By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Boeing's newest fighter jet has made a successful maiden flight.
The company's St. Louis-based defense unit says the jet passed all tests Thursday in advance of its ceremonial rollout later this month.
Boeing, based in Chicago, has a more than $3 billion contract with South Korea to provide 40 of the F-15K Strike Eagles from 2006 through August 2008. The new planes will join the fleet of F-16 jets that now form the backbone of the South Korean air force.
The F-15K can carry more than 23,000 pounds of cargo, reach 2.5 times the speed of sound, and use the latest military technologies.