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McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle

November 23, 2023

"F-15" redirects here. For other uses, see F-15 (disambiguation).

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's design in 1969 to meet the service's need for a dedicated air superiority fighter. The Eagle first flew in July 1972, and entered service in 1976. It is among the most successful modern fighters, with over 100 victories and no losses in aerial combat, with the majority of the kills by the Israeli Air Force.[3][4]

F-15 Eagle
USAF F-15C, 44th Fighter Squadron, 2019
Role Air superiority fighter
National origin United States
Manufacturer
First flight 27 July 1972; 51 years ago (1972-07-27)
Introduction 9 January 1976; 47 years ago (1976-01-09)[1]
Status In service
Primary users United States Air Force
Produced 1972–present
Number built F-15A/B/C/D/J/DJ: 1,198[2]
Variants

The Eagle has been exported to many countries including Israel, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. Although the F-15 was originally envisioned as a pure air-superiority aircraft, its design included a secondary ground-attack capability that was largely unused.[5] It proved flexible enough that an improved all-weather strike derivative, the F-15E Strike Eagle, was later developed, entered service in 1989 and has been exported to several nations. Several additional F-15 variants have been produced.

The USAF had planned to replace all of its air superiority F-15s with the Lockheed Martin F-22 by the 2010s, but the severely reduced F-22 procurement forced the USAF to operate the F-15C/D into the 2020s. The F-15E Strike Eagle is expected to continue operating in the USAF into the 2030s. The F-15 is in service with numerous countries, with production of enhanced variants continuing.

Development edit

Early studies edit

 
Test facility craftsman Jack Culpepper adjusts a model of the F-15 Eagle before it undergoes aerodynamic testing in the mid-1970s in the 4-foot transonic wind tunnel at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee

The F-15 can trace its origins to the early Vietnam War, when the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy fought each other over future tactical aircraft. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara was pressing for both services to use as many common aircraft as possible, even if performance compromises were involved. As part of this policy, the USAF and Navy had embarked on the TFX (F-111) program, aiming to deliver a medium-range interdiction aircraft for the Air Force that would also serve as a long-range interceptor aircraft for the Navy.[6]

In January 1965, Secretary McNamara asked the Air Force to consider a new low-cost tactical fighter design for short-range roles and close air support to replace several types like the F-100 Super Sabre and various light bombers then in service. Several existing designs could fill this role; the Navy favored the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and LTV A-7 Corsair II, which were pure attack aircraft, while the Air Force was more interested in the Northrop F-5 fighter with a secondary attack capability. The A-4 and A-7 were more capable in the attack role, while the F-5 less so, but could defend itself. If the Air Force chose a pure attack design, maintaining air superiority would be a priority for a new airframe. The next month, a report on light tactical aircraft suggested the Air Force purchase the F-5 or A-7, and consider a new higher-performance aircraft to ensure its air superiority. This point was reinforced after the loss of two Republic F-105 Thunderchief aircraft to obsolete MiG-17s attacking the Thanh Hóa Bridge on 4 April 1965.[6]

In April 1965, Harold Brown, at that time director of the Department of Defense Research and Engineering, stated the favored position was to consider the F-5 and begin studies of an "F-X".[N 1] These early studies envisioned a production run of 800 to 1,000 aircraft and stressed maneuverability over speed; it also stated that the aircraft would not be considered without some level of ground-attack capability.[7] On 1 August, General Gabriel Disosway took command of Tactical Air Command and reiterated calls for the F-X, but lowered the required performance from Mach 3.0 to 2.5 to lower costs.[8]

An official requirements document for an air superiority fighter was finalized in October 1965, and sent out as a request for proposals to 13 companies on 8 December. Meanwhile, the Air Force chose the A-7 over the F-5 for the support role on 5 November 1965,[9] giving further impetus for an air superiority design as the A-7 lacked any credible air-to-air capability.

Eight companies responded with proposals. Following a downselect, four companies were asked to provide further developments. In total, they developed some 500 design concepts. Typical designs featured variable-sweep wings, weight over 60,000 pounds (27,000 kg), included a top speed of Mach 2.7 and a thrust-to-weight ratio of 0.75.[10] When the proposals were studied in July 1966, the aircraft were roughly the size and weight of the TFX F-111, and like that aircraft, were designs that could not be considered an air-superiority fighter.[11]

Smaller, lighter edit

 
McDonnell Douglas F-15A (S/N 71-0280) during the type's first flight

Through this period, studies of combat over Vietnam were producing worrying results. Theory had stressed long-range combat using missiles and optimized aircraft for this role. The result was highly loaded aircraft with large radar and excellent speed, but limited maneuverability and often lacking a gun. The canonical example was the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, used by the USAF, USN, and U.S. Marine Corps to provide air superiority over Vietnam, the only fighter with enough power, range, and maneuverability to be given the primary task of dealing with the threat of Soviet fighters while flying with visual engagement rules.[12]

In practice, due to policy and practical reasons,[12] aircraft were closing to visual range and maneuvering, placing the larger US aircraft at a disadvantage to the much less expensive day fighters such as the MiG-21. Missiles proved to be much less reliable than predicted, especially at close range. Although improved training and the introduction of the M61 Vulcan cannon on the F-4 did much to address the disparity, these early outcomes led to considerable re-evaluation of the 1963 Project Forecast doctrine.[13][14] This led to John Boyd's energy–maneuverability theory, which stressed that extra power and maneuverability were key aspects of a successful fighter design and these were more important than outright speed. Through tireless championing of the concepts and good timing with the "failure" of the initial F-X project, the "fighter mafia" pressed for a lightweight day fighter that could be built and operated in large numbers to ensure air superiority.[15] In early 1967, they proposed that the ideal design had a thrust-to-weight ratio near 1:1, a maximum speed further reduced to Mach 2.3, a weight of 40,000 pounds (18,000 kg), and a wing loading of 80 pounds per square foot (390 kg/m2).[16]

By this time, the Navy had decided the F-111 would not meet their requirements and began the development of a new dedicated fighter design, the VFAX program. In May 1966, McNamara again asked the forces to study the designs and see whether the VFAX would meet the Air Force's F-X needs. The resulting studies took 18 months and concluded that the desired features were too different; the Navy stressed loiter time and mission flexibility, while the Air Force was now looking primarily for maneuverability.[17]

Focus on air superiority edit

In 1967, the Soviet Union revealed the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25 at the Domodedovo airfield near Moscow.[12][18] The MiG-25 was designed as a high-speed, high-altitude interceptor aircraft, and made many performance tradeoffs to excel in this role.[19] Among these was the requirement for very high speed, over Mach 2.8, which demanded the use of stainless steel instead of aluminum for many parts of the aircraft. The added weight demanded a much larger wing to allow the aircraft to operate at the required high altitudes. However, to observers, it appeared outwardly similar to the very large F-X studies, an aircraft with high speed and a large wing offering high maneuverability, leading to serious concerns throughout the Department of Defense and the various arms that the US was being outclassed. The MiG-23 was likewise a subject of concern, and it was generally believed to be a better aircraft than the F-4. The F-X would outclass the MiG-23, but now the MiG-25 appeared to be superior in speed, ceiling, and endurance to all existing US fighters, even the F-X.[20] Thus, an effort to improve the F-X followed.[21]

Both Headquarters USAF and TAC continued to call for a multipurpose aircraft, while both Disosway and Air Chief of Staff Bruce K. Holloway pressed for a pure air-superiority design that would be able to meet the expected performance of the MiG-25. During the same period, the Navy had ended its VFAX program and instead accepted a proposal from Grumman for a smaller and more maneuverable design known as VFX, later becoming the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. VFX was considerably closer to the evolving F-X requirements. The Air Force in-fighting was eventually ended by the worry that the Navy's VFAX would be forced on them; in May 1968, it was stated that "We finally decided – and I hope there is no one who still disagrees – that this aircraft is going to be an air superiority fighter".[17]

 
F-15A cockpit

In September 1968, a request for proposals was released to major aerospace companies. These requirements called for single-seat fighter having a maximum take-off weight of 40,000 pounds (18,000 kg) for the air-to-air role with a maximum speed of Mach 2.5 and a thrust-to-weight ratio of nearly 1:1 at mission weight.[22] It also called for a twin-engined arrangement, as this was believed to respond to throttle changes more rapidly and might offer commonality with the Navy's VFX program. However, details of the avionics were left largely undefined, as whether to build a larger aircraft with a powerful radar that could detect the enemy at longer ranges was not clear, or alternatively a smaller aircraft that would make detecting it more difficult for the enemy.[23]

Four companies submitted proposals, with the Air Force eliminating General Dynamics and awarding contracts to Fairchild Republic, North American Rockwell, and McDonnell Douglas for the definition phase in December 1968. The companies submitted technical proposals by June 1969. The Air Force announced the selection of McDonnell Douglas on 23 December 1969.[24] The winning design resembled the twin-tailed F-14, but with fixed wings; both designs were based on configurations studied in wind-tunnel testing by NASA.[25]

 
An early USAF F-15A

The Eagle's initial versions were the F-15 single-seat variant and TF-15 twin-seat variant. (After the F-15C was first flown, the designations were changed to "F-15A" and "F-15B"). These versions would be powered by new Pratt & Whitney F100 engines to achieve a combat thrust-to-weight ratio in excess of 1:1. A proposed 25-mm Ford-Philco GAU-7 cannon with caseless ammunition suffered development problems. It was dropped in favor of the standard M61 Vulcan gun. The F-15 used conformal carriage of four Sparrow missiles like the Phantom. The fixed wing was put onto a flat, wide fuselage that also provided an effective lifting surface. The first F-15A flight was made on 27 July 1972, with the first flight of the two-seat F-15B following in July 1973.[26]

The F-15 has a "look-down/shoot-down" radar that can distinguish low-flying moving targets from ground clutter. It would use computer technology with new controls and displays to lower pilot workload and require only one pilot to save weight. Unlike the F-14 or F-4, the F-15 has only a single canopy frame with clear vision forward. The USAF introduced the F-15 as "the first dedicated USAF air-superiority fighter since the North American F-86 Sabre".[27]

The F-15 was favored by customers such as the Israel and Japan air arms. Criticism from the fighter mafia that the F-15 was too large to be a dedicated dogfighter and too expensive to procure in large numbers, led to the Lightweight Fighter (LWF) program, which led to the USAF General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon and the middle-weight Navy McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet.[28]

Further development edit

The single-seat F-15C and two-seat F-15D models entered production in 1978 and conducted their first flights in February and June of that year.[29] These models were fitted with the Production Eagle Package (PEP 2000), which included 2,000 pounds (910 kg) of additional internal fuel, provisions for exterior conformal fuel tanks, and an increased maximum takeoff weight up to 68,000 pounds (31,000 kg).[30] The increased takeoff weight allows internal fuel, a full weapons load, conformal fuel tanks, and three external fuel tanks to be carried. The APG-63 radar uses a programmable signal processor (PSP), enabling the radar to be reprogrammable for additional purposes such as the addition of new armaments and equipment. The PSP was the first of its kind in the world, and the upgraded APG-63 radar was the first radar to use it. Other improvements included strengthened landing gear, a new digital central computer,[31] and an overload warning system, which allows the pilot to fly up to 9 g at all weights.[29]

The F-15 Multistage Improvement Program (MSIP) was initiated in February 1983 with the first production MSIP F-15C produced in 1985. Improvements included an upgraded central computer; a Programmable Armament Control Set, allowing for advanced versions of the AIM-7, AIM-9, and AIM-120A missiles; and an expanded Tactical Electronic Warfare System that provides improvements to the ALR-56C radar warning receiver and ALQ-135 countermeasure set. The final 43 F-15Cs included the Hughes APG-70 radar developed for the F-15E; these are sometimes referred as Enhanced Eagles. Earlier MSIP F-15Cs with the APG-63 were upgraded to the APG-63(V)1 to improve maintainability and to perform similar to the APG-70. Existing F-15s were retrofitted with these improvements.[32]

In 1979, McDonnell Douglas and F-15 radar manufacturer, Hughes, teamed to privately develop a strike fighter version of the F-15. This version competed in the Air Force's Dual-Role Fighter competition starting in 1982. The F-15E strike variant was selected for production over General Dynamics' competing F-16XL in 1984.[33] Beginning in 1985, F-15C and D models were equipped with the improved P&W F100-PW-220 engine and digital engine controls, providing quicker throttle response, reduced wear, and lower fuel consumption. Starting in 1997, original F100-PW-100 engines were upgraded to a similar configuration with the designation F100-PW-220E starting.[34]

Beginning in 2007, 179 USAF F-15Cs would be retrofitted with the AN/APG-63(V)3 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar.[35] A significant number of F-15s are to be equipped with the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System.[36] Lockheed Martin is working on an IRST system for the F-15C.[37] A follow-on upgrade called the Eagle passive/active warning survivability system (EPAWSS) was planned, but remained unfunded.[38] Boeing was selected in October 2015 to serve as prime contractor for the EPAWSS, with BAE Systems selected as a subcontractor. The EPAWSS is an all-digital system with advanced electronic countermeasures, radar warning, and increased chaff and flare capabilities in a smaller footprint than the 1980s-era Tactical Electronic Warfare System. More than 400 F-15Cs and F-15Es will have the system installed.[39]

In September 2015, Boeing unveiled its 2040C Eagle upgrade, designed to keep the F-15 relevant through 2040. Seen as a necessity because of the low numbers of F-22s procured, the upgrade builds upon the company's F-15SE Silent Eagle concept with low-observable features. Most improvements focus on lethality including quad-pack munitions racks to double its missile load to 16, conformal fuel tanks for extended range, "Talon HATE" communications pod to communicate with fifth-generation fighters, the APG-63(v)3 AESA radar, a long-range infrared search and track sensor, and BAE Systems' EPAWSS systems.[40][41][42][43] The 2040C upgrade for the F-15C/D was not pursued, owing to the airframes' age, but some of the components such as EPAWSS were continued to upgrade the F-15E fleet as well as new-build F-15EX Eagle II.

Design edit

Overview edit

 
Variable geometry engine air intake ramps with internal Pitot tubes and automatic control for constant optimal airflow to engines. Above: open intake, aligned ramp. Below: closed intake, inclined ramp
 
F-15C executing a maximum-performance takeoff
Video showing the F-15's maneuverability in simulated dogfighting

The F-15 has an all-metal semi-monocoque fuselage with a large-cantilever, shoulder-mounted wing. The wing planform of the F-15 suggests a modified cropped delta shape with a leading-edge sweepback angle of 45°. Ailerons and a simple high-lift flap are located on the trailing edge. No leading-edge maneuvering flaps are used. This complication was avoided by the combination of low wing loading and fixed leading-edge camber that varies with spanwise position along the wing. Airfoil thickness ratios vary from 6% at the root to 3% at the tip.[citation needed]

The empennage is of metal and composite construction, with twin aluminium/composite material honeycomb structure vertical stabilizers with boron-composite skin, resulting in an exceptionally thin tailplane and rudders. Composite horizontal all-moving tails outboard of the vertical stabilizers move independently to provide roll control in some flight maneuvers. The F-15 has a spine-mounted air brake and retractable tricycle landing gear. It is powered by two Pratt & Whitney F100 axial compressor turbofan engines with afterburners, mounted side by side in the fuselage and fed by rectangular inlets with variable intake ramps. The cockpit is mounted high in the forward fuselage with a one-piece windscreen and large canopy for increased visibility and a 360° field of view for the pilot. The airframe began to incorporate advanced superplastically formed titanium components in the 1980s.

The F-15's maneuverability is derived from low wing loading (weight to wing area ratio) with a high thrust-to-weight ratio, enabling the aircraft to turn tightly without losing airspeed. The F-15 can climb to 30,000 feet (9,100 m) in around 60 seconds. At certain speeds, the dynamic thrust output of the dual engines is greater than the aircraft's combat weight and drag, so it has the ability to accelerate vertically. The weapons and flight-control systems are designed so that one person can safely and effectively perform air-to-air combat.[44] The A and C models are single-seat variants; these were the main air-superiority versions produced. B and D models add a second seat behind the pilot for training. E models use the second seat for a weapon systems officer. Visibly, the F-15 has a unique feature vis-à-vis other modern fighter aircraft; it does not have the distinctive "turkey feather" aerodynamic exhaust petals covering its engine nozzles. Following problems during development of its exhaust petal design, including dislodgment during flight, the decision was made to remove them, resulting in a 3% aerodynamic drag increase.[45]

The F-15 was shown to be capable of controlled flight with only one wing after an Israeli F-15D suffered a mid-air collision that removed most of the starboard wing; the pilot quickly learned how to fly the aircraft and land it safely. Subsequent wind-tunnel tests on a one-wing model confirmed that controllable flight was only possible within a very limited speed range of +/- 20 knots and angle of attack variation of +/- 20 degrees. The event resulted in research into damage adaptive technology and a system called "Intelligent Flight Control System".[46]

Avionics edit

 
AN/APG-63 radar

A multimission avionics system includes a head-up display (HUD), advanced radar, AN/ASN-109 inertial guidance system, flight instruments, ultra high frequency communications, and tactical air navigation system and instrument landing system receivers. It also has an internally mounted, tactical electronic warfare system, Identification friend or foe system, an electronic countermeasures suite, and a central digital computer.[47]

The HUD projects all essential flight information gathered by the integrated avionics system. This display, visible in any light condition, provides the pilot information necessary to track and destroy an enemy aircraft without having to look down at cockpit instruments.[48]

The F-15's versatile APG-63 and 70 pulse-Doppler radar systems can look up at high-flying targets and look-down/shoot-down at low-flying targets without being confused by ground clutter. These radars can detect and track aircraft and small high-speed targets at distances beyond visual range down to close range, and at altitudes down to treetop level. The APG-63 has a basic range of 100 miles (87 nmi; 160 km). The radar feeds target information into the central computer for effective weapons delivery. For close-in dogfights, the radar automatically acquires enemy aircraft, and this information is projected on the head-up display. The F-15's electronic warfare system provides both threat warning (radar warning receiver) and automatic countermeasures against selected threats.[49]

Weaponry and external stores edit

 
M61 Vulcan mounted on the side of right engine intake

A variety of air-to-air weaponry can be carried by the F-15. An automated weapon system enables the pilot to release weapons effectively and safely, using the head-up display and the avionics and weapons controls located on the engine throttles or control stick. When the pilot changes from one weapon system to another, visual guidance for the selected weapon automatically appears on the head-up display.[50]

The Eagle can be armed with combinations of four different air-to-air weapons: AIM-7F/M Sparrow missiles or AIM-120 AMRAAM advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles on its lower fuselage corners, AIM-9L/M Sidewinder or AIM-120 AMRAAM missiles on two pylons under the wings, and an internal 20 mm (0.79 in) M61 Vulcan Gatling gun in the right wing root.[51]

 
F-15C underside with external stores

Low-drag conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) were developed for the F-15C and D models. They can be attached to the sides of the engine air intakes under each wing and are designed to the same load factors and airspeed limits as the basic aircraft.[51] These tanks slightly degrade performance by increasing aerodynamic drag and cannot be jettisoned in-flight. However, they cause less drag than conventional external tanks. Each conformal tank can hold 750 U.S. gallons (2,840 L) of fuel.[52] These CFTs increase range and reduce the need for in-flight refueling. All external stations for munitions remain available with the tanks in use. Moreover, Sparrow or AMRAAM missiles can be attached to the corners of the CFTs.[30] The 57 FIS based at Keflavik NAS, Iceland, was the only C-model squadron to use CFTs on a regular basis due to its extended operations over the North Atlantic. With the closure of the 57 FIS, the F-15E is the only variant to carry them on a routine basis. CFTs have also been sold to Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Upgrades edit

 
F-15E with speed brake deployed and CFTs fitted

The McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seat, dual-role, totally integrated fighter for all-weather, air-to-air, and deep interdiction missions. The rear cockpit is upgraded to include four multipurpose cathode ray tube displays for aircraft systems and weapons management. The digital, triple-redundant Lear Siegler aircraft flight control system permits coupled automatic terrain following, enhanced by a ring-laser gyro inertial navigation system.[53] For low-altitude, high-speed penetration and precision attack on tactical targets at night or in adverse weather, the F-15E carries a high-resolution APG-70 radar and LANTIRN pods to provide thermography.[49] The newest F-15E version is the F-15 Advanced, which features fly-by-wire controls.[54]

The APG-63(V)2 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar has been retrofitted to 18 U.S. Air Force F-15C aircraft.[55] This upgrade includes most of the new hardware from the APG-63(V)1, but adds an AESA to provide increased pilot situation awareness. The AESA radar has an exceptionally agile beam, providing nearly instantaneous track updates and enhanced multitarget tracking capability. The APG-63(V)2 is compatible with current F-15C weapon loads and enables pilots to take full advantage of AIM-120 AMRAAM capabilities, simultaneously guiding multiple missiles to several targets widely spaced in azimuth, elevation, or range. The further improved APG-63(V)3 AESA radar is expected to be fitted to 179 F-15C aircraft; the first upgraded aircraft was delivered in October 2010.[35] The ZAP (Zone Acquisition Program) missile launch envelope has been integrated into the operational flight program system of all U.S. F-15 aircraft, providing dynamic launch zone and launch acceptability region information for missiles to the pilot by display cues in real-time.[56]

Operational history edit

Introduction and early service edit

 
Israeli Air Force F-15C Baz Meshupar (Upgraded Baz) with four kill marks of Syrian warplanes

The largest operator of the F-15 is the United States Air Force. The first Eagle, an F-15B, was delivered on 13 November 1974.[57] In January 1976, the first Eagle destined for a combat squadron, the 555th TFS, was delivered.[57] These initial aircraft carried the Hughes Aircraft (now Raytheon) APG-63 radar.

The first kill by an F-15 was scored by Israeli Air Force (IAF) ace Moshe Melnik in 1979.[58] During IAF raids against Palestinian factions in Lebanon in 1979–1981, F-15As reportedly downed 13 Syrian MiG-21s and two Syrian MiG-25s. Israeli F-15As and Bs participated as escorts in Operation Opera, an air strike on an Iraqi nuclear reactor. In the 1982 Lebanon War, Israeli F-15s were credited with 41 Syrian aircraft destroyed (23 MiG-21s and 17 MiG-23s, and one Aérospatiale SA.342L Gazelle helicopter). During Operation Mole Cricket 19, Israeli F-15s and F-16s together shot down 82 Syrian fighters (MiG-21s, MiG-23s, and MiG-23Ms) without losses.[59]

Israel was the only operator to use and develop the air-to-ground abilities of the air-superiority F-15 variants, doing so because the fighter's range was well beyond other combat aircraft in the Israeli inventory in the 1980s. The first known use of F-15s for a strike mission was during Operation Wooden Leg on 1 October 1985, with six F-15Ds attacking PLO Headquarters in Tunis with two GBU-15 guided bombs per aircraft and two F-15Cs restriking the ruins with six Mk-82 unguided bombs each.[60] This was one of the few times air-superiority F-15s (A/B/C/D models) were used in tactical strike missions.[61] Israeli air-superiority F-15 variants have since been extensively upgraded to carry a wider range of air-to-ground armaments, including JDAM GPS-guided bombs and Popeye missile.[62]

Royal Saudi Air Force F-15C pilots reportedly shot down two Iranian Air Force F-4E Phantom IIs in a skirmish on 5 June 1984.[63][64]

Anti-satellite trials edit

 
ASM-135 ASAT test launch from F-15A 76-0084 in 1985

The ASM-135 missile was designed to be a standoff antisatellite (ASAT) weapon, with the F-15 acting as a first stage. The Soviet Union could correlate a U.S. rocket launch with a spy satellite loss, but an F-15 carrying an ASAT would blend in among hundreds of F-15 flights. From January 1984 to September 1986, two F-15As were used as launch platforms for the ASAT missile. The F-15As were modified to carry one ASM-135 on the centerline station with extra equipment within a special centerline pylon.[65][66] The launch aircraft executed a Mach 1.22, 3.8 g climb at 65° to release the ASAT missile at an altitude of 38,100 ft (11,600 m).[67][68] The flight computer was updated to control the zoom-climb and missile release.

The third test flight involved a retired P78-1 solar observatory satellite in a 345-mile (555 km) orbit, which was destroyed by kinetic energy.[67] The pilot, USAF Major Wilbert D. "Doug" Pearson, became the only pilot to destroy a satellite.[68] The ASAT program involved five test launches. The program was officially terminated in 1988.[65][68]

Gulf War and aftermath edit

The USAF began deploying F-15C, D, and E model aircraft to the Persian Gulf region in August 1990 for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. During the Gulf War, the F-15 accounted for 36 of the 39 air-to-air victories by U.S. Air Force against Iraqi forces. Iraq has confirmed the loss of 23 of its aircraft in air-to-air combat.[69] The F-15C and D fighters were used in the air-superiority role, while F-15E Strike Eagles were used in air-to-ground attacks mainly at night, hunting modified Scud missile launchers and artillery sites using the LANTIRN system.[70] According to the USAF, its F-15Cs had 34 confirmed kills of Iraqi aircraft during the 1991 Gulf War, most of them by missile fire: five Mikoyan MiG-29s, two MiG-25s, eight MiG-23s, two MiG-21s, two Sukhoi Su-25s, four Sukhoi Su-22s, one Sukhoi Su-7, six Dassault Mirage F1s, one Ilyushin Il-76 cargo aircraft, one Pilatus PC-9 trainer, and two Mil Mi-8 helicopters. In addition, the F-15E achieved its first-ever air-to-air kill on 14 February 1991, destroying an Iraqi Mi-24 "Hind" helicopter with a GBU-10 laser-guided bomb.[71] Air superiority was achieved in the first three days of the conflict; many of the later kills were reportedly of Iraqi aircraft fleeing to Iran, rather than engaging American aircraft. Two F-15Es were lost to ground fire, and another was damaged on the ground by a Scud strike on King Abdulaziz Air Base.[72]

On 11 November 1990, a Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) pilot defected to Sudan with an F-15C fighter during Operation Desert Shield. Saudi Arabia paid US$40 million (~$74.4 million in 2021) for return of the aircraft three months later.[73] RSAF F-15s shot down two Iraqi Mirage F1s during the Operation Desert storm.[74] One Saudi Arabian F-15C was lost to a crash during the Persian Gulf War in 1991.[75] The IQAF claimed this fighter was part of two USAF F-15Cs that engaged two Iraqi MiG-25PDs, and was hit by an R-40 missile before crashing.[76]

 
An RSAF F-15 approaches a KC-135 for refueling during Operation Desert Shield.

They have since been deployed to support Operation Southern Watch, the patrolling of the Iraqi no-fly zones in Southern Iraq; Operation Provide Comfort in Turkey; in support of NATO operations in Bosnia, and recent air expeditionary force deployments. In 1994, two U.S. Army Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawks were mistakenly downed by USAF F-15Cs in northern Iraq in a friendly-fire incident.[77] USAF F-15Cs shot down four Yugoslav MiG-29s using AIM-120 and AIM-7 Radar guided missiles during NATO's 1999 intervention in Kosovo, Operation Allied Force.[78]

Structural defects edit

All F-15s were grounded by the USAF after a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C came apart in flight and crashed on 2 November 2007. The newer F-15E fleet was later cleared for continued operations. The USAF reported on 28 November 2007 that a critical location in the upper longerons on the F-15C was the failure's suspected cause, causing the fuselage forward of the air intakes, including the cockpit and radome, to separate from the airframe.[79]

F-15A through D-model aircraft were grounded until the location received detailed inspections and repairs as needed.[80] The grounding of F-15s received media attention as it began to place strains on the nation's air-defense efforts.[81] The grounding forced some states to rely on their neighboring states' fighters for air-defense protection, and Alaska to depend on Canadian Forces' fighter support.[81]

On 8 January 2008, the USAF Air Combat Command (ACC) cleared a portion of its older F-15 fleet for return to flying status. It also recommended a limited return to flight for units worldwide using the affected models.[82] The accident review board report, which was released on 10 January 2008, stated that analysis of the F-15C wreckage determined that the longeron did not meet drawing specifications, which led to fatigue cracks and finally a catastrophic failure of the remaining support structures and breakup of the aircraft in flight.[83] In a report released on 10 January 2008, nine other F-15s were identified to have similar problems in the longeron. As a result, General John D. W. Corley stated, "the long-term future of the F-15 is in question".[84] On 15 February 2008, ACC cleared all its grounded F-15A/B/C/D fighters for flight pending inspections, engineering reviews, and any needed repairs. ACC also recommended release of other U.S. F-15A/B/C/Ds.[85]

Later service edit

 
A USAF F-15C flying over Fresno, California, 2013

The F-15 had a combined air-to-air combat record of 104 kills to no losses through 2008. The F-15's air superiority versions, the A/B/C/D models, have not suffered any losses to enemy action.[3][86] Over half of F-15 kills have been achieved by Israeli Air Force pilots.

On 16 September 2009, the last F-15A, an Oregon Air National Guard aircraft, was retired, marking the end of service for the F-15A and F-15B models in the United States.[87]

With the retirement of the F-15A and B models, the F-15C and D models are supplemented in US service by the newer F-22 Raptor. During the 2010s, USAF F-15C/Ds were regularly based overseas with the Pacific Air Forces at Kadena AB in Japan[88] and with the U.S. Air Forces in Europe at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom.[89] Other regular USAF F-15s are operated by ACC as adversary/aggressor platforms at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and by Air Force Materiel Command in test and evaluation roles at Edwards AFB, California, and Eglin AFB, Florida. All remaining combat-coded F-15C/Ds are operated by the Air National Guard.

 
USAF F-15E arrives for the 2014 Royal International Air Tattoo, UK

As of 2006, the USAF was upgrading 178 F-15C/Ds with the AN/APG-63(V)3 AESA radar,[35] and equipping other F-15s with the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System.[36] In 2007, the USAF planned to keep 178 F-15C/Ds along with 224 F-15Es in service beyond 2025.[90]

As part of the USAF's FY 2015 budget, the F-15C faced cuts or retirement in response to sequestration.[91][92] In April 2017, USAF officials announced plans to retire the F-15C/D in the mid-2020s and press more F-16s into roles occupied by the F-15.[93] In December 2018, Bloomberg Government reported that the Pentagon, not the USAF, in its 2020 budget request, would likely request US$1.2 billion for 12 new-built F-15Xs to replace older F-15Cs operated by Air National Guard units.[94] Newly built Eagle IIs will replace F-15C/Ds, as the older airframes had an average age of 37 years by 2021; 75% were beyond their certified service lives leading to groundings from structural issues, and life extensions were deemed too expensive. In 2021, 144 Eagle IIs were planned to primarily fly ANG homeland defense missions, as well as carry outsized standoff weapons in combat.[95] In 2022, it was announced the USAF plan to retire their fleet of F-15C/Ds by 2026.[96]

The Air Force Magazine stated in 2007 that the F-15E was projected to remain in service for many years because of the model's primary air-to-ground role and the low number of hours on the variant's airframes.[90][needs update]

Yemen Civil War edit

During the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present), Houthis have used R-27T missiles modified to serve as surface-to-air missiles. A video released on 7 January 2018 also shows a modified R-27T hitting a Saudi F-15 on a forward-looking infrared camera. Houthi sources claim to have downed the F-15, although this has been disputed, as the missile apparently proximity detonated, though the F-15 continued to fly in its trajectory seemingly unaffected.[97][98] Rebels later released footage showing an aircraft wreck, but serial numbers on the wreckage suggested the aircraft was a Panavia Tornado, also operated by Saudi forces. On 8 January, the Saudi admitted the loss of an aircraft but due to technical reasons.[99]

On 21 March 2018, Houthi rebels released a video where they hit and possibly shot down a Saudi F-15 in Saada province.[100] In the video a R-27T air-to-air missile adapted for surface-to-air use was launched and appeared to hit a jet. As in the video of the previous similar hit recorded on 8 January, the target, while clearly hit, did not appear to be downed. Saudi forces confirmed the hit, while saying the jet landed at a Saudi base.[101][102] Saudi official sources confirmed the incident, reporting that it happened at 3:48 pm local time after a surface-to-air defense missile was launched at the fighter jet from inside Saada airport.[103][104]

After the Houthi attack on Saudi oil infrastructure on 14 September 2019, Saudi Arabia tasked F-15 fighters armed with missiles to intercept low flying drones, difficult to intercept with ground-based high altitude missile systems like the MIM-104 Patriot[105] with several drones being downed since then.[106] On 2 July 2020, a Saudi F-15 shot down two Houthi Shahed 129 drones above Yemen.[107] On 7 March 2021, during a Houthi attack at several Saudi oil installations, Saudi F-15s shot down several attacking drones using heatseeking AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, with video evidence showing at least two Samad-3 UAVs and one Qasef-2K downed.[108][109] On 30 March 2021, a video made by Saudi border guards showed a Saudi F-15 shooting down a Houthi Quasef-2K drone with an AIM-120 AMRAAM fired at short range.[110]

Variants edit

This article is about F-15A, B, C, D, and related variants. For F-15E, F-15I, F-15S, F-15K, F-15SG, F-15SA, F-15QA, F-15EX, and other F-15E-based variants, see McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle.

Basic models edit

 
USAF F-15C fires an AIM-7 Sparrow in 2005
 
A view of an F-15E cockpit from an aerial refueling tanker.
F-15A
Single-seat all-weather air-superiority fighter version, 384 built in 1972–1979[111]
F-15B
Two-seat training version, formerly designated TF-15A, 61 built in 1972–1979[111]
F-15C
Improved single-seat all-weather air-superiority fighter version, 483 built in 1979–1985.[111] The last 43 F-15Cs were upgraded with AN/APG-70 radar and later the AN/APG-63(V)1 radar.
F-15D
Two-seat training version, 92 built in 1979–1985.[111]
F-15J
Single-seat all-weather air-superiority fighter version for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force 139 built under license in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 1981–1997, two built in St. Louis.[111]
F-15DJ
Two-seat training version for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. 12 built in St. Louis, and 25 built under license in Japan by Mitsubishi in the period 1981–1997.[111]
F-15N Sea Eagle
The F-15N was a carrier-capable variant proposed in the early 1970s to the U.S. Navy as an alternative to the heavier and, at the time, considered to be "riskier" technology program, the Grumman F-14 Tomcat. It did not have a long range radar or the long range missiles used by the F-14. The F-15N-PHX was another proposed naval version capable of carrying the AIM-54 Phoenix missile, but with an enhanced version of the AN/APG-63 radar on the F-15A. These featured folding wingtips, reinforced landing gear and a stronger tailhook for shipboard operation.[112][113]
F-15E Strike Eagle
Two-seat all-weather multirole strike version, fitted with conformal fuel tanks. It was developed into the F-15I, F-15S, F-15K, F-15SG, F-15SA, and other variants. Over 400 F-15E and derivative variants produced since 1985; still in production.
F-15SE Silent Eagle
In March 2009 Boeing unveiled the F-15SE, a Proposed F-15E variant with a reduced radar cross-section via changes such as replacing conformal fuel tanks with conformal weapons bays and canting the twin vertical tails 15 degrees outward, which would reduce their radar signature while providing a slight boost to lift to help offset the loss of conformal fuel tanks.[114][115]
F-15 2040C
Proposed upgrade to the F-15C, allowing it to supplement the F-22 in the air superiority role. The 2040C concept is an evolution of the Silent Eagle proposed to South Korea and Israel, with some low-observable improvements but mostly a focus on the latest air capabilities and lethality. Proposal includes infra-red search and track, doubling the number of weapon stations, with quad racks for a maximum of 16 air-to-air missiles, Passive/Active Warning Survivability System, conformal fuel tanks, upgraded APG-63(v)3 AESA and a "Talon HATE" communications pod allowing data transfer with the F-22.[116][117]

Prototypes edit

 
F-15A 71–0280, the first prototype

Twelve prototypes were built and used for trials by the F-15 Joint Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base using McDonnell Douglas and United States Air Force personnel. Most prototypes were later used by NASA for trials and experiments.

F-15A-1, AF Serial No. 71-0280
Was the first F-15 to fly on 11 July 1972 from Edwards Air Force Base, it was used as a trial aircraft for exploring the flight envelope, general handling and testing the carriage of external stores.
F-15A-1, AF Ser. No. 71-0281
The second prototype first flew on 26 September 1972 and was used to test the F100 engine.
F-15A-2, AF Ser. No. 71-0282
First flew on 4 November 1972 and was used to test the APG-63 radar and avionics.
F-15A-2, AF Ser. No. 71-0283
First flew on 13 January 1973 and was used as a structural test aircraft, it was the first aircraft to have the smaller wingtips to clear a severe buffet problem found on earlier aircraft.
F-15A-2, AF Ser. No. 71-0284
First flew on 7 March 1973 it was used for armament development and was the first aircraft fitted with an internal cannon.
F-15A-3, AF Ser. No. 71-0285
First flew on 23 May 1973 and was used to test the missile fire control system and other avionics.
F-15A-3, AF Ser. No. 71-0286
First flew on 14 June 1973 and was used for armament trials and testing external fuel stores.
F-15A-4, AF Ser. No. 71-0287
First flew on 25 August 1973 and was used for spin recovery, angle of attack and fuel system testing, it was fitted with an anti-spin recovery parachute. The aircraft was loaned to NASA from 1976 for engine development trials.
F-15A-4, AF Ser. No. 71-0288
First flew on 20 October 1973 and was used to test integrated aircraft and engine performance, it was later used by McDonnell Douglas as a test aircraft in the 1990s.
F-15A-4, AF Ser. No. 71-0289
First flew on 30 January 1974 and was used for trials on the radar, avionics and electronic warfare systems.
F-15B-1, AF Ser. No. 71-0290
The first two-seat prototype originally designated the TF-15A, it first flew on 7 July 1973.
F-15B-2, AF Ser. No. 71-0291
First flew on 18 October 1973 as a TF-15A and used as a test and demonstration aircraft. In 1976 it made an overseas sales tour painted in markings to celebrate the bicentenary of the United States. Also used as the development aircraft for the F-15E as well as the first F-15 to use Conformal Fuel Tanks.

Research and test edit

 
NASA F-15B Research Testbed, aircraft No. 836 (AF Ser. No. 74-0141). Note the Quiet Spike adaption to reduce and control sonic booms
F-15 Streak Eagle (AF Ser. No.72-0119)
An unpainted F-15A stripped of most avionics demonstrated the fighter's acceleration capabilities. The aircraft broke eight time-to-climb world records between 16 January and 1 February 1975 at Grand Forks AFB, ND. It was delivered to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in December 1980.[118] Undergoing restoration in 2023 to be put on display in 2024.[citation needed]
F-15 STOL/MTD (AF Ser. No. 71-0290)
The first F-15B was converted into a short takeoff and landing, maneuver technology demonstrator aircraft.[119] In the late 1980s it received canard flight surfaces in addition to its usual horizontal tail, along with square thrust-vectoring nozzles. It was used as a short-takeoff/maneuver-technology demonstrator (S/MTD).[120]
F-15 ACTIVE (AF Ser. No. 71-0290)
The F-15 S/MTD was later converted into an advanced flight control technology research aircraft with thrust vectoring nozzles.[119]
F-15 IFCS (AF Ser. No. 71-0290)
The F-15 ACTIVE was then converted into an intelligent flight control systems research aircraft. F-15B 71-0290 was the oldest F-15 still flying when retired in January 2009.[120]
F-15 MANX
Concept name for a tailless variant of the F-15 ACTIVE, but the NASA ACTIVE experimental aircraft was never modified to be tailless.[citation needed]
F-15 Flight Research Facility (AF Ser. No. 71-0281 and AF Ser. No. 71-0287)
Two F-15A aircraft were acquired in 1976 for use by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center for numerous experiments such as: Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control (HiDEC), Adaptive Engine Control System (ADECS), Self-Repairing and Self-Diagnostic Flight Control System (SRFCS) and Propulsion Controlled Aircraft System (PCA).[121] 71-0281, the second flight-test F-15A, was returned to the Air Force and became a static display at Langley AFB in 1983.[citation needed]
F-15B Research Testbed (AF Ser. No. 74-0141)
Acquired in 1993, it was an F-15B modified and used by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center for flight tests.[122]

Operators edit

 
Current operators of the F-15 Eagle shown in cyan, and F-15E Strike Eagle in red. Operators of both versions in dark blue.
Main article: List of McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle operators

This article only covers the F-15A, B, C, D, and related variants. For the operators of other F-15E-based variants, like the F-15E, F-15I, F-15S, F-15K, F-15SG, or F-15EX, see McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle.

 
Two Israeli Air Force F-15I Ra'am from the 69th Squadron
  Israel
  • Israeli Air Force has operated F-15s since 1977. The IAF has 84 F-15A/B/C/D/I aircraft in service as of 2022.[123]
 
Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-15DJ and F-15J of the 306th TFS
  Japan
  Saudi Arabia
  United States
  • United States Air Force operates 168 F-15C and 18 F-15D total aircraft as of mid-2022.[125][126]
  • NASA currently operates one F-15B #836 as a test bed for a variety of flight research experiments[127] and two F-15D, #884 and #897, for research support and pilot proficiency.[128] NASA in the past used an F-15B #835 to test Highly Integrated Digital Engine Control system (HIDEC) at Edwards AFB in 1988.[129][130]

Notable accidents edit

 
Two F-15s over the coast of Oregon
Main article: List of F-15 losses

A total of 175 F-15s have been lost to non-combat causes as of June 2016. However, the F-15 aircraft is very reliable with only 1 loss per 50,000 flight hours.[131][132]

  • On 1 May 1983, an Israeli Air Force F-15D collided mid-air with an A-4 Skyhawk during a training flight, causing the F-15's right wing to shear off almost completely. Despite the damage, the pilot was able to reach a nearby airbase and land safely – albeit at twice the normal landing speed. The aircraft was subsequently repaired and saw further combat action.[133]
  • On 26 March 2001, two US Air Force F-15Cs crashed near the summit of Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms during a low flying training exercise over the Scottish Highlands.[134] Both Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth John Hyvonen and Captain Kirk Jones died in the accident, which resulted in a court martial for an RAF air traffic controller, who was later found not guilty.[135][136]
  • On 2 November 2007, a 27-year-old F-15C (AF Ser. No. 80-0034) of the 131st Fighter Wing, Missouri Air National Guard, crashed following an in-flight breakup due to structural failure during combat training near St. Louis, Missouri. The pilot, Major Stephen W. Stilwell, ejected but suffered serious injuries. On 3 November 2007, all non-mission critical F-15s were grounded pending the crash investigation's outcome.[137][138] By 13 November 2007, over 1,100 F-15s were grounded worldwide after Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia grounded their aircraft as well.[139] F-15Es were cleared on 15 November 2007 pending individual inspections.[140] On 8 January 2008, the USAF cleared 60 percent of the F-15A/B/C/D fleet to fly.[82] On 10 January 2008, the accident review board released its report, which attributed the crash to the longeron not meeting specifications.[83] On 15 February 2008, the Air Force cleared all F-15s for flight, pending inspections and any needed repairs.[85] In March 2008, Stilwell filed a lawsuit against Boeing which was later dismissed in April 2009.[141][142]
For accidents involving F-15E and related variants, see List of F-15 losses.

Specifications (F-15C) edit

 
Schematic diagram of F-15
 
Front view of an F-15C. Note the conformal FAST PACK fuel tanks on the trailers
 
Diagram of the F-15A Eagle's weapon loadout

Data from USAF fact sheet,[143] Jane's All the World's Aircraft,[144] Combat Legend, F-15 Eagle and Strike Eagle,[145] Florida International University,[146] USAF F-15A/B/C/D Manual[147]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 1
  • Length: 63 ft 9 in (19.43 m)
  • Wingspan: 42 ft 10 in (13.06 m)
  • Height: 18 ft 6 in (5.64 m)
  • Wing area: 608 sq ft (56.5 m2)
  • Airfoil: root: NACA 64A006.6; tip: NACA 64A203[148]
  • Empty weight: 28,000 lb (12,701 kg)
  • Gross weight: 44,500 lb (20,185 kg)
  • Max takeoff weight: 68,000 lb (30,844 kg)
  • Fuel capacity: 13,455 lb (6,103 kg) internal[1]
  • Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 afterburning turbofans, 14,590 lbf (64.9 kN) thrust each dry, 23,770 lbf (105.7 kN) with afterburner

Performance

  • Maximum speed: Mach 2.5 (1,650 mph, 2,655 km/h) at high altitude
    • Mach 1.2, 800 kn (921 mph; 1,482 km/h) at sea level
  • Combat range: 1,061 nmi (1,221 mi, 1,965 km) for interdiction mission
  • Ferry range: 3,000 nmi (3,500 mi, 5,600 km) with conformal fuel tanks and three external fuel tanks
  • Service ceiling: 65,000 ft (20,000 m)
  • g limits: +9
  • Rate of climb: 67,050[149] ft/min (340.6 m/s) (with 3 pylons)[150]
  • Wing loading: 73.1 lb/sq ft (357 kg/m2)
  • Thrust/weight: 1.07 (1.26 with loaded weight and 50% internal fuel)

Armament

  • Guns: 1× 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon, 940 rounds
  • Hardpoints: Total 9: two under-wing (each with additional two missile launch rails), four under-fuselage (for semi-recessed carriage of AIM-7 Sparrows) and a single centerline pylon station, optional fuselage pylons (which may include conformal fuel tanks) with a capacity of 16,000 lb (7,300 kg), with provisions to carry combinations of:

Avionics

Aircraft on display edit

Although the F-15 continues to be in use, a number of older USAF and IAF models have been retired, with several placed on outdoor display or in museums.

Germany edit

F-15A

Netherlands edit

F-15A

  • 74-0083 (marked as 77–0132) – Nationaal Militair Museum, Kamp Zeist, former Camp New Amsterdam AB. Aircraft was based at Camp New Amsterdam and left as a gift when the base was closed in 1995.[159]

Japan edit

F-15A

Israel edit

F-15A

  • 73-0098 – Israeli Air Museum, Hatzerim[161]
  • 73-0107 – gate guard at Tel Nof AB[162]

Saudi Arabia edit

F-15B

United Kingdom edit

 
F-15A 76–0020 at the American Air Museum, Imperial War Museum Duxford

F-15A

United States edit

 
F-15A display at the Museum of Aviation, Robins AFB

F-15A edit

F-15B edit

F-15C edit

Notable appearances in media edit

Main article: Aircraft in fiction § F-15 Eagle

The F-15 was the subject of the IMAX movie Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag, about the RED FLAG exercises. In Tom Clancy's nonfiction book, Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing (1995), a detailed analysis of the Air Force's premier fighter aircraft, the F-15 Eagle and its capabilities are showcased.[220]

The F-15 has also been a popular subject as a toy, and a fictional likeness of an aircraft similar to the F-15 has been used in cartoons, books, video games, animated television series, and animated films.

See also edit

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ "F-X" should be read as "Fighter, Unknown designation number", but is often translated as "Fighter-Experimental".
  2. ^ Although several F-15C aircraft were produced with APG-70 radar, all have been retrofitted to the AN/APG-63(V)1 configuration.
  3. ^ Both active AF and ANG F-15Cs will receive another (up to) 48 V3 units between 2009 and 2015, over the existing 19 aircraft.

Citations edit

  1. ^ a b Spick 2000, p. 137.
  2. ^ Davies and Dildy 2007, p. 249.
  3. ^ a b Davies and Dildy 2007, inside cover.
  4. ^ Spick 2000, p. 127.
  5. ^ "PS 940 F-15 Armament Handbook, Oct-1979." 11 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine scribd.com. Retrieved: 29 November 2012.
  6. ^ a b Neufeld 2007, p. 42.
  7. ^ Neufeld 2007, p. 43.
  8. ^ Neufeld 2007, p. 44.
  9. ^ Munzenmaier, Walter. "'LTV A-7D/K Corsair II: The 'SLUF' in USAF and USANG Service 1968–1993," Famous Aircraft of the USAF and USAG, Volume 1.
  10. ^ Jenkins 1998, pp. 5–7.
  11. ^ Neufeld 2007, p. 46.
  12. ^ a b c Davies 2002, pp. 9–11.
  13. ^ Technology and the Air Force: A Retrospective Assessment. DIANE Publishing. p. 44-47. ISBN 978-1-4289-1358-5. from the original on 13 March 2023. Retrieved 11 October 2016.
  14. ^ Harnessing the genie: science and technology forecasting for the Air Force 13 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine AIR STAFF HISTORICAL STUDY (1988).
  15. ^ Neufeld 2007, p. 46–47.
  16. ^ Neufeld 2007, p. 47.
  17. ^ a b Neufeld 2007, p. 49.
  18. ^ "In July 1967, at Domodedovo airfield near Moscow, the Soviet Union unveiled a new generation of combat aircraft… [codenamed] Foxbat by NATO": "Development" in Modern Fighting Aircraft, 1983.
  19. ^ Bowman 1980, p. 193.
  20. ^ Neufeld 2007, p. 48.
  21. ^ Davies and Dildy 2007, p. 12.
  22. ^ Jenkins 1998, pp. 8–10.
  23. ^ Neufeld 2007, p. 52.
  24. ^ Jenkins 1998, pp. 9–11.
  25. ^ Davies and Dildy 2007, p. 14.
  26. ^ Spick 2000, pp. 130–131.
  27. ^ Lorell, Mark A.; Levaux, Hugh P. (1998). "Chapter 5: Return of the Air Superiority Fighter" (PDF). The Cutting Edge: A Half Century of U.S. Fighter Aircraft R&D. ISBN 0-8330-2595-3. (PDF) from the original on 13 October 2012. Retrieved 21 July 2022. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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Bibliography edit

Further reading edit

  • Braybrook, Roy. F-15 Eagle. London: Osprey Aerospace, 1991. ISBN 1-85532-149-1.
  • Crickmore, Paul. McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (Classic Warplanes series). New York: Smithmark Books, 1992. ISBN 0-8317-1408-5.
  • Drendel, Lou. Eagle (Modern Military Aircraft Series). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1985. ISBN 0-8974-7271-3.
  • Drendel, Lou and Don Carson. F-15 Eagle in action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, 1976. ISBN 0-89747-023-0.
  • Fitzsimons, Bernard. Modern Fighting Aircraft, F-15 Eagle. London: Salamander Books Ltd., 1983. ISBN 0-86101-182-1.
  • Gething, Michael J. and Paul Crickmore. F-15 (Combat Aircraft series). New York: Crescent Books, 1992. ISBN 0-517-06734-X.
  • Kinzey, Bert. The F-15 Eagle in Detail & Scale (Part 1, Series II). El Paso, Texas: Detail & Scale, Inc., 1978. ISBN 0-8168-5028-3.
  • Rininger, Tyson V. F-15 Eagle at War. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Press, 2009. ISBN 978-0-7603-3350-1.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle.
  • F-15 Eagle USAF Fact Sheet
  • F-15 Eagle history page on Boeing.com
  • , and
  • The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle page

November 23, 2023
mcdonnell, douglas, eagle, redirects, here, other, uses, disambiguation, american, twin, engine, weather, tactical, fighter, aircraft, designed, mcdonnell, douglas, part, boeing, following, reviews, proposals, united, states, force, usaf, selected, mcdonnell, . F 15 redirects here For other uses see F 15 disambiguation The McDonnell Douglas F 15 Eagle is an American twin engine all weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas now part of Boeing Following reviews of proposals the United States Air Force USAF selected McDonnell Douglas s design in 1969 to meet the service s need for a dedicated air superiority fighter The Eagle first flew in July 1972 and entered service in 1976 It is among the most successful modern fighters with over 100 victories and no losses in aerial combat with the majority of the kills by the Israeli Air Force 3 4 F 15 EagleUSAF F 15C 44th Fighter Squadron 2019Role Air superiority fighterNational origin United StatesManufacturer McDonnell DouglasBoeing Defense Space amp SecurityFirst flight 27 July 1972 51 years ago 1972 07 27 Introduction 9 January 1976 47 years ago 1976 01 09 1 Status In servicePrimary users United States Air ForceJapan Air Self Defense ForceRoyal Saudi Air ForceIsraeli Air ForceProduced 1972 presentNumber built F 15A B C D J DJ 1 198 2 Variants McDonnell Douglas F 15E Strike EagleMcDonnell Douglas F 15 STOL MTDMitsubishi F 15JThe Eagle has been exported to many countries including Israel Japan and Saudi Arabia Although the F 15 was originally envisioned as a pure air superiority aircraft its design included a secondary ground attack capability that was largely unused 5 It proved flexible enough that an improved all weather strike derivative the F 15E Strike Eagle was later developed entered service in 1989 and has been exported to several nations Several additional F 15 variants have been produced The USAF had planned to replace all of its air superiority F 15s with the Lockheed Martin F 22 by the 2010s but the severely reduced F 22 procurement forced the USAF to operate the F 15C D into the 2020s The F 15E Strike Eagle is expected to continue operating in the USAF into the 2030s The F 15 is in service with numerous countries with production of enhanced variants continuing Contents 1 Development 1 1 Early studies 1 2 Smaller lighter 1 3 Focus on air superiority 1 4 Further development 2 Design 2 1 Overview 2 2 Avionics 2 3 Weaponry and external stores 2 4 Upgrades 3 Operational history 3 1 Introduction and early service 3 1 1 Anti satellite trials 3 2 Gulf War and aftermath 3 3 Structural defects 3 4 Later service 3 5 Yemen Civil War 4 Variants 4 1 Basic models 4 2 Prototypes 4 3 Research and test 5 Operators 6 Notable accidents 7 Specifications F 15C 8 Aircraft on display 8 1 Germany 8 2 Netherlands 8 3 Japan 8 4 Israel 8 5 Saudi Arabia 8 6 United Kingdom 8 7 United States 8 7 1 F 15A 8 7 2 F 15B 8 7 3 F 15C 9 Notable appearances in media 10 See also 11 References 11 1 Notes 11 2 Citations 11 3 Bibliography 12 Further reading 13 External linksDevelopment editEarly studies edit nbsp Test facility craftsman Jack Culpepper adjusts a model of the F 15 Eagle before it undergoes aerodynamic testing in the mid 1970s in the 4 foot transonic wind tunnel at Arnold Air Force Base TennesseeThe F 15 can trace its origins to the early Vietnam War when the U S Air Force and U S Navy fought each other over future tactical aircraft Defense Secretary Robert McNamara was pressing for both services to use as many common aircraft as possible even if performance compromises were involved As part of this policy the USAF and Navy had embarked on the TFX F 111 program aiming to deliver a medium range interdiction aircraft for the Air Force that would also serve as a long range interceptor aircraft for the Navy 6 In January 1965 Secretary McNamara asked the Air Force to consider a new low cost tactical fighter design for short range roles and close air support to replace several types like the F 100 Super Sabre and various light bombers then in service Several existing designs could fill this role the Navy favored the Douglas A 4 Skyhawk and LTV A 7 Corsair II which were pure attack aircraft while the Air Force was more interested in the Northrop F 5 fighter with a secondary attack capability The A 4 and A 7 were more capable in the attack role while the F 5 less so but could defend itself If the Air Force chose a pure attack design maintaining air superiority would be a priority for a new airframe The next month a report on light tactical aircraft suggested the Air Force purchase the F 5 or A 7 and consider a new higher performance aircraft to ensure its air superiority This point was reinforced after the loss of two Republic F 105 Thunderchief aircraft to obsolete MiG 17s attacking the Thanh Hoa Bridge on 4 April 1965 6 In April 1965 Harold Brown at that time director of the Department of Defense Research and Engineering stated the favored position was to consider the F 5 and begin studies of an F X N 1 These early studies envisioned a production run of 800 to 1 000 aircraft and stressed maneuverability over speed it also stated that the aircraft would not be considered without some level of ground attack capability 7 On 1 August General Gabriel Disosway took command of Tactical Air Command and reiterated calls for the F X but lowered the required performance from Mach 3 0 to 2 5 to lower costs 8 An official requirements document for an air superiority fighter was finalized in October 1965 and sent out as a request for proposals to 13 companies on 8 December Meanwhile the Air Force chose the A 7 over the F 5 for the support role on 5 November 1965 9 giving further impetus for an air superiority design as the A 7 lacked any credible air to air capability Eight companies responded with proposals Following a downselect four companies were asked to provide further developments In total they developed some 500 design concepts Typical designs featured variable sweep wings weight over 60 000 pounds 27 000 kg included a top speed of Mach 2 7 and a thrust to weight ratio of 0 75 10 When the proposals were studied in July 1966 the aircraft were roughly the size and weight of the TFX F 111 and like that aircraft were designs that could not be considered an air superiority fighter 11 Smaller lighter edit nbsp McDonnell Douglas F 15A S N 71 0280 during the type s first flightThrough this period studies of combat over Vietnam were producing worrying results Theory had stressed long range combat using missiles and optimized aircraft for this role The result was highly loaded aircraft with large radar and excellent speed but limited maneuverability and often lacking a gun The canonical example was the McDonnell Douglas F 4 Phantom II used by the USAF USN and U S Marine Corps to provide air superiority over Vietnam the only fighter with enough power range and maneuverability to be given the primary task of dealing with the threat of Soviet fighters while flying with visual engagement rules 12 In practice due to policy and practical reasons 12 aircraft were closing to visual range and maneuvering placing the larger US aircraft at a disadvantage to the much less expensive day fighters such as the MiG 21 Missiles proved to be much less reliable than predicted especially at close range Although improved training and the introduction of the M61 Vulcan cannon on the F 4 did much to address the disparity these early outcomes led to considerable re evaluation of the 1963 Project Forecast doctrine 13 14 This led to John Boyd s energy maneuverability theory which stressed that extra power and maneuverability were key aspects of a successful fighter design and these were more important than outright speed Through tireless championing of the concepts and good timing with the failure of the initial F X project the fighter mafia pressed for a lightweight day fighter that could be built and operated in large numbers to ensure air superiority 15 In early 1967 they proposed that the ideal design had a thrust to weight ratio near 1 1 a maximum speed further reduced to Mach 2 3 a weight of 40 000 pounds 18 000 kg and a wing loading of 80 pounds per square foot 390 kg m2 16 By this time the Navy had decided the F 111 would not meet their requirements and began the development of a new dedicated fighter design the VFAX program In May 1966 McNamara again asked the forces to study the designs and see whether the VFAX would meet the Air Force s F X needs The resulting studies took 18 months and concluded that the desired features were too different the Navy stressed loiter time and mission flexibility while the Air Force was now looking primarily for maneuverability 17 Focus on air superiority edit In 1967 the Soviet Union revealed the Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 25 at the Domodedovo airfield near Moscow 12 18 The MiG 25 was designed as a high speed high altitude interceptor aircraft and made many performance tradeoffs to excel in this role 19 Among these was the requirement for very high speed over Mach 2 8 which demanded the use of stainless steel instead of aluminum for many parts of the aircraft The added weight demanded a much larger wing to allow the aircraft to operate at the required high altitudes However to observers it appeared outwardly similar to the very large F X studies an aircraft with high speed and a large wing offering high maneuverability leading to serious concerns throughout the Department of Defense and the various arms that the US was being outclassed The MiG 23 was likewise a subject of concern and it was generally believed to be a better aircraft than the F 4 The F X would outclass the MiG 23 but now the MiG 25 appeared to be superior in speed ceiling and endurance to all existing US fighters even the F X 20 Thus an effort to improve the F X followed 21 Both Headquarters USAF and TAC continued to call for a multipurpose aircraft while both Disosway and Air Chief of Staff Bruce K Holloway pressed for a pure air superiority design that would be able to meet the expected performance of the MiG 25 During the same period the Navy had ended its VFAX program and instead accepted a proposal from Grumman for a smaller and more maneuverable design known as VFX later becoming the Grumman F 14 Tomcat VFX was considerably closer to the evolving F X requirements The Air Force in fighting was eventually ended by the worry that the Navy s VFAX would be forced on them in May 1968 it was stated that We finally decided and I hope there is no one who still disagrees that this aircraft is going to be an air superiority fighter 17 nbsp F 15A cockpitIn September 1968 a request for proposals was released to major aerospace companies These requirements called for single seat fighter having a maximum take off weight of 40 000 pounds 18 000 kg for the air to air role with a maximum speed of Mach 2 5 and a thrust to weight ratio of nearly 1 1 at mission weight 22 It also called for a twin engined arrangement as this was believed to respond to throttle changes more rapidly and might offer commonality with the Navy s VFX program However details of the avionics were left largely undefined as whether to build a larger aircraft with a powerful radar that could detect the enemy at longer ranges was not clear or alternatively a smaller aircraft that would make detecting it more difficult for the enemy 23 Four companies submitted proposals with the Air Force eliminating General Dynamics and awarding contracts to Fairchild Republic North American Rockwell and McDonnell Douglas for the definition phase in December 1968 The companies submitted technical proposals by June 1969 The Air Force announced the selection of McDonnell Douglas on 23 December 1969 24 The winning design resembled the twin tailed F 14 but with fixed wings both designs were based on configurations studied in wind tunnel testing by NASA 25 nbsp An early USAF F 15AThe Eagle s initial versions were the F 15 single seat variant and TF 15 twin seat variant After the F 15C was first flown the designations were changed to F 15A and F 15B These versions would be powered by new Pratt amp Whitney F100 engines to achieve a combat thrust to weight ratio in excess of 1 1 A proposed 25 mm Ford Philco GAU 7 cannon with caseless ammunition suffered development problems It was dropped in favor of the standard M61 Vulcan gun The F 15 used conformal carriage of four Sparrow missiles like the Phantom The fixed wing was put onto a flat wide fuselage that also provided an effective lifting surface The first F 15A flight was made on 27 July 1972 with the first flight of the two seat F 15B following in July 1973 26 The F 15 has a look down shoot down radar that can distinguish low flying moving targets from ground clutter It would use computer technology with new controls and displays to lower pilot workload and require only one pilot to save weight Unlike the F 14 or F 4 the F 15 has only a single canopy frame with clear vision forward The USAF introduced the F 15 as the first dedicated USAF air superiority fighter since the North American F 86 Sabre 27 The F 15 was favored by customers such as the Israel and Japan air arms Criticism from the fighter mafia that the F 15 was too large to be a dedicated dogfighter and too expensive to procure in large numbers led to the Lightweight Fighter LWF program which led to the USAF General Dynamics F 16 Fighting Falcon and the middle weight Navy McDonnell Douglas F A 18 Hornet 28 Further development edit The single seat F 15C and two seat F 15D models entered production in 1978 and conducted their first flights in February and June of that year 29 These models were fitted with the Production Eagle Package PEP 2000 which included 2 000 pounds 910 kg of additional internal fuel provisions for exterior conformal fuel tanks and an increased maximum takeoff weight up to 68 000 pounds 31 000 kg 30 The increased takeoff weight allows internal fuel a full weapons load conformal fuel tanks and three external fuel tanks to be carried The APG 63 radar uses a programmable signal processor PSP enabling the radar to be reprogrammable for additional purposes such as the addition of new armaments and equipment The PSP was the first of its kind in the world and the upgraded APG 63 radar was the first radar to use it Other improvements included strengthened landing gear a new digital central computer 31 and an overload warning system which allows the pilot to fly up to 9 g at all weights 29 The F 15 Multistage Improvement Program MSIP was initiated in February 1983 with the first production MSIP F 15C produced in 1985 Improvements included an upgraded central computer a Programmable Armament Control Set allowing for advanced versions of the AIM 7 AIM 9 and AIM 120A missiles and an expanded Tactical Electronic Warfare System that provides improvements to the ALR 56C radar warning receiver and ALQ 135 countermeasure set The final 43 F 15Cs included the Hughes APG 70 radar developed for the F 15E these are sometimes referred as Enhanced Eagles Earlier MSIP F 15Cs with the APG 63 were upgraded to the APG 63 V 1 to improve maintainability and to perform similar to the APG 70 Existing F 15s were retrofitted with these improvements 32 In 1979 McDonnell Douglas and F 15 radar manufacturer Hughes teamed to privately develop a strike fighter version of the F 15 This version competed in the Air Force s Dual Role Fighter competition starting in 1982 The F 15E strike variant was selected for production over General Dynamics competing F 16XL in 1984 33 Beginning in 1985 F 15C and D models were equipped with the improved P amp W F100 PW 220 engine and digital engine controls providing quicker throttle response reduced wear and lower fuel consumption Starting in 1997 original F100 PW 100 engines were upgraded to a similar configuration with the designation F100 PW 220E starting 34 Beginning in 2007 179 USAF F 15Cs would be retrofitted with the AN APG 63 V 3 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar 35 A significant number of F 15s are to be equipped with the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System 36 Lockheed Martin is working on an IRST system for the F 15C 37 A follow on upgrade called the Eagle passive active warning survivability system EPAWSS was planned but remained unfunded 38 Boeing was selected in October 2015 to serve as prime contractor for the EPAWSS with BAE Systems selected as a subcontractor The EPAWSS is an all digital system with advanced electronic countermeasures radar warning and increased chaff and flare capabilities in a smaller footprint than the 1980s era Tactical Electronic Warfare System More than 400 F 15Cs and F 15Es will have the system installed 39 In September 2015 Boeing unveiled its 2040C Eagle upgrade designed to keep the F 15 relevant through 2040 Seen as a necessity because of the low numbers of F 22s procured the upgrade builds upon the company s F 15SE Silent Eagle concept with low observable features Most improvements focus on lethality including quad pack munitions racks to double its missile load to 16 conformal fuel tanks for extended range Talon HATE communications pod to communicate with fifth generation fighters the APG 63 v 3 AESA radar a long range infrared search and track sensor and BAE Systems EPAWSS systems 40 41 42 43 The 2040C upgrade for the F 15C D was not pursued owing to the airframes age but some of the components such as EPAWSS were continued to upgrade the F 15E fleet as well as new build F 15EX Eagle II Design editOverview edit nbsp Variable geometry engine air intake ramps with internal Pitot tubes and automatic control for constant optimal airflow to engines Above open intake aligned ramp Below closed intake inclined ramp nbsp F 15C executing a maximum performance takeoff source source source source source source Video showing the F 15 s maneuverability in simulated dogfightingThe F 15 has an all metal semi monocoque fuselage with a large cantilever shoulder mounted wing The wing planform of the F 15 suggests a modified cropped delta shape with a leading edge sweepback angle of 45 Ailerons and a simple high lift flap are located on the trailing edge No leading edge maneuvering flaps are used This complication was avoided by the combination of low wing loading and fixed leading edge camber that varies with spanwise position along the wing Airfoil thickness ratios vary from 6 at the root to 3 at the tip citation needed The empennage is of metal and composite construction with twin aluminium composite material honeycomb structure vertical stabilizers with boron composite skin resulting in an exceptionally thin tailplane and rudders Composite horizontal all moving tails outboard of the vertical stabilizers move independently to provide roll control in some flight maneuvers The F 15 has a spine mounted air brake and retractable tricycle landing gear It is powered by two Pratt amp Whitney F100 axial compressor turbofan engines with afterburners mounted side by side in the fuselage and fed by rectangular inlets with variable intake ramps The cockpit is mounted high in the forward fuselage with a one piece windscreen and large canopy for increased visibility and a 360 field of view for the pilot The airframe began to incorporate advanced superplastically formed titanium components in the 1980s The F 15 s maneuverability is derived from low wing loading weight to wing area ratio with a high thrust to weight ratio enabling the aircraft to turn tightly without losing airspeed The F 15 can climb to 30 000 feet 9 100 m in around 60 seconds At certain speeds the dynamic thrust output of the dual engines is greater than the aircraft s combat weight and drag so it has the ability to accelerate vertically The weapons and flight control systems are designed so that one person can safely and effectively perform air to air combat 44 The A and C models are single seat variants these were the main air superiority versions produced B and D models add a second seat behind the pilot for training E models use the second seat for a weapon systems officer Visibly the F 15 has a unique feature vis a vis other modern fighter aircraft it does not have the distinctive turkey feather aerodynamic exhaust petals covering its engine nozzles Following problems during development of its exhaust petal design including dislodgment during flight the decision was made to remove them resulting in a 3 aerodynamic drag increase 45 The F 15 was shown to be capable of controlled flight with only one wing after an Israeli F 15D suffered a mid air collision that removed most of the starboard wing the pilot quickly learned how to fly the aircraft and land it safely Subsequent wind tunnel tests on a one wing model confirmed that controllable flight was only possible within a very limited speed range of 20 knots and angle of attack variation of 20 degrees The event resulted in research into damage adaptive technology and a system called Intelligent Flight Control System 46 Avionics edit nbsp AN APG 63 radarA multimission avionics system includes a head up display HUD advanced radar AN ASN 109 inertial guidance system flight instruments ultra high frequency communications and tactical air navigation system and instrument landing system receivers It also has an internally mounted tactical electronic warfare system Identification friend or foe system an electronic countermeasures suite and a central digital computer 47 The HUD projects all essential flight information gathered by the integrated avionics system This display visible in any light condition provides the pilot information necessary to track and destroy an enemy aircraft without having to look down at cockpit instruments 48 The F 15 s versatile APG 63 and 70 pulse Doppler radar systems can look up at high flying targets and look down shoot down at low flying targets without being confused by ground clutter These radars can detect and track aircraft and small high speed targets at distances beyond visual range down to close range and at altitudes down to treetop level The APG 63 has a basic range of 100 miles 87 nmi 160 km The radar feeds target information into the central computer for effective weapons delivery For close in dogfights the radar automatically acquires enemy aircraft and this information is projected on the head up display The F 15 s electronic warfare system provides both threat warning radar warning receiver and automatic countermeasures against selected threats 49 Weaponry and external stores edit nbsp M61 Vulcan mounted on the side of right engine intakeA variety of air to air weaponry can be carried by the F 15 An automated weapon system enables the pilot to release weapons effectively and safely using the head up display and the avionics and weapons controls located on the engine throttles or control stick When the pilot changes from one weapon system to another visual guidance for the selected weapon automatically appears on the head up display 50 The Eagle can be armed with combinations of four different air to air weapons AIM 7F M Sparrow missiles or AIM 120 AMRAAM advanced medium range air to air missiles on its lower fuselage corners AIM 9L M Sidewinder or AIM 120 AMRAAM missiles on two pylons under the wings and an internal 20 mm 0 79 in M61 Vulcan Gatling gun in the right wing root 51 nbsp F 15C underside with external storesLow drag conformal fuel tanks CFTs were developed for the F 15C and D models They can be attached to the sides of the engine air intakes under each wing and are designed to the same load factors and airspeed limits as the basic aircraft 51 These tanks slightly degrade performance by increasing aerodynamic drag and cannot be jettisoned in flight However they cause less drag than conventional external tanks Each conformal tank can hold 750 U S gallons 2 840 L of fuel 52 These CFTs increase range and reduce the need for in flight refueling All external stations for munitions remain available with the tanks in use Moreover Sparrow or AMRAAM missiles can be attached to the corners of the CFTs 30 The 57 FIS based at Keflavik NAS Iceland was the only C model squadron to use CFTs on a regular basis due to its extended operations over the North Atlantic With the closure of the 57 FIS the F 15E is the only variant to carry them on a routine basis CFTs have also been sold to Israel and Saudi Arabia Upgrades edit nbsp F 15E with speed brake deployed and CFTs fittedThe McDonnell Douglas F 15E Strike Eagle is a two seat dual role totally integrated fighter for all weather air to air and deep interdiction missions The rear cockpit is upgraded to include four multipurpose cathode ray tube displays for aircraft systems and weapons management The digital triple redundant Lear Siegler aircraft flight control system permits coupled automatic terrain following enhanced by a ring laser gyro inertial navigation system 53 For low altitude high speed penetration and precision attack on tactical targets at night or in adverse weather the F 15E carries a high resolution APG 70 radar and LANTIRN pods to provide thermography 49 The newest F 15E version is the F 15 Advanced which features fly by wire controls 54 The APG 63 V 2 active electronically scanned array AESA radar has been retrofitted to 18 U S Air Force F 15C aircraft 55 This upgrade includes most of the new hardware from the APG 63 V 1 but adds an AESA to provide increased pilot situation awareness The AESA radar has an exceptionally agile beam providing nearly instantaneous track updates and enhanced multitarget tracking capability The APG 63 V 2 is compatible with current F 15C weapon loads and enables pilots to take full advantage of AIM 120 AMRAAM capabilities simultaneously guiding multiple missiles to several targets widely spaced in azimuth elevation or range The further improved APG 63 V 3 AESA radar is expected to be fitted to 179 F 15C aircraft the first upgraded aircraft was delivered in October 2010 35 The ZAP Zone Acquisition Program missile launch envelope has been integrated into the operational flight program system of all U S F 15 aircraft providing dynamic launch zone and launch acceptability region information for missiles to the pilot by display cues in real time 56 Operational history editIntroduction and early service edit nbsp Israeli Air Force F 15C Baz Meshupar Upgraded Baz with four kill marks of Syrian warplanesThe largest operator of the F 15 is the United States Air Force The first Eagle an F 15B was delivered on 13 November 1974 57 In January 1976 the first Eagle destined for a combat squadron the 555th TFS was delivered 57 These initial aircraft carried the Hughes Aircraft now Raytheon APG 63 radar The first kill by an F 15 was scored by Israeli Air Force IAF ace Moshe Melnik in 1979 58 During IAF raids against Palestinian factions in Lebanon in 1979 1981 F 15As reportedly downed 13 Syrian MiG 21s and two Syrian MiG 25s Israeli F 15As and Bs participated as escorts in Operation Opera an air strike on an Iraqi nuclear reactor In the 1982 Lebanon War Israeli F 15s were credited with 41 Syrian aircraft destroyed 23 MiG 21s and 17 MiG 23s and one Aerospatiale SA 342L Gazelle helicopter During Operation Mole Cricket 19 Israeli F 15s and F 16s together shot down 82 Syrian fighters MiG 21s MiG 23s and MiG 23Ms without losses 59 Israel was the only operator to use and develop the air to ground abilities of the air superiority F 15 variants doing so because the fighter s range was well beyond other combat aircraft in the Israeli inventory in the 1980s The first known use of F 15s for a strike mission was during Operation Wooden Leg on 1 October 1985 with six F 15Ds attacking PLO Headquarters in Tunis with two GBU 15 guided bombs per aircraft and two F 15Cs restriking the ruins with six Mk 82 unguided bombs each 60 This was one of the few times air superiority F 15s A B C D models were used in tactical strike missions 61 Israeli air superiority F 15 variants have since been extensively upgraded to carry a wider range of air to ground armaments including JDAM GPS guided bombs and Popeye missile 62 Royal Saudi Air Force F 15C pilots reportedly shot down two Iranian Air Force F 4E Phantom IIs in a skirmish on 5 June 1984 63 64 Anti satellite trials edit nbsp ASM 135 ASAT test launch from F 15A 76 0084 in 1985The ASM 135 missile was designed to be a standoff antisatellite ASAT weapon with the F 15 acting as a first stage The Soviet Union could correlate a U S rocket launch with a spy satellite loss but an F 15 carrying an ASAT would blend in among hundreds of F 15 flights From January 1984 to September 1986 two F 15As were used as launch platforms for the ASAT missile The F 15As were modified to carry one ASM 135 on the centerline station with extra equipment within a special centerline pylon 65 66 The launch aircraft executed a Mach 1 22 3 8 g climb at 65 to release the ASAT missile at an altitude of 38 100 ft 11 600 m 67 68 The flight computer was updated to control the zoom climb and missile release The third test flight involved a retired P78 1 solar observatory satellite in a 345 mile 555 km orbit which was destroyed by kinetic energy 67 The pilot USAF Major Wilbert D Doug Pearson became the only pilot to destroy a satellite 68 The ASAT program involved five test launches The program was officially terminated in 1988 65 68 Gulf War and aftermath edit The USAF began deploying F 15C D and E model aircraft to the Persian Gulf region in August 1990 for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm During the Gulf War the F 15 accounted for 36 of the 39 air to air victories by U S Air Force against Iraqi forces Iraq has confirmed the loss of 23 of its aircraft in air to air combat 69 The F 15C and D fighters were used in the air superiority role while F 15E Strike Eagles were used in air to ground attacks mainly at night hunting modified Scud missile launchers and artillery sites using the LANTIRN system 70 According to the USAF its F 15Cs had 34 confirmed kills of Iraqi aircraft during the 1991 Gulf War most of them by missile fire five Mikoyan MiG 29s two MiG 25s eight MiG 23s two MiG 21s two Sukhoi Su 25s four Sukhoi Su 22s one Sukhoi Su 7 six Dassault Mirage F1s one Ilyushin Il 76 cargo aircraft one Pilatus PC 9 trainer and two Mil Mi 8 helicopters In addition the F 15E achieved its first ever air to air kill on 14 February 1991 destroying an Iraqi Mi 24 Hind helicopter with a GBU 10 laser guided bomb 71 Air superiority was achieved in the first three days of the conflict many of the later kills were reportedly of Iraqi aircraft fleeing to Iran rather than engaging American aircraft Two F 15Es were lost to ground fire and another was damaged on the ground by a Scud strike on King Abdulaziz Air Base 72 On 11 November 1990 a Royal Saudi Air Force RSAF pilot defected to Sudan with an F 15C fighter during Operation Desert Shield Saudi Arabia paid US 40 million 74 4 million in 2021 for return of the aircraft three months later 73 RSAF F 15s shot down two Iraqi Mirage F1s during the Operation Desert storm 74 One Saudi Arabian F 15C was lost to a crash during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 75 The IQAF claimed this fighter was part of two USAF F 15Cs that engaged two Iraqi MiG 25PDs and was hit by an R 40 missile before crashing 76 nbsp An RSAF F 15 approaches a KC 135 for refueling during Operation Desert Shield They have since been deployed to support Operation Southern Watch the patrolling of the Iraqi no fly zones in Southern Iraq Operation Provide Comfort in Turkey in support of NATO operations in Bosnia and recent air expeditionary force deployments In 1994 two U S Army Sikorsky UH 60 Black Hawks were mistakenly downed by USAF F 15Cs in northern Iraq in a friendly fire incident 77 USAF F 15Cs shot down four Yugoslav MiG 29s using AIM 120 and AIM 7 Radar guided missiles during NATO s 1999 intervention in Kosovo Operation Allied Force 78 Structural defects edit All F 15s were grounded by the USAF after a Missouri Air National Guard F 15C came apart in flight and crashed on 2 November 2007 The newer F 15E fleet was later cleared for continued operations The USAF reported on 28 November 2007 that a critical location in the upper longerons on the F 15C was the failure s suspected cause causing the fuselage forward of the air intakes including the cockpit and radome to separate from the airframe 79 F 15A through D model aircraft were grounded until the location received detailed inspections and repairs as needed 80 The grounding of F 15s received media attention as it began to place strains on the nation s air defense efforts 81 The grounding forced some states to rely on their neighboring states fighters for air defense protection and Alaska to depend on Canadian Forces fighter support 81 On 8 January 2008 the USAF Air Combat Command ACC cleared a portion of its older F 15 fleet for return to flying status It also recommended a limited return to flight for units worldwide using the affected models 82 The accident review board report which was released on 10 January 2008 stated that analysis of the F 15C wreckage determined that the longeron did not meet drawing specifications which led to fatigue cracks and finally a catastrophic failure of the remaining support structures and breakup of the aircraft in flight 83 In a report released on 10 January 2008 nine other F 15s were identified to have similar problems in the longeron As a result General John D W Corley stated the long term future of the F 15 is in question 84 On 15 February 2008 ACC cleared all its grounded F 15A B C D fighters for flight pending inspections engineering reviews and any needed repairs ACC also recommended release of other U S F 15A B C Ds 85 Later service edit nbsp A USAF F 15C flying over Fresno California 2013The F 15 had a combined air to air combat record of 104 kills to no losses through 2008 update The F 15 s air superiority versions the A B C D models have not suffered any losses to enemy action 3 86 Over half of F 15 kills have been achieved by Israeli Air Force pilots On 16 September 2009 the last F 15A an Oregon Air National Guard aircraft was retired marking the end of service for the F 15A and F 15B models in the United States 87 With the retirement of the F 15A and B models the F 15C and D models are supplemented in US service by the newer F 22 Raptor During the 2010s USAF F 15C Ds were regularly based overseas with the Pacific Air Forces at Kadena AB in Japan 88 and with the U S Air Forces in Europe at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom 89 Other regular USAF F 15s are operated by ACC as adversary aggressor platforms at Nellis AFB Nevada and by Air Force Materiel Command in test and evaluation roles at Edwards AFB California and Eglin AFB Florida All remaining combat coded F 15C Ds are operated by the Air National Guard nbsp USAF F 15E arrives for the 2014 Royal International Air Tattoo UKAs of 2006 the USAF was upgrading 178 F 15C Ds with the AN APG 63 V 3 AESA radar 35 and equipping other F 15s with the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System 36 In 2007 the USAF planned to keep 178 F 15C Ds along with 224 F 15Es in service beyond 2025 90 As part of the USAF s FY 2015 budget the F 15C faced cuts or retirement in response to sequestration 91 92 In April 2017 USAF officials announced plans to retire the F 15C D in the mid 2020s and press more F 16s into roles occupied by the F 15 93 In December 2018 Bloomberg Government reported that the Pentagon not the USAF in its 2020 budget request would likely request US 1 2 billion for 12 new built F 15Xs to replace older F 15Cs operated by Air National Guard units 94 Newly built Eagle IIs will replace F 15C Ds as the older airframes had an average age of 37 years by 2021 75 were beyond their certified service lives leading to groundings from structural issues and life extensions were deemed too expensive In 2021 144 Eagle IIs were planned to primarily fly ANG homeland defense missions as well as carry outsized standoff weapons in combat 95 In 2022 it was announced the USAF plan to retire their fleet of F 15C Ds by 2026 96 The Air Force Magazine stated in 2007 that the F 15E was projected to remain in service for many years because of the model s primary air to ground role and the low number of hours on the variant s airframes 90 needs update Yemen Civil War edit During the Yemeni Civil War 2015 present Houthis have used R 27T missiles modified to serve as surface to air missiles A video released on 7 January 2018 also shows a modified R 27T hitting a Saudi F 15 on a forward looking infrared camera Houthi sources claim to have downed the F 15 although this has been disputed as the missile apparently proximity detonated though the F 15 continued to fly in its trajectory seemingly unaffected 97 98 Rebels later released footage showing an aircraft wreck but serial numbers on the wreckage suggested the aircraft was a Panavia Tornado also operated by Saudi forces On 8 January the Saudi admitted the loss of an aircraft but due to technical reasons 99 On 21 March 2018 Houthi rebels released a video where they hit and possibly shot down a Saudi F 15 in Saada province 100 In the video a R 27T air to air missile adapted for surface to air use was launched and appeared to hit a jet As in the video of the previous similar hit recorded on 8 January the target while clearly hit did not appear to be downed Saudi forces confirmed the hit while saying the jet landed at a Saudi base 101 102 Saudi official sources confirmed the incident reporting that it happened at 3 48 pm local time after a surface to air defense missile was launched at the fighter jet from inside Saada airport 103 104 After the Houthi attack on Saudi oil infrastructure on 14 September 2019 Saudi Arabia tasked F 15 fighters armed with missiles to intercept low flying drones difficult to intercept with ground based high altitude missile systems like the MIM 104 Patriot 105 with several drones being downed since then 106 On 2 July 2020 a Saudi F 15 shot down two Houthi Shahed 129 drones above Yemen 107 On 7 March 2021 during a Houthi attack at several Saudi oil installations Saudi F 15s shot down several attacking drones using heatseeking AIM 9 Sidewinder missiles with video evidence showing at least two Samad 3 UAVs and one Qasef 2K downed 108 109 On 30 March 2021 a video made by Saudi border guards showed a Saudi F 15 shooting down a Houthi Quasef 2K drone with an AIM 120 AMRAAM fired at short range 110 Variants editThis article is about F 15A B C D and related variants For F 15E F 15I F 15S F 15K F 15SG F 15SA F 15QA F 15EX and other F 15E based variants see McDonnell Douglas F 15E Strike Eagle Basic models edit nbsp USAF F 15C fires an AIM 7 Sparrow in 2005 nbsp A view of an F 15E cockpit from an aerial refueling tanker F 15A Single seat all weather air superiority fighter version 384 built in 1972 1979 111 F 15B Two seat training version formerly designated TF 15A 61 built in 1972 1979 111 F 15C Improved single seat all weather air superiority fighter version 483 built in 1979 1985 111 The last 43 F 15Cs were upgraded with AN APG 70 radar and later the AN APG 63 V 1 radar F 15D Two seat training version 92 built in 1979 1985 111 F 15J Single seat all weather air superiority fighter version for the Japan Air Self Defense Force 139 built under license in Japan by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in 1981 1997 two built in St Louis 111 F 15DJ Two seat training version for the Japan Air Self Defense Force 12 built in St Louis and 25 built under license in Japan by Mitsubishi in the period 1981 1997 111 F 15N Sea Eagle The F 15N was a carrier capable variant proposed in the early 1970s to the U S Navy as an alternative to the heavier and at the time considered to be riskier technology program the Grumman F 14 Tomcat It did not have a long range radar or the long range missiles used by the F 14 The F 15N PHX was another proposed naval version capable of carrying the AIM 54 Phoenix missile but with an enhanced version of the AN APG 63 radar on the F 15A These featured folding wingtips reinforced landing gear and a stronger tailhook for shipboard operation 112 113 F 15E Strike Eagle Two seat all weather multirole strike version fitted with conformal fuel tanks It was developed into the F 15I F 15S F 15K F 15SG F 15SA and other variants Over 400 F 15E and derivative variants produced since 1985 still in production F 15SE Silent Eagle In March 2009 Boeing unveiled the F 15SE a Proposed F 15E variant with a reduced radar cross section via changes such as replacing conformal fuel tanks with conformal weapons bays and canting the twin vertical tails 15 degrees outward which would reduce their radar signature while providing a slight boost to lift to help offset the loss of conformal fuel tanks 114 115 F 15 2040C Proposed upgrade to the F 15C allowing it to supplement the F 22 in the air superiority role The 2040C concept is an evolution of the Silent Eagle proposed to South Korea and Israel with some low observable improvements but mostly a focus on the latest air capabilities and lethality Proposal includes infra red search and track doubling the number of weapon stations with quad racks for a maximum of 16 air to air missiles Passive Active Warning Survivability System conformal fuel tanks upgraded APG 63 v 3 AESA and a Talon HATE communications pod allowing data transfer with the F 22 116 117 Prototypes edit nbsp F 15A 71 0280 the first prototypeTwelve prototypes were built and used for trials by the F 15 Joint Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base using McDonnell Douglas and United States Air Force personnel Most prototypes were later used by NASA for trials and experiments F 15A 1 AF Serial No 71 0280 Was the first F 15 to fly on 11 July 1972 from Edwards Air Force Base it was used as a trial aircraft for exploring the flight envelope general handling and testing the carriage of external stores F 15A 1 AF Ser No 71 0281 The second prototype first flew on 26 September 1972 and was used to test the F100 engine F 15A 2 AF Ser No 71 0282 First flew on 4 November 1972 and was used to test the APG 63 radar and avionics F 15A 2 AF Ser No 71 0283 First flew on 13 January 1973 and was used as a structural test aircraft it was the first aircraft to have the smaller wingtips to clear a severe buffet problem found on earlier aircraft F 15A 2 AF Ser No 71 0284 First flew on 7 March 1973 it was used for armament development and was the first aircraft fitted with an internal cannon F 15A 3 AF Ser No 71 0285 First flew on 23 May 1973 and was used to test the missile fire control system and other avionics F 15A 3 AF Ser No 71 0286 First flew on 14 June 1973 and was used for armament trials and testing external fuel stores F 15A 4 AF Ser No 71 0287 First flew on 25 August 1973 and was used for spin recovery angle of attack and fuel system testing it was fitted with an anti spin recovery parachute The aircraft was loaned to NASA from 1976 for engine development trials F 15A 4 AF Ser No 71 0288 First flew on 20 October 1973 and was used to test integrated aircraft and engine performance it was later used by McDonnell Douglas as a test aircraft in the 1990s F 15A 4 AF Ser No 71 0289 First flew on 30 January 1974 and was used for trials on the radar avionics and electronic warfare systems F 15B 1 AF Ser No 71 0290 The first two seat prototype originally designated the TF 15A it first flew on 7 July 1973 F 15B 2 AF Ser No 71 0291 First flew on 18 October 1973 as a TF 15A and used as a test and demonstration aircraft In 1976 it made an overseas sales tour painted in markings to celebrate the bicentenary of the United States Also used as the development aircraft for the F 15E as well as the first F 15 to use Conformal Fuel Tanks Research and test edit nbsp NASA F 15B Research Testbed aircraft No 836 AF Ser No 74 0141 Note the Quiet Spike adaption to reduce and control sonic boomsF 15 Streak Eagle AF Ser No 72 0119 An unpainted F 15A stripped of most avionics demonstrated the fighter s acceleration capabilities The aircraft broke eight time to climb world records between 16 January and 1 February 1975 at Grand Forks AFB ND It was delivered to the National Museum of the United States Air Force in December 1980 118 Undergoing restoration in 2023 to be put on display in 2024 citation needed F 15 STOL MTD AF Ser No 71 0290 The first F 15B was converted into a short takeoff and landing maneuver technology demonstrator aircraft 119 In the late 1980s it received canard flight surfaces in addition to its usual horizontal tail along with square thrust vectoring nozzles It was used as a short takeoff maneuver technology demonstrator S MTD 120 F 15 ACTIVE AF Ser No 71 0290 The F 15 S MTD was later converted into an advanced flight control technology research aircraft with thrust vectoring nozzles 119 F 15 IFCS AF Ser No 71 0290 The F 15 ACTIVE was then converted into an intelligent flight control systems research aircraft F 15B 71 0290 was the oldest F 15 still flying when retired in January 2009 120 F 15 MANX Concept name for a tailless variant of the F 15 ACTIVE but the NASA ACTIVE experimental aircraft was never modified to be tailless citation needed F 15 Flight Research Facility AF Ser No 71 0281 and AF Ser No 71 0287 Two F 15A aircraft were acquired in 1976 for use by NASA s Dryden Flight Research Center for numerous experiments such as Highly Integrated Digital Electronic Control HiDEC Adaptive Engine Control System ADECS Self Repairing and Self Diagnostic Flight Control System SRFCS and Propulsion Controlled Aircraft System PCA 121 71 0281 the second flight test F 15A was returned to the Air Force and became a static display at Langley AFB in 1983 citation needed F 15B Research Testbed AF Ser No 74 0141 Acquired in 1993 it was an F 15B modified and used by NASA s Dryden Flight Research Center for flight tests 122 Operators edit nbsp Current operators of the F 15 Eagle shown in cyan and F 15E Strike Eagle in red Operators of both versions in dark blue Main article List of McDonnell Douglas F 15 Eagle operators This article only covers the F 15A B C D and related variants For the operators of other F 15E based variants like the F 15E F 15I F 15S F 15K F 15SG or F 15EX see McDonnell Douglas F 15E Strike Eagle nbsp Two Israeli Air Force F 15I Ra am from the 69th Squadron nbsp IsraelIsraeli Air Force has operated F 15s since 1977 The IAF has 84 F 15A B C D I aircraft in service as of 2022 123 nbsp Japan Air Self Defense Force F 15DJ and F 15J of the 306th TFS nbsp JapanJapan Air Self Defense Force operates 200 Mitsubishi F 15J and F 15DJ fighters produced under license by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 124 nbsp Saudi ArabiaRoyal Saudi Air Force has 211 F 15C D SA fighters in operation as of 2022 123 nbsp United StatesUnited States Air Force operates 168 F 15C and 18 F 15D total aircraft as of mid 2022 125 126 NASA currently operates one F 15B 836 as a test bed for a variety of flight research experiments 127 and two F 15D 884 and 897 for research support and pilot proficiency 128 NASA in the past used an F 15B 835 to test Highly Integrated Digital Engine Control system HIDEC at Edwards AFB in 1988 129 130 Notable accidents edit nbsp Two F 15s over the coast of OregonMain article List of F 15 losses A total of 175 F 15s have been lost to non combat causes as of June 2016 However the F 15 aircraft is very reliable with only 1 loss per 50 000 flight hours 131 132 On 1 May 1983 an Israeli Air Force F 15D collided mid air with an A 4 Skyhawk during a training flight causing the F 15 s right wing to shear off almost completely Despite the damage the pilot was able to reach a nearby airbase and land safely albeit at twice the normal landing speed The aircraft was subsequently repaired and saw further combat action 133 On 26 March 2001 two US Air Force F 15Cs crashed near the summit of Ben Macdui in the Cairngorms during a low flying training exercise over the Scottish Highlands 134 Both Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth John Hyvonen and Captain Kirk Jones died in the accident which resulted in a court martial for an RAF air traffic controller who was later found not guilty 135 136 On 2 November 2007 a 27 year old F 15C AF Ser No 80 0034 of the 131st Fighter Wing Missouri Air National Guard crashed following an in flight breakup due to structural failure during combat training near St Louis Missouri The pilot Major Stephen W Stilwell ejected but suffered serious injuries On 3 November 2007 all non mission critical F 15s were grounded pending the crash investigation s outcome 137 138 By 13 November 2007 over 1 100 F 15s were grounded worldwide after Israel Japan and Saudi Arabia grounded their aircraft as well 139 F 15Es were cleared on 15 November 2007 pending individual inspections 140 On 8 January 2008 the USAF cleared 60 percent of the F 15A B C D fleet to fly 82 On 10 January 2008 the accident review board released its report which attributed the crash to the longeron not meeting specifications 83 On 15 February 2008 the Air Force cleared all F 15s for flight pending inspections and any needed repairs 85 In March 2008 Stilwell filed a lawsuit against Boeing which was later dismissed in April 2009 141 142 For accidents involving F 15E and related variants see List of F 15 losses Specifications F 15C edit nbsp Schematic diagram of F 15 nbsp Front view of an F 15C Note the conformal FAST PACK fuel tanks on the trailers nbsp Diagram of the F 15A Eagle s weapon loadoutData from USAF fact sheet 143 Jane s All the World s Aircraft 144 Combat Legend F 15 Eagle and Strike Eagle 145 Florida International University 146 USAF F 15A B C D Manual 147 General characteristicsCrew 1 Length 63 ft 9 in 19 43 m Wingspan 42 ft 10 in 13 06 m Height 18 ft 6 in 5 64 m Wing area 608 sq ft 56 5 m2 Airfoil root NACA 64A006 6 tip NACA 64A203 148 Empty weight 28 000 lb 12 701 kg Gross weight 44 500 lb 20 185 kg Max takeoff weight 68 000 lb 30 844 kg Fuel capacity 13 455 lb 6 103 kg internal 1 Powerplant 2 Pratt amp Whitney F100 PW 220 afterburning turbofans 14 590 lbf 64 9 kN thrust each dry 23 770 lbf 105 7 kN with afterburnerPerformance Maximum speed Mach 2 5 1 650 mph 2 655 km h at high altitude Mach 1 2 800 kn 921 mph 1 482 km h at sea level Combat range 1 061 nmi 1 221 mi 1 965 km for interdiction mission Ferry range 3 000 nmi 3 500 mi 5 600 km with conformal fuel tanks and three external fuel tanks Service ceiling 65 000 ft 20 000 m g limits 9 Rate of climb 67 050 149 ft min 340 6 m s with 3 pylons 150 Wing loading 73 1 lb sq ft 357 kg m2 Thrust weight 1 07 1 26 with loaded weight and 50 internal fuel Armament Guns 1 20 mm 0 787 in M61A1 Vulcan 6 barrel rotary cannon 940 rounds Hardpoints Total 9 two under wing each with additional two missile launch rails four under fuselage for semi recessed carriage of AIM 7 Sparrows and a single centerline pylon station optional fuselage pylons which may include conformal fuel tanks with a capacity of 16 000 lb 7 300 kg with provisions to carry combinations of Missiles 4 AIM 7 Sparrow 4 AIM 9 Sidewinder 8 AIM 120 AMRAAM Other up to 3 600 US gallons 2 300 L external drop tanks for ferry flight or extended range loitering time MXU 648 Cargo Travel Pod to carry personal belongings and small pieces of maintenance equipment 111 Avionics Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System 151 Radar Raytheon AN APG 63 or AN APG 70 152 N 2 or Raytheon AN APG 63 V 1 or Raytheon AN APG 63 V 2 Active Electronically Scanned Array AESA or Raytheon AN APG 63 V 3 Active Electronically Scanned Array AESA 151 N 3 Countermeasures Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems AN ALQ 131 electronic countermeasures pod 153 Hazeltine AN APX 76 or Raytheon AN APX 119 Identify Friend Foe IFF interrogator 154 Magnavox AN ALQ 128 Electronic Warfare Warning Set EWWS part of Tactical Electronic Warfare Systems TEWS 153 Loral AN ALR 56 Radar warning receivers RWR part of TEWS 155 Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems ALQ 135 Internal Countermeasures System ICS part of TEWS 153 Marconi AN ALE 45 Chaff Flares dispenser system part of TEWS 156 Aircraft on display editAlthough the F 15 continues to be in use a number of older USAF and IAF models have been retired with several placed on outdoor display or in museums Germany edit F 15A 74 0085 Spangdahlem AB 157 74 0109 Auto Technik Museum Speyer 158 Netherlands edit F 15A 74 0083 marked as 77 0132 Nationaal Militair Museum Kamp Zeist former Camp New Amsterdam AB Aircraft was based at Camp New Amsterdam and left as a gift when the base was closed in 1995 159 Japan edit F 15A 74 0088 Kadena AB 160 Israel edit F 15A 73 0098 Israeli Air Museum Hatzerim 161 73 0107 gate guard at Tel Nof AB 162 Saudi Arabia edit F 15B 71 0291 painted in false Saudi markings as 1315 at Royal Saudi Air Force Museum citation needed United Kingdom edit nbsp F 15A 76 0020 at the American Air Museum Imperial War Museum DuxfordF 15A 74 0131 Wings of Liberty Memorial Park RAF Lakenheath 163 76 0020 American Air Museum Duxford 164 United States edit nbsp F 15A display at the Museum of Aviation Robins AFBF 15A edit 71 0280 37th Training Wing HQ Parade Ground Kelly Field formerly Kelly AFB San Antonio Texas 165 71 0281 Tactical Air Command Memorial Park Joint Base Langley Eustis Hampton Virginia 166 71 0283 Defense Supply Center Richmond Richmond Virginia 167 71 0285 Boeing Avionic Antenna Laboratory St Charles Missouri 168 71 0286 A GF 15A Saint Louis Science Center St Louis Missouri in storage Previously on display at Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum Rantoul Illinois 169 72 0119 Streak Eagle in storage at the National Museum of the United States Air Force Wright Patterson AFB Dayton Ohio 170 73 0085 Museum of Aviation Robins AFB Warner Robins Georgia 171 73 0086 Louisiana Military Museum Jackson Barracks New Orleans Louisiana 172 73 0099 Marked as 77 0099 Robins AFB Warner Robins Georgia 173 74 0081 Elmendorf AFB Alaska 174 74 0084 Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum Anchorage Alaska 175 74 0095 Tyndall AFB Panama City Florida 176 This aircraft was flipped and severely damaged by Hurricane Michael in October 2018 177 74 0114 Mountain Home AFB Idaho 178 74 0117 Langley AFB Virginia 179 74 0118 Pima Air amp Space Museum Tucson Arizona 180 74 0119 Castle Air Museum Atwater California 181 74 0124 Air Force Armament Museum Eglin AFB Florida 182 75 0026 National Warplane Museum Elmira Corning Regional Airport New York 183 75 0033 Eglin Parkway entrance to 33d Fighter Wing complex Eglin AFB Florida 184 75 0045 USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Mobile Alabama 185 76 0008 March Field Air Museum at March ARB Riverside California 186 76 0009 Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base Klamath Falls Oregon 187 76 0012 Air Heritage Aviation Museum Beaver County Airport Beaver Falls Pennsylvania 188 76 0014 Evergreen Aviation Museum McMinnville Oregon 189 76 0018 Hickam Field Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam Oahu Hawaii 190 76 0024 Peterson Air and Space Museum Peterson AFB Colorado 191 76 0027 National Museum of the United States Air Force Wright Patterson AFB Dayton Ohio 192 76 0037 Holloman AFB New Mexico 193 76 0040 Otis ANGB Cape Cod Massachusetts 194 76 0042 United States Air Force Academy Colorado Springs Colorado 76 0048 McChord Air Museum McChord AFB Washington 195 76 0057 Nellis Air Force Base Las Vegas Nevada 196 Aircraft previously bore Vegas Strong paint scheme to honor victims of Oct 1 2017 shooting 197 76 0063 Pacific Aviation Museum Ford Island Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam Hawaii 198 76 0066 Portland Air National Guard Base Oregon 199 76 0067 Dyess Air Force Base Linear Air Park display area on base 200 76 0076 marked as 33rd Fighter Wing F 15C 85 0125 roadside park DeBary Florida 201 76 0080 Jacksonville Air National Guard Base Florida 202 76 0088 131st Bomb Wing Heritage Park Whiteman AFB Missouri citation needed 76 0108 Lackland AFB Kelly Field Annex Texas 203 76 0110 gate guard Mountain Home AFB Idaho 204 77 0068 Arnold AFB Manchester Tennessee 205 77 0084 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base California and Nellis Air Force Base Nevada 206 77 0090 Hill Aerospace Museum Hill AFB Utah 207 77 0102 Pacific Coast Air Museum Charles M Schulz Sonoma County Airport Santa Rosa California One of two Massachusetts Air National Guard 102d Fighter Wing aircraft scrambled in first response to terrorist air attacks on 11 September 2001 208 77 0146 Veterans Park Callaway Florida 209 77 0150 Yanks Air Museum Chino California 210 F 15B edit 73 0108 Luke AFB Arizona 211 73 0114 Air Force Flight Test Center Museum Edwards AFB California 212 75 0084 Russell Military Museum Russell Illinois 213 77 0154 Sheppard Air Force Base Witchita Falls Texas 214 77 0159 Volk Field Air National Guard Base Camp Douglas Wisconsin 215 77 0161 Seymour Johnson AFB Goldsboro North Carolina 216 F 15C edit 79 0022 Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum Pueblo Colorado 217 Credited with a MiG 23 kill during Operation Desert Storm while flown by Donald Watros 218 It is painted in the colors of the 22nd Fighter Squadron deployed from Bitburg AB Germany to Incirlik AB Turkey 79 0078 Museum of Aviation Robins AFB Warner Robins Georgia 219 Currently stored at the museum awaiting restoration and display Credited with two MiG 21 kills during Operation Desert Storm while flown by Thomas Dietz 218 while on deployment with 53rd Fighter Squadron to Al Kharj AB Saudi Arabia from Bitburg AB Germany citation needed 80 0014 Chico Air Museum Chico California transported from Langley AFB Virginia citation needed 86 0156 National Museum of the United States Air Force On display in the Cold War Gallery This aircraft scored two MiG 29 kills of the Yugoslavia Air Force during Operation Allied Force flown by Captain Jeff Claw Hwang of the 493rd Fighter Squadron 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath UK citation needed Notable appearances in media editMain article Aircraft in fiction F 15 Eagle The F 15 was the subject of the IMAX movie Fighter Pilot Operation Red Flag about the RED FLAG exercises In Tom Clancy s nonfiction book Fighter Wing A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing 1995 a detailed analysis of the Air Force s premier fighter aircraft the F 15 Eagle and its capabilities are showcased 220 The F 15 has also been a popular subject as a toy and a fictional likeness of an aircraft similar to the F 15 has been used in cartoons books video games animated television series and animated films See also edit nbsp Aviation portalFourth generation jet fighterRelated development McDonnell Douglas F 15E Strike Eagle McDonnell Douglas F 15 STOL MTDAircraft of comparable role configuration and era Grumman F 14 Tomcat Mikoyan MiG 29M Sukhoi Su 27 Shenyang J 11Related lists List of fighter aircraft List of active United States military aircraftReferences editNotes edit F X should be read as Fighter Unknown designation number but is often translated as Fighter Experimental Although several F 15C aircraft were produced with APG 70 radar all have been retrofitted to the AN APG 63 V 1 configuration Both active AF and ANG F 15Cs will receive another up to 48 V3 units between 2009 and 2015 over the existing 19 aircraft Citations edit a b Spick 2000 p 137 Davies and Dildy 2007 p 249 a b Davies and Dildy 2007 inside cover Spick 2000 p 127 PS 940 F 15 Armament Handbook Oct 1979 Archived 11 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine scribd com Retrieved 29 November 2012 a b Neufeld 2007 p 42 Neufeld 2007 p 43 Neufeld 2007 p 44 Munzenmaier Walter LTV A 7D K Corsair II The SLUF in USAF and USANG Service 1968 1993 Famous Aircraft of the USAF and USAG Volume 1 Jenkins 1998 pp 5 7 Neufeld 2007 p 46 a b c Davies 2002 pp 9 11 Technology and the Air Force A Retrospective Assessment DIANE Publishing p 44 47 ISBN 978 1 4289 1358 5 Archived from the original on 13 March 2023 Retrieved 11 October 2016 Harnessing the genie science and technology forecasting for the Air Force Archived 13 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine AIR STAFF HISTORICAL STUDY 1988 Neufeld 2007 p 46 47 Neufeld 2007 p 47 a b Neufeld 2007 p 49 In July 1967 at Domodedovo airfield near Moscow the Soviet Union unveiled a new generation of combat aircraft codenamed Foxbat by NATO Development in Modern Fighting Aircraft 1983 Bowman 1980 p 193 Neufeld 2007 p 48 Davies and Dildy 2007 p 12 Jenkins 1998 pp 8 10 Neufeld 2007 p 52 Jenkins 1998 pp 9 11 Davies and Dildy 2007 p 14 Spick 2000 pp 130 131 Lorell Mark A Levaux Hugh P 1998 Chapter 5 Return of the Air Superiority Fighter PDF The Cutting Edge A Half Century of U S Fighter Aircraft R amp D ISBN 0 8330 2595 3 Archived PDF from the original on 13 October 2012 Retrieved 21 July 2022 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help CS1 maint location missing publisher link Jenkins 2000 pp 1 8 a b Jenkins 1998 pp 33 34 a b Green and Swanborough 1998 p 371 Davies and Dildy 2007 p 115 Davies and Dildy 2007 pp 161 65 Davies 2003 pp 15 16 25 31 32 Davies and Dildy 2007 pp 168 69 a b c New USAF F 15C Radar Upgrades Archived 13 March 2023 at the Wayback Machine Combat Aircraft Key Publishing 19 July 2018 Retrieved 14 March 2019 a b Air Force will 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Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 74 0081 Archived 23 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 74 0084 Archived 18 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 74 0095 Archived 26 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 Tyndall Air Force Base In Ruins After Michael Fighter Jets Seen Inside Roofless Hangars The War Zone Retrieved 12 October 2018 11 October 2018 Archived from the original on 12 October 2018 Retrieved 12 October 2018 F 15 Eagle 74 0114 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 74 0117 Archived 6 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 74 0118 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine Pima Air amp Space Museum Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 74 0119 Archived 14 November 2016 at the Wayback Machine Castle Air Museum Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 74 0124 Archived 12 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine Air Force Armament Museum Retrieved 26 March 2013 F 15 Eagle 75 0026 Archived 29 June 2013 at the Wayback Machine National Warplane Museum Retrieved 26 March 2013 Harold A Skaarup author of Shelldrake silverhawkauthor com Archived from the original on 1 September 2018 Retrieved 2 February 2019 F 15 Eagle 75 0045 Archived 18 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0008 Archived 8 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine March Field Air Museum Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0009 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 McDonnell Douglas F 15A Eagle Air Heritage Inc Archived from the original on 6 October 2022 Retrieved 20 August 2022 F 15 Eagle 76 0014 Archived 6 December 2011 at the Wayback Machine Evergreen Aviation Museum Retrieved 26 March 2013 F 15 Eagle 76 0018 Archived 5 July 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0024 Archived 27 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine Peterson Air and Space Museum Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0027 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine National Museum of the USAF Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0037 Archived 29 May 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0040 Archived 2 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0048 Archived 22 March 2014 at the Wayback Machine McChord Air Museum Retrieved 26 March 2013 Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier McDonnell Douglas F 15A Eagle s n 76 0057 USAF n d Retrieved April 28 2023 from https aerialvisuals ca AirframeDossier php Serial 12148 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a External link in code class cs1 code title code help Vegas Strong F 15 Fighter Jet Debuts at Nevada Air Show Fox News F 15 Eagle 76 0063 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine Pacific Aviation Museum Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0066 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 Dyess Air Park Dyess Air Force Base Archived from the original on 29 December 2022 Retrieved 29 December 2022 F 15 Eagle 76 0076 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0080 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0108 Archived 2 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 76 0110 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 77 0068 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 McDonnell F 15A 77 0084 7TFS 49TFW Nellis AFB 4Feb87 RJF SDASM Archives 12 October 2015 Archived from the original on 28 April 2022 Retrieved 5 June 2021 F 15 Eagle 77 0090 Archived 2 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine Hill Aerospace Museum Retrieved 26 March 2013 F 15 Eagle 77 0102 Archived 23 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine Pacific Coast Air Museum Retrieved 26 March 2013 F 15 Eagle 77 0146 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 77 0150 Archived 22 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine Yanks Air Museum Retrieved 26 March 2013 F 15 Eagle 73 0108 Archived 2 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 73 0114 Archived 2 January 2017 at the Wayback Machine Air Force Flight Test Center Museum Retrieved 10 December 2015 F 15 Eagle 75 0084 Archived 25 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine Russell Military Museum Retrieved 1 July 2015 Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier McDonnell Douglas F 15B Eagle s n 77 0154 USAF n d Retrieved April 29 2023 from https www aerialvisuals ca AirframeDossier php Serial 37889 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a External link in code class cs1 code title code help Aerial Visuals Airframe Dossier McDonnell Douglas F 15B Eagle s n 77 0159 USAF n d Retrieved November 11 2023 from https aerialvisuals ca AirframeDossier php Serial 81618 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a External link in code class cs1 code title code help F 15 Eagle 77 0161 Archived 11 December 2015 at the Wayback Machine aerialvisuals ca Retrieved 10 December 2015 Bringing Home PWAM s F 15 and F 16 from Tucson Arizona Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum 16 March 2018 Archived from the original on 25 September 2018 Retrieved 25 September 2018 a b Safarik Jan Josef Jan J Safarik Air Aces Home Page aces safarikovi org Archived from the original on 4 July 2018 Retrieved 25 September 2018 Weekend Reading Museum of Aviation Museum of Aviation Archived from the original on 25 September 2018 Retrieved 25 September 2018 Clancy Tom Fighter Wing A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing New York Berkley Books 1995 ISBN 0 425 14957 9 Bibliography edit Aloni Shlomo Israeli F 15 Eagle Units in Combat Osprey Combat Aircraft 67 Oxford UK Osprey Publishing Limited 2006 ISBN 978 1 84603 047 5 Bowman Martin W US Military Aircraft London Bison Books 1980 ISBN 0 89009 292 3 Davies Steve Boeing F 15E Strike Eagle All Weather Attack Aircraft London Airlife Publishing Ltd 2003 ISBN 1 84037 378 4 Davies Steve Combat Legend F 15 Eagle and Strike Eagle London Airlife Publishing Ltd 2002 ISBN 1 84037 377 6 Davies Steve F 15C E Eagle Units of operation Iraqi Freedom Osprey Combat Aircraft 47 Oxford UK Osprey Publishing Limited 2004 ISBN 978 1 84176 802 1 Davies Steve and Doug Dildy F 15 Eagle Engaged The World s Most Successful Jet Fighter Oxford UK Osprey Publishing Limited 2007 ISBN 978 1 84603 169 4 Eden Paul and Soph Moeng eds The Complete Encyclopedia of World Aircraft London Amber Books Ltd 2002 ISBN 0 7607 3432 1 Gething Michael J F 15 Eagle Modern Fighting Aircraft New York Arco 1983 ISBN 0 668 05902 8 Green William and Gordon Swanborough The Complete Book of Fighters New York Barnes amp Noble Inc 1988 ISBN 0 7607 0904 1 Gunston Bill American Warplanes New York Crescent Books 1986 ISBN 0 517 61351 4 Huenecke Klaus Modern Combat Aircraft Design Annapolis Maryland Naval Institute Press 1987 ISBN 0 87021 426 8 Jenkins Dennis R F A 18 Hornet A Navy Success Story New York McGraw Hill 2000 pp 1 8 ISBN 0 07 134696 1 Jenkins Dennis R McDonnell Douglas F 15 Eagle Supreme Heavy Weight Fighter Hinckley UK Midland Publishing 1998 ISBN 1 85780 081 8 Lambert Mark ed Jane s All the World s Aircraft 1993 94 Alexandria Virginia Jane s Information Group Inc 1993 ISBN 0 7106 1066 1 Neufeld Jacob 2007 Spring 2001 The F 15 Eagle Origins and Development 1964 1972 ISBN 978 1 4299 1069 9 Retrieved 22 April 2017 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a journal ignored help Scutts Jerry Supersonic Aircraft of USAF New York Mallard Press 1989 ISBN 0 7924 5013 2 Spick Mike ed The Great Book of Modern Warplanes St Paul Minnesota MBI 2000 ISBN 0 7603 0893 4 Further reading editBraybrook Roy F 15 Eagle London Osprey Aerospace 1991 ISBN 1 85532 149 1 Crickmore Paul McDonnell Douglas F 15 Eagle Classic Warplanes series New York Smithmark Books 1992 ISBN 0 8317 1408 5 Drendel Lou Eagle Modern Military Aircraft Series Carrollton Texas Squadron Signal Publications 1985 ISBN 0 8974 7271 3 Drendel Lou and Don Carson F 15 Eagle in action Carrollton Texas Squadron Signal Publications 1976 ISBN 0 89747 023 0 Fitzsimons Bernard Modern Fighting Aircraft F 15 Eagle London Salamander Books Ltd 1983 ISBN 0 86101 182 1 Gething Michael J and Paul Crickmore F 15 Combat Aircraft series New York Crescent Books 1992 ISBN 0 517 06734 X Kinzey Bert The F 15 Eagle in Detail amp Scale Part 1 Series II El Paso Texas Detail amp Scale Inc 1978 ISBN 0 8168 5028 3 Rininger Tyson V F 15 Eagle at War Minneapolis Minnesota Zenith Press 2009 ISBN 978 0 7603 3350 1 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to McDonnell Douglas F 15 Eagle F 15 Eagle USAF Fact Sheet F 15 Eagle history page on Boeing com McDonnell Douglas F 15A and F 15C on USAF National Museum web site F 15 Eagle in service with Israel The McDonnell Douglas F 15 Eagle page Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title McDonnell Douglas F 15 Eagle amp oldid 1184653103, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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