Article Posted on : - Mar 09, 2012

The F-15 fighter jet.

WASHINGTON (BNS): The US Defence Department (DoD) has awarded Boeing a contract worth $11.4 billion to produce and supply 84 new F-15 fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

The contract, awarded under the US Government's Foreign Military Sales programme and as part of the original deal inked in December 2011, covers development of the new aircraft and retrofit as well as procurement of the 84 new production aircraft, the DoD announced on March 8.

The Obama administration had last year announced a deal worth $30 billion to sell the advanced F-15SA combat jets to the Royal Saudi Air Force.

The government-to-government agreement included the sale of 84 new F-15 fighters and an upgrade of 70 such fighters along with munitions, spare parts, training, maintenance and logistics.

Development of the new F-15 fighters is set to be completed by 2020.