the new, upgraded and stealthy version in 2009. This aircraft was developed as a private venture. The official name of the advanced version is F-15SE Silent Eagle. So far there is only one unit, developed by Boeing, which made its maiden flight in 2010. Now this aircraft serves as a demonstrator. The cost of producing a single Silent Eagle is about $100 million. It is much more compared with the cost of building the standard F-15E Eagle. However, the new version seems to be far better.

   It seems that the F-15SE Silent Eagle is more advanced and capable than Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, or Russian Su-35. Once in service the Silent Eagle could be one of the world's most capable multi-role fighter. It can be also seen as an alternative to the Lockheed Martin F-35, which development has been plagued with delays and setbacks and cost overruns.

   However the future of Boeing F-15 Silent Eagle remains unclear. The US Air Force will probably want to upgrade the F-15E at some point, but only in the next decade. There are some possible customers from across the world. Israel seems to be most interested in purchasing the Silent Eagle. They even made an offer, but it was declined. Some sources report that Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia are also interested in obtaining this aircraft and the only factor that’s stopping them is high unit price.

   The F-15 Silent Eagle has many new features. One of the most important is that it has radar-absorbent coating. The aircraft has internal weapons bay, with four internal hardpoints. As a result the Silent Eagle has reduced radar-cross section and is more stealthier that its predecessor. Its stealth abilities were proven by the test flights.

   Weapon load is basically the same as on the F-15 Eagle. Its internal weapon bay with 4 hardpoints. Weapons can be also carried externally. The Silent Eagle can carry various air-to-air, air-to-ground missiles, precision guided munitions and bombs.

   The Silent Eagle uses the same type of engines as the F-15E. IT is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F100-229 afterburning turbofans that produce 129 kN of force. Performances of these two types of aircraft are pretty much the same, but a big difference can be seen in the avionics. The Silent Eagle is fitted with APG-82 AESA radar, digital electronic warfare system, infra-red search and track system, Lockheed Martin Sniper targeting system, and other advanced electronic systems.