Aircraft / Fighter aircraft / McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle
General Facts
- TYPE
Fighter aircraft - ORIGIN
United States - NICKNAMES
Eagle (F-15A/B/C/D/J/DJ)
Strike Eagle (F-15E/I/S/SG)
Slam Eagle (F-15K)
Ra'am (F-15I) - DESIGNED
1967 - 1975 - DESIGNER
McDonnell Douglas - PRODUCTION
1975 - present - PRODUCERS USA - McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing)
Japan - Mitsubishi - QUANTITY
1.198 - UNIT COST
F-15A/B: 27.9 million USD (1998)
F-15C/D: 29.9 million USD (1998)
F-15E: 31.1 million USD (1998) - CHARACTERISTICS
High speed
Good maneuverability
Large weapons load
High costs
Large radar cross section
Medium dogfight capability
Introduction
The F-15 Eagle is a single seat air superiority fighter of US origin. Development started in the late 1960's and in 1976 the first F-15 entered US service. The F-15 provided the US with a tremendous increase in air power. Later on a strike versions was developed, which also does well on the international market.
Design
The F-15 is a twin engine jet fighter with swept wings and twin tails. Originally the F-15 is a single seat fighter, with the trainer and strike versions being two seat variants. The radar is mounted in the nose of the F-15 and weapons are attached to the pylons under the wings and to the fuselage. Drop tanks or conformal fuel tanks can be fitted.
Firepower
The F-15 is able to use a variety of air to air missiles, including the AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-120 AMRAAM. A six barrel 20mm Vulcan gatling gun is mounted internally on all versions. The strike versions can carry most air to ground ordnance used by the US Air Force, including dumb bombs, guided bombs and guided missiles.
Avionics
The F-15 is fitted with an AN/APG-63 or AN/APG-70 radar that can identify aircraft up to 220 km away. The radar functions at treetop level and high altitude and is able to identify targets at both higher and lower levels. Some export versions add improved radars with AESA ability, IRST and various helmet-mounted sights.
Mobility
The F-15 is an agile fighter due to its low wing load and high power to weight ratio. The F-15 is fitted with two Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofans. The latest export versions use the improved F110 engines. The maximum speed is over Mach 2.5 at high altitude with Mach 1.2 attainable at low altitude. The combat radius is 2.000 km on average.
Users
The main user of the F-15 is the United States. The F-15 has been exported to several nations in the Middle East and Asia. Both the USA and Israel have used the F-15 extensively during several conflicts. The F-15 has a spectacular combat record with 104 registered combat kills and no combat losses.
F-15A Eagle
The F-15A Eagle is a single seat air superiority fighter. The F-15C is an improved model of the F-15A. The F-15J is a F-15C built under license in Japan.
F-15B Eagle
The F-15B Eagle and D are two seat variants of the F-15A and C respectively. They have been developed to train pilots on the F-15. The F-15D is the improved model of the F-15B. The F-15DJ is a F-15D built under license in Japan.
F-15E Strike Eagle
The F-15E Strike Eagle is a two seat strike fighter developed from the F-15 airframe. It is able to fire the same air to air missiles, but for the ground attack role the fuselage has been strengthened to carry twice the payload as the earlier versions. The AN/APG-70 radar provides a detailed ground picture to aid in the strike role. The weapon systems operator is provided with a number of displays and controls to operate air to ground ordnance.
F-15I/S Strike Eagle
The F-15I Ra'am is a modified F-15E developed for Israel. It is similar to the F-15E except for some of the avionics and the electronic warfare suite. Additionally a Display And Sight Helmet is fitted. The F-15S is a variant of the F-15E developed for Saudi Arabia. It is similar to the F-15E except for the reduced capabilities of the radar.
F-15K Slam Eagle
The F-15K Slam Eagle is an improved variant of the F-15E developed for South Korea. It features more powerful engines, IRST, a Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System and an AN/APG-63(V)1 radar. The F-15SG Strike Eagle is a variant of the F-15E developed for Singapore. The F-15SG is very similar to the F-15K, in having the same engines, IRST and a Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System. The F-15SG differs from the F-15K in having an AN/APG-63(V)3 radar with AESA capability.