Boeing has officially rolled out its new advanced F-15 fighter jet variant, F-15QA named as Ababil, for the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF).
After the completion of pre-delivery pilot training, the first set of F-15QA aircraft will ferry to Qatar later this year.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The pre-delivery pilot training began earlier this year and the company is already providing maintenance and logistics support for the QEAF.
US Air Force 9th Air Force commander lieutenant general Greg Guillot said: “The rollout of the F-15QA is momentous, not just in terms of capability but also in terms of the enhanced partnership it represents.
“The relationship the United States shares with Qatar is critical to the stability and security of the central command area of responsibility, and we are grateful for our coalition partner’s continued focus on building interoperability and combined readiness.
“It is a privilege and honour to stand with our Qatari counterparts this day and every day.”
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataThe company will establish and operate an aircrew and maintenance training centre for the QEAF at Al Udeid Air Base by 2024.
In 2017, Boeing secured a $6.2bn contract to manufacture 36 F-15 fighter jets for the QEAF.
In 2016, the US gave clearance to a potential foreign military sale of 72 F-15QA aircraft to Qatar for $21.1bn.
Boeing concluded the first flight of the F-15QA fighter jet in April last year. During its 90-minute mission, the F-15QA demonstrated its manoeuvrability at the time of its vertical ‘Viking’ take-off and by pulling nine Gs, or nine times the force of Earth’s gravity.
