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The F-15E Strike Eagle

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is a highly maneuverable tactical fighter that can operate in all weather conditions.

The Eagle 's superiority is achieved in dexterity and acceleration , range, armament and avionics . The F-15 has electronic systems and weapons to detect, focus, pursue and attack enemy aircraft whether in friendly or enemy airspace . The weapons and flight control systems are designed so that a single person can conduct air-to-air combat safely and effectively.

The F-15's acceleration and agility are achieved through two high-powered engines and reduced wing loading , vital factors in maneuverability, allowing high lift speed, high operational ceiling, and superlative ability to maintain a sustained turn, favorable characteristics in combat at high and medium altitudes.

The multi-mission avionics system includes a HUD (Head Up Display) that projects flight, navigation, approach and radar information at eye level, as well as synthesized radar and IFF reports . It also has an inertial navigation system , flight instruments, VHF and UHF communications , a tactical combat system, and an instrument landing system. It also includes an internally mounted electronic tactical combat system, a set of electronic countermeasures and a central computer.

The versatile pulse- Doppler radar system allows detection of targets at altitudes above and below the aircraft, without the clutter of the landscape. It can detect and pursue aircraft and small targets at high speeds, at distances beyond visual range, and at altitudes above tree line. The radar feeds target information to the central computer for effective weapons delivery. For close-range, head-to-head combat, the radar automatically locks on to the enemy aircraft, and this information is projected onto the HUD. The F-15's electronic warfare system provides threat warning and automatic threat countermeasures. Due to the F-15's lift speed and operational ceiling, the aircraft was nicknamed the "Star Wars Ship" because it was considered as a secondary weapons platform for the Star Wars program, officially known as the Strategic Defense Initiative , during the Ronald Reagan administration .

The F-15's versatility also allows it to carry a wide variety of air-to-air weapons . The automated warfare system allows the pilot to conduct aerial combat safely and effectively using the HUD, avionics and weapons controls located either on the engine throttle or the navigation controller. Whenever the pilot switches between weapon systems, the respective weapon system and firing solution will automatically be displayed on the HUD.

The Eagle can be armed with combinations of four air-to-air weapons : AIM-7F/M Sparrow missiles , AIM-120 AMRAAM Advanced Medium-Range air-to-air missiles in the lower corners of the fuselage , AIM-9L/M Sidewinder or AIM-120 missiles in two wing mounts, and an internal 20 mm Gatling gun in the right wing

Another plane named F-15

During World War II Northop built an unarmed version of the P-61 Black Widow called the F-15 Reporter (F according to the Army Air Force system then in use until the establishment of the United States Air Force in 1947 ) for aerial photography

Record casualties.

In 2000 , the F-15, across all air forces, had a record kill rate of 122 targets shot down against zero lost in aerial combat (a Japanese F-15J hit another F-15J in 1995 due to an AIM-9 Sidewinder error during live-fire aerial combat training). The F-15E had two kills from anti-aircraft fire in the 1991 Gulf War , although Iraqi sources say a MiG-25Pd was responsible for one of the kills. An F-15E was shot down in the 2003 Invasion of Iraq probably due to anti-aircraft fire, another in 2013 in attacks on Libyan positions during the Arab Spring .

Operations

The F-15 Eagle first saw action in 1977, when in a border skirmish, Israeli Eagles shot down 4 Syrian MiGs; In 1982, over the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, the Eagles engaged the Syrian Air Force with their MiG-23s and MiG-25s , which were theoretically similar to the F-15A. In subsequent combats, they shot down 82 Syrian aircraft, with the loss of 1 F-15B (Israel says there were landing problems); in 1984, an RSAF F-15A patrol intercepted and shot down two Iranian F-4E Phantom IIs that violated its borders; In Operation Desert Storm in 1991, American and Saudi F-15Cs achieved the highest number of kills of the campaign, when they managed to shoot down 37 Iraqi aircraft without losses, although the Iraqis claim that a MiG-25PD shot down a USAF F-15C on January 29, 1991; of these, 30 were with the AIM-7E3 Sparrow , 4 with the AIM-9M Sidwinder and 3 with 20mm cannon fire; in the years after the Gulf War , F-15Cs shot down some Iraqi aircraft, including the first combat use of the Hughes AIM-120 AMRAAM ; In 1999, the first BVR (beyond visual range) night combat took place, when Col Cesar "Rico" Rodriguez shot down a Serbian MiG-29A Fulcrum with his F-15C , during Operation Allied Forces .

In the future

The F-15C/D model was expected to be replaced by the F-22A Raptor , although the fate of these aircraft is not yet known. Due to their high-tech characteristics, it is very likely that they will remain operational for quite some time. However, due to budget cuts in the United States, the Raptor was limited to exactly 199 units, with the complete deactivation of its production line. Thus, the USAF implemented a modernization program for the Eagle, which is now the F-15C AESA, with this brand new and highly efficient electronic radar technology. In March 2009 , Boeing presented the new F-15SE Silent Eagle. The first flight was scheduled for 2010 .

F-15 SE

The Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle is a proposed upgrade of Boeing 's F-15E Strike Eagle using fifth-generation fighter capabilities, such as internally carried weapons and radar-absorbent material. [ 1 ]

Conception and Design

A demonstration version of the F-15SE was first displayed by Boeing on 17 March 2009. The F -15SE will use fifth-generation fighter technologies to reduce its radar cross section (RCS). Distinguishing features of this version are the reduced fuel tanks so that weapons are stored internally and the vertical tails canted 15 degrees outward to reduce its radar cross section. Weapons storage takes up most of the capacity of each fuel tank. This variant will also have radar-absorbent material when needed. The Silent Eagle will serve countries that already have the F-15 , such as Israel , Saudi Arabia , Japan , and South Korea , among others.

The F-15SE has a level of stealth permitted for export by the US government . The front is predicted by Ausairpower.net to eventually be as low as the export version of the F-35 Lightning II . For reference the radar cross section of the non-export version of the F-35's front is 0.001 m² (0.011 ft²). The rear and radar cross sections will be larger. The F-15SE will have a Raytheon (AESA) radar, and a new electronic warfare system from BAE Systems .

This stealth will be optimized for air-to-air missions and much less effective against ground-based radars.

In March 2009 , Boeing formally launched the F-15SE Silent Eagle and began offering it for international sales. The aircraft is capable of carrying both internal weapons and external weapons hardpoints mounted under each wing. The F-15SE's lower-cost relative to fifth-generation fighters is intended to aid the aircraft's appeal to the export market. The aircraft would require export licenses similar to the F-35.

The unit cost was estimated by Boeing at approximately US$ 100 million, including spare parts and support. The company has sought other companies for risk-sharing partners to reduce its development costs. Studies of different possible levels of radar cross-section (RCS) reduction are underway. In June 2009 , Boeing stated that it plans for a demonstration flight of the Silent Eagle in the third quarter of 2010 .

In September 2009 , Saudi Arabia considered purchasing up to 72 F-15s. Although the variant is not specified, they are reported to be interested in the Silent Eagle

Specifications (F-15C)

Dados de: USAF,[nota 1] Jane's All the World's Aircraft,[nota 2] Combat Legend, F-15 Eagle and Strike Eagle.[nota 3]

General descriptions
Crew : 1 - pilot
Length : 19.43 m (64 ft )
Wingspan : 13.05 m (43 ft )
Altura: 5,63 m (18 ft)
Wing area : 56.68 m² (610 ft² )
Empty weight : 12 700 kg (28 000 lb )
Gross weight (laden): 20 200 kg (44 500 lb )
Takeoff weight: 30 845 kg (68 000 lb )
Fuel capacity: 6,100 kg (13,400 lb ) of internal fuel
Motorization
Number of motors: 2x
Engine type : Turbofan
Manufacturer/Model: Pratt & Whitney F100-100 or PW F100-200
Thrust per engine : 23 770 kgf (52 400 lbf ) (105.7 kN )
Performance
Top speed : 2,665 km/h (1,660 mph )
Total speed at Mach : 2.5 Ma
Range : 5,550 km (3,450 mi )
War range: 1,967 km (1,220 mi )
Rate of climb: 254 m/s
Service ceiling : 20,000 m (65,600 ft )
G-Force : 9 G
Armaments
Machine guns / cannons : 1x 20 mm (0.79 in ) M61 Vulcan cannon
Number of pylons: 11x
Pylon capacity (kg): 7 300 kg (16 100 lb )
Two-pylon bombs: Mark 82
Mark 84
GBU-10
GBU-31
Pylon missiles: 4x AIM-7 Sparrow
4x AIM-9 Sidewinder
8x AIM-120 AMRAAM
Other pylon loads: Up to 600 US-gal (2,270 l ) of external fuel tanks.
MXU-648 cargo pod for carrying personal belongings or maintenance equipment and tools
Guidance equipment
Avionics :
Radars:
Raytheon AN/APG-63 ou Raytheon AN/APG-70 ou
Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)1 ou
Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)2 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) ou
Raytheon AN/APG-63(V)3 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA)
Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System
Electronic Countermeasures:
Pod NGES AN/ALQ-131
Hazeltine AN/APX-76 ou Raytheon AN/APX-119
Magnavox AN/ALQ-128
Loral AN/ALR-56
NGES ALQ-135
Marconi AN/ALE-45

Operators

USA
Israel
Japan
Saudi Arabia