F 15 Airplane

The Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of F-15s, the service's premier fighter aircraft, after one of the planes disintegrated over eastern Missouri during a training mission, raising the possibility of a fatal flaw in the aging fighters' fuselage that could keep it out of the skies for months. Gen. T.

The Air Force is reviewing decades-old contracts to determine whether manufacturers of U.S. fighter jets bear responsibility for a defect that caused one of the planes to break apart in flight late last year, officials said Thursday. An investigation of the November crash of an F-15 showed that one of several support beams in the plane was thinner than design specifications required. That faulty part caused a failure that split the plane in two.

Ending months of suspense, Israel announced Thursday that it will buy 20 F-15E fighters from McDonnell Douglas Corp. for $2 billion instead of acquiring Lockheed Corp.'s F-16. "This is a great day for McDonnell Douglas and the F-15 program," said John P. Capellupo, McDonnell's executive vice president. The Israeli order was a major blow to Calabasas-based Lockheed, which had lobbied hard to sell Israel 42 of its F-16 fighters. Lockheed Chairman Daniel M.

The Air Force will probably order dozens of its F-15 fighter jets permanently grounded because of crucial structural flaws, significantly reducing the number of planes available to protect the United States, officials said Tuesday. After one of the jets broke apart during a simulated dogfight in November, Air Force officials grounded the entire F-15 fleet, nearly 700 planes in all, fearing such a defect.

Boeing Co. said it will take a $225-million third-quarter charge because of the limited market for its F-15 fighter, a mainstay in the air war in Kosovo. Boeing had projected orders for up to 24 of the planes this year but now expects to sell considerably fewer than that, a spokesman said. Boeing has stopped production at its F-15 plant in St. Louis. The charge against earnings comes on top of a $45-million charge taken in its second quarter after the company lost a bid to sell F-15s to Greece.

Boeing Co., the world's biggest aircraft maker and the largest industrial employer in Southern California, said it will take a $45-million pretax charge in the second quarter after losing a bid to sell its F-15 jet fighters to the Greek government. Dwindling orders for the F-15 and the F/A-18 fighter have already forced the Seattle-based company to announce the loss of up to 7,000 jobs, or 35% of its work force, at its military-aircraft division in St. Louis.

Saudis to Restructure Arms Payments: Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement under which the cash-strapped nation will restructure $9.2 billion in payments due over the next two years to five American defense contractors, U.S. defense officials said. The deal could also clear the way for a reported plan by the Saudis to buy $6 billion in commercial airliners.

Saudis May Give McDonnell a Boost: Saudi Arabia wants to buy 72 McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle jets, stars of the Gulf War, in a deal that could be worth $4 billion and save 7,000 jobs. If approved by the U.S. government, the tentative deal, announced at the Dubai Air Show in the United Arab Emirates, could extend production of the F-15 by two years--until 1995. The nation's largest defense contractor has faced severe financial pressure as U.S.

The Air Force has grounded its entire fleet of F-15s, the service's premier fighter aircraft, after one of the planes disintegrated over eastern Missouri during a training mission, raising the possibility of a fatal flaw in the aging fighters' fuselage that could keep it out of the skies for months. Gen. T.

Boeing Co. said it will take a $225-million third-quarter charge because of the limited market for its F-15 fighter, a mainstay in the air war in Kosovo. Boeing had projected orders for up to 24 of the planes this year but now expects to sell considerably fewer than that, a spokesman said. Boeing has stopped production at its F-15 plant in St. Louis. The charge against earnings comes on top of a $45-million charge taken in its second quarter after the company lost a bid to sell F-15s to Greece.

Boeing Co., the world's biggest aircraft maker and the largest industrial employer in Southern California, said it will take a $45-million pretax charge in the second quarter after losing a bid to sell its F-15 jet fighters to the Greek government. Dwindling orders for the F-15 and the F/A-18 fighter have already forced the Seattle-based company to announce the loss of up to 7,000 jobs, or 35% of its work force, at its military-aircraft division in St. Louis.

Boeing Co.'s recovery from two years of financial troubles suffered a setback Thursday as the aerospace company said a decline in orders for its F-15 fighter plane will force the elimination of 6,500 to 7,000 jobs. The job cuts will all take place at the company's massive St. Louis manufacturing operation and will represent about 35% of the work force there. The cuts will come from the ranks of management and union members and are expected to be completed by mid-2001.

Saudis May Scrap F-5 Replacement: Industry experts say the kingdom--the world's biggest aircraft arms importer--wants to phase out the warplanes and seek to replace its F-15s, first delivered in the early 1980s. The alternative program could come early in the next century as the McDonnell Douglas Corp. aircraft reach the end of their service life, analysts said. That contract, potentially worth more than $5 billion, could be finalized in 1996, a well-placed Arab source said.

Saudis to Restructure Arms Payments: Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement under which the cash-strapped nation will restructure $9.2 billion in payments due over the next two years to five American defense contractors, U.S. defense officials said. The deal could also clear the way for a reported plan by the Saudis to buy $6 billion in commercial airliners.

Saudis May Scrap F-5 Replacement: Industry experts say the kingdom--the world's biggest aircraft arms importer--wants to phase out the warplanes and seek to replace its F-15s, first delivered in the early 1980s. The alternative program could come early in the next century as the McDonnell Douglas Corp. aircraft reach the end of their service life, analysts said. That contract, potentially worth more than $5 billion, could be finalized in 1996, a well-placed Arab source said.

President Reagan is pressing ahead with the sale of additional F-15 jet fighters to Saudi Arabia, despite disclosures that the Saudi air force did not respond to a U.S. request to intercept the Iraqi jet that fired on a U.S. Navy ship in the Persian Gulf, the White House said Wednesday. Although the $500-million sale has the support of Defense Secretary Caspar W.

Ending months of suspense, Israel announced Thursday that it will buy 20 F-15E fighters from McDonnell Douglas Corp. for $2 billion instead of acquiring Lockheed Corp.'s F-16. "This is a great day for McDonnell Douglas and the F-15 program," said John P. Capellupo, McDonnell's executive vice president. The Israeli order was a major blow to Calabasas-based Lockheed, which had lobbied hard to sell Israel 42 of its F-16 fighters. Lockheed Chairman Daniel M.

Jet Sale May Save Jobs: Hughes Aircraft Co. said the proposed sale of 72 F-15XP fighter jets to Saudi Arabia could save about 200 jobs at its Fullerton plant. The $5.6-billion deal with Saudi Arabia could preserve a total of 500 jobs for at least three years in the Orange County and El Segundo plants, where Hughes workers make radar systems for the F-15, a company spokesman said Monday. The sale of the jets is not guaranteed.