McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle

The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) F-15 Eagle is an all-weather tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. It was developed for the U.S. Air Force, and first flew in July 1972. The F-15E Strike Eagle derivative is an all-weather strike fighter that entered service in 1989.

Development

In the Korean War, the swept-wing F-86 Sabre was the only US fighter that could challenge and defeat the Soviets' MiG-15. Later, in 1965, the fighter community was shocked when post-Korean War era MiG-17s shot down sophisticated Mach 2 F-105 Thunderchiefs on a bombing mission over Vietnam. Air Force intelligence was later shocked to find that the Soviet Union was building a large fighter aircraft, known as the MiG-25 Foxbat. It was not known in the West at the time that the MiG-25 was designed as a high-speed interceptor, not an air superiority fighter; as such, its primary asset was speed, not maneuverability. The MiG-25's huge tailplanes and fins hinted at a very maneuverable aircraft, which worried the Air Force that its performance might be higher than its American counterparts. In reality, the MiG's large stabilizer and stabilators were necessary to prevent the aircraft from encountering inertia coupling in high-speed, high-altitude flight.

The F-4 Phantom II of the USAF and US Navy was the only fighter with enough power, range and maneuverability to be given the primary task of dealing with the threat of old Soviet fighters while flying with visual engagement rules. As a matter of policy, the Phantoms could not engage targets without positive visual identification, so they could not engage targets at long ranges as designed. Medium-range AIM-7 Sparrow missiles, and to a lesser degree even the AIM-9 Sidewinder, were often unreliable and ineffective at close ranges where it was found that guns were often the only effective weapon.

The Phantom did not originally have a gun, as it was intended that only missiles would be used to engage slowly moving and maneuvering Warsaw Pact bombers and fighter aircraft at longer ranges. When experience in Vietnam showed this not to be the case, attempts to use external gun pods had mixed results: not only was drag increased, but hardpoint mounting of the gun pod generated tremendous vibrations and proved too unstable for precise aiming; later a gun, the 20mm M61 Vulcan, was integrated internally into the Phantom.

F-15C Eagle of the United States Air Force taxiing for takeoff

There was a clear need for a new fighter that overcame the close-range limitation of the Phantom while still retaining long-range air superiority. After rejecting the US Navy VFX program (which led to the F-14 Tomcat) as being unsuited to its needs, the US Air Force issued its own requirements for the FX (Fighter Experimental), a specification for a relatively lightweight air superiority fighter. Three companies submitted proposals: Fairchild Republic, North American Rockwell, and McDonnell Douglas. The Air Force announced the selection of McDonnell Douglas on December 23, 1969. The winning design resembled the twin-tailed F-14, but with fixed wings. It would not be significantly lighter or smaller than the F-4 that it was to replace.

The initial version, designated F-15A for the single-seat configuration and F-15B for the twin-seat, would be powered by new Pratt & Whitney F100 engines to achieve a combat thrust-to-weight ratio in excess of 1 to 1. A proposed 25 mm Ford-Philco GAU-7 cannon with caseless ammunition was dropped in favor of the standard M61 Vulcan gun due to development problems. The F-15 retained conformal carriage of four Sparrow missiles like the Phantom. The fixed wing was put onto a flat, wide fuselage that also provided an effective wing lifting surface. Some questioned if the zoom performance of the F-15 with Sparrow missiles was enough to deal with the new threat of the high-flying MiG-25 Foxbat; its capability would eventually be demonstrated in combat.

The F-15 has a "look-down/shoot-down" radar that can distinguish low-flying moving targets from ground clutter. The F-15 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 F-86 Sabre."

The F-15 would be favored by customers such as Israel and Japan, and the development of the F-15E Strike Eagle would produce a strike fighter that would replace the F-111. However, 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 to replace the F-4 and A-7, led to the Light Weight Fighter (LWF) program, which led to the USAF F-16 Fighting Falcon and the middle-weight Navy F/A-18 Hornet.

Design

F-15 takeoff

Two F-15 Eagles: In this shot, the area rule profiling of the fuselage is easily visible.

M61 Vulcan mounted on the side of right engine intake

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 (10,000 m) in around 60 seconds. The thrust output of the dual engines is greater than the aircraft's weight, thus giving it the ability to accelerate in a vertical climb. The weapons and flight control systems are designed so that one person can safely and effectively perform air-to-air combat.

A multimission avionics system includes a head-up display (HUD), advanced radar, inertial guidance system (INS), flight instruments, ultra high frequency (UHF) communications, and Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) and Instrument Landing System (ILS) receivers. It also has an internally mounted, tactical electronic-warfare system, "identification friend or foe" system, electronic countermeasures suite and a central digital computer.

The head-up display projects, through a combiner, 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.

The F-15's versatile APG-63/70 Pulse-Doppler radar system can look up at high-flying targets and down at low-flying targets without being confused by ground clutter. It can detect and track aircraft and small high-speed targets at distances beyond visual range (the maximum being 120 nautical miles away) down to close range, and at altitudes down to treetop level. The radar feeds target information into the central computer for effective weapons delivery. The capability of locking onto targets as far as 50 nautical miles with an AIM-120 AMRAAM enables true BVR engagement of targets. 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 and automatic countermeasures against selected threats.

A variety of air-to-air weaponry can be carried by the F-15. An automated weapon system enables the pilot to perform aerial combat safely and effectively, 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 required weapon automatically appears on the head-up display.

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 missiles on two pylons under the wings, and an internal 20 mm Gatling gun in the right wing root.

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 intake trunks under each wing and are designed to the same load factors and airspeed limits as the basic aircraft. However, they degrade performance by limiting the maximum G-force the aircraft can safely pull. They also cannot be jettisoned in-flight (unlike conventional external tanks). The US Air Force only fits CFTs to its F-15Es, but American CFTs were provided to Israel which utilizes them (as needed) on their entire fleet. Each conformal fuel tank contains about 114 cubic feet (3,200 L) of usable space. These tanks reduce the need for in-flight refueling on global missions and increase time in the combat area. 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 conformal fuel tanks.

The 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 multi-purpose CRT displays for aircraft systems and weapons management. The digital, triple-redundant Lear Siegler flight control system permits coupled automatic terrain following, enhanced by a ring-laser gyro inertial navigation system.

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 thermal imagery.

Operational history

The largest operator of the F-15 is the United States Air Force. The first F-15A flight was made in July 1972, and the first flight of the two-seat F-15B (formerly TF-15A) was made in July 1973. The first Eagle (F-15B) was delivered in November 1974. In January 1976, the first Eagle destined for a combat squadron was delivered. These initial aircraft carried the Hughes Aircraft (now Raytheon) APG-63 radar.

F-15D from the 325 Fighter Wing based in Tyndall AFB, releasing flares

The single-seat F-15C and two-seat F-15D models entered the Air Force inventory beginning in 1979. These new models have Production Eagle Package (PEP 2000) improvements, including 2,000 lb (900 kg) of additional internal fuel, provision for carrying exterior conformal fuel tanks and increased maximum takeoff weight of up to 68,000 lb (30,700 kg).

The F-15 Multistage Improvement Program 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 included the enhanced-capability Hughes APG-70 radar which was carried forward into the F-15E. The earlier MSIP F-15Cs with the APG-63 were later upgraded to the APG-63(V)1, which significantly improves reliability and maintainability while providing performance similar to the APG-70. A limited number of F-15C aircraft have also been fitted with the APG-63(V)2 AESA radar.

F-15A and B models were utilized by Israel during the Bekaa Valley operation.

F-15C, D, and E models were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm where they accounted for 36 of the 39 Air Force air-to-air victories. F-15Es were operated mainly at night, hunting SCUD missile launchers and artillery sites using the LANTIRN system.

They have since been deployed to support Operation Southern Watch, the patrolling of the No-Fly Zone in Southern Iraq; Operation Provide Comfort in Turkey; in support of NATO operations in Bosnia, and recent air expeditionary force deployments.

Kill record

As of 2005, the F-15 in all air forces has an air-to-air combined kill record of 104 kills to 0 losses in air combat (as confirmed by its users, and excluding the case of a Japanese F-15J that shot down another F-15J in 1995 due to an AIM-9 Sidewinder safety malfunction during air-to-air combat training with live weapons). The US and Israel maintain that to date, the air superiority versions of the F-15 (F-15A/B/C/D models) have never been shot down by an enemy.

F-15C fires AIM-7 Sparrow.

Over half of the F-15's kills were made by Israeli Air Force pilots. In 1979–81 during Israeli-Lebanese border disputes, F-15As downed 13 Syrian MiG-21 'Fishbeds' and 2 Syrian MiG-25 'Foxbats', the latter being the aircraft the F-15 was designed to kill. In the 1982 Lebanon War, the Israeli F-15s shot down 40 Syrian jet fighters (23 MiG-21 'Fishbeds' and 17 MiG-23 'Floggers') and 1 Syrian SA.342L Gazelle helicopter.

Royal Saudi Air Force F-15C pilots shot down two F-4E Phantom IIs flown by the Iranian Air Force in a border skirmish in June 1984, and shot down two Iraqi Mirage F1s during the Gulf War.

According to the USAF, its F-15Cs had thirty-four confirmed kills of Iraqi aircraft during the 1991 Gulf War, mostly by missile fire: 5 MiG-29 'Fulcrums', 2 MiG-25 'Foxbats', 8 MiG-23 'Floggers', 2 MiG-21 'Fishbeds', 2 Su-25 'Frogfoots', 4 Su-22 Fitters, 1 Su-7, 6 Mirage F1, 1 Il-76 cargo plane, 1 Pilatus PC-9 trainer, and 2 Mi-8 helicopters. After air superiority was achieved in the first 3 days of the conflict, many of the later kills were reportedly of Iraqi aircraft fleeing to Iran, rather than actively trying to engage US planes. The single-seat F-15C was used for air superiority, and the F-15E was heavily used in air-to-ground attacks. An F-15E achieved an aerial kill of another Iraqi Mi-8 helicopter using a laser-guided bomb during the air war. The F-15E sustained two losses to ground fire in the Gulf War in 1991.

In 1994, 2 US Army UH-60 Black Hawks were downed by USAF F-15C in the Northern no-fly zone of Iraq in a friendly fire incident.

USAF F-15Cs also shot down 4 Yugoslav MiG-29 during NATO's 1999 intervention in Kosovo, Operation Allied Force.

Satellite killer

ASM-135 test launch

From January 1984 to September 1986, an F-15A was used as a launch platform for five ASM-135 ASAT missiles. The F-15A went into a mach 1.22, 3.8g climb of 65° and released the ASAT missile at an altitude of 38,100 feet (11.6 km). The F-15A computer was updated to control the zoom-climb and missile release. The third test flight involved a retired communications satellite in a 345 mile (555 km) orbit, which was successfully destroyed by sheer kinetic energy. The pilot, USAF Major Wilbert D. "Doug" Pearson, became the only pilot to destroy a satellite.

The ASAT missile was designed to be a standoff anti-satellite weapon, with the F-15A acting as a first stage. The Soviet Union could interpret a US rocket launch with a spy satellite loss, but an F-15 carrying an ASAT would blend in among hundreds of F-15 flights.

Future

The F-15C/D model is being supplanted in U.S. service by the F-22 Raptor. The F-15E however will remain in service for years to come because of its different air-to-ground role and the low number of hours on their airframes. 18 USAF F-15Cs have been retrofitted with the AN/APG-63(v)2 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars and are expected to remain in service with the USAF well past 2020. The Royal Saudi Air Force has purchased several squadrons of long-range F-15S models, the Republic of Korea is purchasing upgraded F-15Ks, and Singapore is purchasing the F-15SG variant.

There is debate within the United States concerning F-15 modernization versus retirement. This is due primarily to the cost of the F-22 Raptor, which will make it difficult if not impossible to replace the F-15 on a one-for-one basis (possibly as little as one-for-three). The F-15 might therefore be kept in a supporting role so that the USAF does not face a numerical disadvantage in future conflicts. Such upgrades could include an AESA radar, Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), and addition of low-observable modifications, or replacement of engines with thrust-vectoring models.

On September 26 2006 at the Air Force Association's Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition in Washington D.C., the USAF announced their plan to upgrade 178 F-15C fighters with the AN/APG-63(v)3 AESA radar. Additionally, the Air Force also plans to upgrade other F-15s with the JHMCS. The Air Force will keep these 178 F-15Cs as well as the 224 F-15Es in service beyond 2025.

Variants

Basic models

• F-15A: Single-seat all-weather air-superiority fighter version.
• F-15B: Two-seat training version, formerly designated TF-15A.
• F-15C: Improved single-seat all-weather air-superiority fighter version.
• F-15D: Two-seat training version.
• F-15J: Single-seat all-weather air-superiority fighter version for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. Built under licence in Japan by Mitsubishi.
• F-15DJ: Two-seat training version for the Japan Air Self-Defence Force. Built under licence in Japan by Mitsubishi.
• F-15N Seagle: Proposed carrier-capable variant; considered for F-14 Tomcat replacement in the US Navy.

Two F-15J Eagle aircraft of the 202nd TFS, JASDF, take off in formation during the joint USA/Japan exercise Cope North 85-4, Aug 1985.

F-15E and related

Main article: F-15E Strike Eagle

• F-15E Strike Eagle: Two-seat all-weather long-range strike and ground-attack aircraft for the US Air Force.
• F-15F Strike Eagle: Single seat model of the F-15E.
• F-15H Strike Eagle: Export model of the F-15E Strike Eagle for Hellenic Air Force.
• F-15I Ra'am (Thunder): Advanced version of the F-15E Strike Eagle for the Israeli Air Force.
• F-15K Slam Eagle: Advanced version of the F-15E Strike Eagle for the Republic of Korea Air Force.
• F-15S Strike Eagle: Export version of the F-15E Strike Eagle for the Royal Saudi Air Force.
• F-15SG Strike Eagle: Advanced version of the F-15E Strike Eagle for the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Variant was formerly designated F-15T.

Research and test

• F-15 Streak Eagle: One stripped and unpainted F-15A, demonstrated the fighter's acceleration – broke eight time-to-climb world records between January 16 and February 1 1975 [1].
• F-15S/MTD: One TF-15A was converted into a short take-off and landing, maneuver technology demonstrator aircraft.
• F-15 ACTIVE: One F-15S/MTD was converted into an advanced control technology research aircraft.
• F-15 IFCS: One F-15 ACTIVE was converted into an intelligent flight control systems research aircraft.
• F-15 MANX: A tailless variant of the F-15 ACTIVE.

Operators

Current operators of the F-15 in light blue, F-15E in red, both in dark blue

Israel

The Israeli Air Force has operated F-15s since 1977. These aircraft are currently organised into 2 squadrons of F-15A/B and 1 squadron of F-15C/D.

Japan

The Japan Air Self-Defence Force acquired 203 F-15Js and 20 F-15DJs from 1981, of which 2 F-15Js and 12 F-15DJs were made in US and the rest by Mitsubishi under license. These aircraft are currently operated by 2 Hikotai (squadron) of 2. Kokudan (Air Wing), Chitose Air Base, 1 Hikotai of 5. Kokudan, Nyutabaru AB, 1 Hikotai of 6. Kokudan, Komatsu AB, 2 Hikotais of 7. Kokudan, Hyakuri AB and 1 Hikotai of 8. Kokudan, Tsuiki AB.

Saudi Arabia

The Royal Saudi Air Force has operated 4 squadrons of F-15C/D (55/19) since 1981.

United States

The United States Air Force currently operates 396 F-15C/Ds and the Air National Guard operated 126 in 2006.

See F-15E Strike Eagle for operators of F-15E-based variants.

Incidents

• On May 1 1983, during an Israeli Air Force training dogfight, an F-15D collided with an A-4 Skyhawk. Unknown to pilot Zivi Nadavi, and his copilot, the right wing of the Eagle was torn off roughly 2 feet (60 cm) from the fuselage. The pilot managed to land the crippled aircraft successfully, but later quoted that he "probably would have ejected if he knew what had happened". The F-15 was able to successfully land because of the lift generated by the large horizontal surface area of the fuselage, the huge elevators and the surviving wing. However, Zivi had to land at twice the normal speed to maintain the necessary lift. Using the tailhook, he was able to bring his jet to a complete stop without overshooting the runway.

Specifications (F-15C Eagle)

Orthographically projected diagram of the F-15 Eagle

Data from USAF fact sheet, Jane's All the World's Aircraft

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Airfoil: NACA 64A006.6 root, NACA 64A203 tip

Performance

• Thrust/weight: 1.12 (-220), 1.30 (-229)

Armament

• Guns: 1× internally mounted 20 mm (0.787 in) M61A1 gatling gun, 940 rounds
• Hardpoints: 4 wing, 4 fuselage, 2 wing stations, centerline station, optional fuselage pylons with a capacity of 16,000 lb (7,300 kg)
• Missiles:
  
  • AIM-7F Sparrow
  • AIM-120 AMRAAM
  • AIM-9 Sidewinders

Avionics

• Radar:
  • Raytheon AN/APG-63 or AN/APG-70 or
  • Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)2 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)
• Countermeasures:
  • AN/APX-76 IFF interrogator
  • AN/ALQ-128 radar warning suite
  • AN/ALR-56 radar warning receiver
  • ALQ-135 internal countermeasures system
  • AN/ALE-45 chaff/flare dispensers

Popular culture

• The F-15 was the subject of the IMAX movie Fighter Pilot: Operation Red Flag, about the RED FLAG exercises.
• The F-15 was the alternate form of three characters (Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp), from the original Transformers cartoon/comic series.

External links

• F-15 Eagle USAF Fact Sheet
• F-15 Eagle history page on Boeing.com
• F-15 page on NASA Langley site
• F-15 page on GlobalSecurity.org
• F-15 Eagle profile on Aerospaceweb.org
• F-15 Eagle page on geocities.com
• F-15 on faqs.org
• F-15 Eagle synopsis on militaryfactory.com
• F-15 Eagle in Service with Israel
• F-15C Static flight simulator built from a real F-15C cockpit section
• USAF Museum - McDonnell Douglas F-15C

Related content

• 4th generation jet fighter

Related development

• F-15E Strike Eagle
• F-15S/MTD

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• F-14 Tomcat
• F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
• Panavia Tornado
• Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-31
• Mikoyan MiG-35
• Sukhoi Su-27
• Sukhoi Su-35
• Sukhoi Su-37

Related lists

• List of fighter aircraft
• List of active United States military aircraft