Boeing

An F-15K, built by Boeing [NYSE:BA] for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF), simultaneously dropped three Mk-82 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs) during testing at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., scoring three direct hits.

"These were the first guided releases of JDAM from an F-15K and they all went extremely well," said John Heilmann, F-15K program manager. "Whether it's air-to-air, air-to-sea, or in this case air-to-ground, the F-15K is living up to its billing as the world's most capable multi-role fighter."

The Mk-82 JDAM releases are part of an integration program that will certify the F-15K to carry up to 12 Mk-82 (500 lb.) JDAMs on the aircraft's conformal fuel tank pylon stations. The F-15K will be the first F-15 variant anywhere to have this capability.

For the test, three JDAMs were released simultaneously from an F-15K at Mach 0.9 at an altitude of approximately 20,000 feet, hitting their ground-based target points within an average 2.1 meters.

The F-15K can perform missions day or night, in virtually any weather carrying more than 23,000 pounds of payload, including the JDAM, Harpoon Block II, Standoff Land Attack Munition Expanded Response (SLAM ER), Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile and AIM-9X Sidewinder missiles.

Korea has received the first four of 40 F-15K for the ROKAF with the remainder of the fighters being delivered through August 2008. The first two aircraft were delivered last October during the Seoul Air Show.