McDonnell Douglas / Boeing F-15 Eagle

The F-15 Eagle has become a classic American fighter aircraft.

For a time, the F-15 Eagle series was the pinnacle of American air superiority incorporating technolgy and design that produced a highly manuervable and performanced enhanced multi-role fighter platform. The F-15 was designed to succeed the highly-respect but aged F-4 Phantom II series from the Vietnam years and would go on to maintain a combat record of 100 combat kills for no losses to itself.

The F-15 system entered service with the United States Air Force in 1979 and was quick to position itself was the best fighter platform in the world. The system first saw combat in Israeli hands when Israeli F-15's shot down Soviet-produced MiG-21 “Fishbed” fighters piloted by Syrian forces. Since then, the system has been introduced in a variety of limited flavors including a trainer conversion model and the improved Strike Eagle variant.

The base interceptor F-15 Eagle provides the pilot with a modern approach to air combat complete with digital avionics and engine systems and cockpit management through multi-function displays (MFD's) and a detailed Heads-Up Display (HUD) system to provide the pilot the ability to fly the aircraft without taking his view downwards from the action. The powerful afterburning Pratt & Whitney engines can propell the F-15 to speeds upwards of 1,600 miles per hour.

The "Strike Eagle" variant provides improved avionics capabilities and incorporates a second crew member to assist in its newly-defined strike aircraft role. The system, retaining its dogfighting pedigree, is now made more potent with the addition of air-to-ground capabilities. Strike Eagle models entered service in 1988 and continue to play a vital role in USAF activities around the globe.

Few international customers are allowed the F-15 Eagle but those include the aforementioned Israeli groups, Japan and Saudi Arabia. Defined Israeli F-15's came under the designation of F-15I "Thunder" and were delivered from 1998 onwards.

With the advent of the F-22 Raptor next generation aircraft, the advancing technological platforms of today are probably signaling the end of the F-15 Eagle run, bring to a close one of the most combat capable systems ever designed in the jet age. Until then, the F-15 will conitnue to serve with the capabilities it was designed with and the specialized training afforded to her pilots.