The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] has been awarded a $130 million U.S. Air Force contract to upgrade 16 Air Force and Air National Guard F-15C Eagles with the APG-63(v)3 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar.

The contract, which follows a similar agreement signed in September 2007 for seven aircraft, also includes initial spares and aircraft support.

"Boeing is proud to continue partnering with the Air Force and Air National Guard to provide this revolutionary technology to F-15 pilots to give them the best possible set of tools to ensure mission success," said Jim Means, director of Special Programs for Boeing Global Strike Systems.

Raytheon's APG-63(v)3 AESA radar builds upon APG 63(v)2 technology and the hardware advances of the F/A 18E/F Super Hornet's APG-79 AESA radar. It provides significantly enhanced performance and reliability at an affordable cost. The APG-63(v)3 upgrade is critical to maintaining the F-15C's air superiority today and in the future.

The APG-63(v)3 radar is the latest addition to the F-15C. Previous upgrades include a fighter-to-fighter data link, GPS navigation and the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System, enabling network centric operations while employing the latest air-to-air weapons.

A unit of The Boeing Company, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is one of the world's largest space and defense businesses specializing in innovative and capabilities-driven customer solutions. Headquartered in St. Louis, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems is a $32.1 billion business with 71,000 employees worldwide.