World’s Most Advanced F-15s Escort Air Force One as Trump Arrives in Qatar
Qatar scrambled a squadron of F-15QA fighter jets, considered the most advanced variant of the F-15 ever built, to escort President Donald Trump’s Air Force One as it arrived in Doha during his Middle East tour.
On May 14, White House officials released footage showing the Qatari Air Force’s F-15QAs flying in tight formation with the presidential aircraft over the capital. Another ground-level video captured at least seven F-15QAs shadowing Air Force One as it lowered its landing gear in preparation for touchdown.
Qatar is Trump’s second stop in the region. Earlier in the trip, Saudi Arabia also dispatched its F-15SA fighter jets to escort the U.S. aircraft through its airspace.
While countries aren’t required to deploy fighter escorts for visiting heads of state, such displays often serve as a symbolic gesture of respect and strengthened bilateral ties.
Qatar purchased 36 F-15QA jets in a 2017 deal with the U.S. valued at $12 billion, which included weapons, spare parts, and long-term maintenance support. The F-15QA is based on the F-15SA variant developed for Saudi Arabia and draws from the U.S. Air Force’s F-15E Strike Eagle platform.
Widely regarded as the most powerful version of the F-15 ever produced, the F-15QA laid the foundation for Boeing’s development of the F-15EX Eagle II, now entering service with the U.S. military.
The F-15QA comes equipped with state-of-the-art systems, including the AN/AAS-42 Tiger Eyes infrared search and track, and AN/APG-82(V)1 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar—an upgrade over the APG-63(V)3 radar used in earlier models.
The jet also features a completely redesigned digital cockpit, with a large flat-panel display similar to that of the F-35, replacing the analog dials and smaller screens of previous F-15 models. In combat, the F-15QA can carry up to 16 AIM-120 AMRAAM medium-range air-to-air missiles, offering unmatched firepower among twin-engine air superiority fighters.
(Sources: AFP, AP, Reuters)
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