F-15 Eagle
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American-built, all-weather, extremely
maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority
in aerial combat.
A derivate of the aircraft is the F-15E Strike Eagle, a highly successful
all-weather strike fighter which entered service in 1988.
Design
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 weapons and flight control systems are
designed so one person can safely and effectively perform air-to-air combat.
A multimission avionics system includes a head-up display, advanced radar,
inertial navigation system, flight instruments, ultra high frequency
communications, tactical navigation system, and Instrument Landing System. It
also has an internally mounted tactical electronic-warfare system,
"identification friend or foe" system, electronic countermeasures set, and a
central digital computer.
The heads-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 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 down to close range, and at altitudes down to treetop level.
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 and automatic
countermeasures against selected threats. Because of the advanced electronics
deployed on the F-15, the aircraft was given the nickname "Starship" by users.
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 were especially developed for the F-15C and D
models. Conformal fuel tanks 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. Each conformal fuel tank contains about
114 cu. ft. (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. AIM-7F/M Sparrow
missiles, moreover, can be attached to the corners of the conformal fuel tanks.
Because the CFTs degrade performance (although not as much as normal external
tanks), and cannot be jettisoned in-flight (unlike normal external tanks) air
combat F-15s (A/B/C/D) typically fly without them, while the F-15E typically
flies with them.
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 low-altitude navigation and targeting infrared for night pods.
Service history
The first F-15A flight was made in July, 1972, and the first flight of the two-seat
F-15B (formerly TF-15A) trainer 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.
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 (30,600 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 a Hughes APG-70
radar. The remaining MSIP F-15C that use the APG-63 are currently being upgraded
to the more sophisticated APG-63v1.
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.
Inventory
The USAF has an active force of 396 aircraft with a further 126 in the Air National Guard.
Users
The F-15 is also operated by Israel(F-15I), Japan(F-15J), and Saudi Arabia
(F-15C, F-15S). A special version of the F-15E, the F-15K, has been ordered by
South Korea, with final assembly of the first example beginning in June, 2004.
It will be the first to sport engines from GE. All previous F-15s had engines
from Pratt and Whitney.
Controversy
Some members of the military, most famously the 'Fighter Mafia', a group of
strategists that formed in response to early losses in the air-battles of Vietnam,
felt that the F-15 was merely an updated version of the F-4, a plane that suffered
losses dogfighting in Vietnam.
Criticisms of the F-15's close combat maneuverability, large size, and cost led
to the development of the F-16, an airplane that complements the F-15 by having
strengths in those areas listed.
Other Aircraft named F-15
During the Second World War, Northrop built an unarmed version of the P-61
Black Widow called the F-15 Reporter (F under the Army Air Force system in use
until the formation of the United States Air Force in 1947 stood for Photo
Reconnaissance).
Kill record
As of 2000, the F-15 in all air forces has a combined kill record of 104 kills
to zero losses in air combat (a Japanese F-15J shot down another F-15J in 1995
due to an AIM-9 Sidewinder safety malfunction during air-to-air combat training
with real weapons).
The majority of these kills were made by Israeli Air Force pilots during the
1982 Lebanon War. Dozens of Syrian-piloted Russian MiG-21s (the reported figure
varies from 80-92) and several MiG-25s were shot down. A substantial fraction of
these were shot down with F-15s.
Royal Saudi Air Force pilots shot down two F-4 Phantoms flown by the Iranian Air
Force in a border skirmish in 1984, and two Iraqi Mirages F1 during the Gulf War.
The balance of the aircraft kills were by the USAF in the Gulf War, mostly by
missile fire. Most of the kills were reportedly of aircraft fleeing, rather than
actively trying to engage US planes. The F-15 was heavily used in air-to-ground
attacks as well as for air superiority.
The F-15E sustained two losses to ground fire in the Gulf War in 1991. One F-15E
was lost in the 2003, Invasion of Iraq, probably due to ground fire.
Future
The F-15C/D model is being replaced by the F-22 Raptor. The fate of the F-15E is
yet unknown but as the airframes are relatively recent, will likely remain in
the U.S. inventory for some years to come.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
It uses material from the Wikipedia article "F-15 Eagle".
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