The winner of the USAFs Fighter-Experiment (F-X) study, the McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15A Eagle Air Superiority Fighter was designed to gain and maintain superiority in aerial combat  through a mixture of maneuverability, acceleration, range, weapons and advanced avionics.

 

After a successful Flight test program starting with its first flight on July 27, 1972 from Edwards AFB, CA the F-15 Eagle began replacing the McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom with the delivery to the 555th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron of the 58th Tactical Training Wing at Luke AFB, AZ on November 4, 1974. The 27th Tactical Fighter Squadron of TAC’s 1st Tactical Fighter Wing Langley AFB, VA became the first operational user of the F-15 with the delivery of its first aircraft on January 9, 1976.

 

As Tactical Fighter Squadrons transitioned into the F-15C/D models the Tactical Air Command began replacing their 5 active duty F-106 Interceptor Squadrons with F-15A Fighters beginning on August 10, 1982. The 48th FIS, based at Langley AFB was the first Air Defense (TAC) Squadron receive Eagles, followed by the 318th FIS at McChord (June 10,1983) and the 5th FIS based at Minot AFB, ND (December 84). The remaining active duty F-106 squadrons were deactivated  before conversion.

 

The 318th FIS "Green Dragons" quickly established themselves as one of the USAF's premier Fighter Squadrons. In 1984 the squadron won the right to participate at the USAF " William Tell" Weapons Meet, a competition for the Best US and Canadian Fighter Squadrons and later winning the 1984 Hughes Achievement Trophy, a annual award presented to  Air Force's Top Fighter Squadron. 

 

In the late 80's, the USAF planned add a anti-satellite (ASAT) capability to twenty F-15's from  the 318th and the 48th Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons. Both squadrons had each received three or four F-15A/B airframes which had been rewired for ASAT operations. However, Congress was unwilling to permit any further testing of the system, and the ASAT program was officially terminated in 1988 after nearly ten years of development.

 

In late 80’s, the Tactical Air Command began to turn the US Air Defense mission over to the airmen of the Air National Guard. The first Squadron to effected by this move was the 5th FIS based at Minot ND, losing its F-15s  to the 102d FIW / 101st FIS of the Massachusetts  ANG in April of 1988 replacing the units F-106 Delta Darts. The 318th FIS became the second of TACs Air Defense units to deactivate with its aircraft moving to the 142d FIG /123rd FIS of the Oregon ANG. The last active Continental Air Defense Squadron, the 48th FIS, would deactivate in October of 1991. Units in Hawaii, Florida and Montana would also convert to the F-15 in the air defense role.

 

The first flight of the C model was Feb. 27, 1979, with initial deliveries starting later in the year. The F-15D, a combat-capable two-seat trainer version, first flew on June 19, 1979. In addition to the USAF, the F-15 is flown by Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia.

 

The USAF deployed F-15C, D and E models to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm.  The single-seat F-15C was used for air superiority, and the F-15E was heavily used in air-to-ground attacks operating mainly at night, hunting modified SCUD missile launchers and artillery sites using the LANTIRN system.  

 

During Desert Storm F-15Cs had 34 confirmed kills of Iraqi aircraft during the 1991 Gulf War, mostly by missile fire: five MiG-29 "Fulcrums", two MiG-25 "Foxbats", eight MiG-23 "Floggers", two MiG-21 "Fishbeds", two Su-25 "Frogfoots", four Su-22 "Fitters", one Su-7, six Mirage F1s, one Il-76 cargo plane, one Pilatus PC-9 trainer, and two Mi-8 helicopters. During the conflict the only other coalition partner flying the F-15C, the Royal Saudi Arabian Air Force added two additional kills to the Eagles tally.

 

F-15's 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 Operation Allied Force, a NATO military operation against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the Kosovo War. During Allied Force USAF F-15Cs shot down four Yugoslav MiG-29s using AIM-120 missiles.

 

No F-15 has been lost in any air to air engagement, the total world wide F-15 Kill ratio (US, Israel, and Saudi Arabia) is well over 130 kills to 0 losses.

• TYPE:    All-weather Air Superiority Tactical Fighter

• POWER:  Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW –220 turbofan

• SPEED:   Mach 2.5  or 1,650 mph

• RANGE:   3,450 miles with 3 external tanks

• SERVICE CEILING: 63,000 ft   

• WEIGHT:  27,381 lbs. Empty; Max T/O 56,000 lbs.

• DIMENSIONS:  Span 42 ft. 9 3/4   in.,  Length 63 ft 9 in. Height 18 ft .5 ½ in.

• ARMAMENT:  One 20mm M61A1 Gun with 940 rounds, four AIM-7 Sparrow air to air missiles, four AIM-9 air to air missiles, external load of up to 16,000 lbs.

• CREW:  One (A/C) Two (B/D)  

• PRODUCTION TOTALS: (USAF) 302 (F-15A), 58 (F-15B), 408 (F-15C) 62 (F-15D)

• COST: $ 27.9 million