McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American <a href="/facts/Twinjet/eahpYVVr">twin-engine</a>, all-weather <a href="/facts/Fighter_aircraft/NuIvaGJg">fighter aircraft</a> designed by <a href="/facts/McDonnell_Douglas/cplglcRH">McDonnell Douglas</a> (now part of <a href="/facts/Boeing/tF5sMe9F">Boeing</a>). Following reviews of proposals, the <a href="/facts/United_States_Air_Force/7MxWBYlc">United States Air Force</a> (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's design in 1969 to meet the service's need for a dedicated <a href="/facts/Air_superiority_fighter/FmwaInsI">air superiority fighter</a>. The Eagle took its maiden flight in July 1972, and entered service in 1976. It is among the most successful modern fighters, with over 100 victories and no losses in aerial combat, with the majority of the kills by the <a href="/facts/Israeli_Air_Force/bcm4GjTf">Israeli Air Force</a>.
The Eagle has been exported to many countries, including <a href="/facts/Israeli_Air_Force/bcm4GjTf">Israel</a>, <a href="/facts/Japan_Air_Self-Defense_Force/dbwdrwzf">Japan</a>, and <a href="/facts/Royal_Saudi_Air_Force/SGzWzfqW">Saudi Arabia</a>. Although the F-15 was originally envisioned as a pure air superiority fighter, its design included a secondary ground-attack capability that was largely unused. It proved flexible enough that an improved all-weather <a href="/facts/Strike_fighter/DB0W39ds">strike derivative</a>, the <a href="/facts/McDonnell_Douglas_F-15E_Strike_Eagle/Vo4eCmzV">F-15E Strike Eagle</a>, was later developed, entered service in 1989 and has been exported to several nations. Several additional Eagle and Strike Eagle subvariants have been produced for foreign customers, with production of enhanced variants ongoing.
The F-15 was the principal air superiority fighter of the USAF and U.S. allies during the late <a href="/facts/Cold_War/spJdJQ3q">Cold War</a>, replacing the <a href="/facts/McDonnell_Douglas_F-4_Phantom_II/epGAnaxt">F-4 Phantom II</a>. The Eagle was first used in combat by the Israeli Air Force in 1979 and saw extensive action in the <a href="/facts/1982_Lebanon_War/72BQ3nuC">1982 Lebanon War</a>. In USAF service, the aircraft saw combat action in the 1991 <a href="/facts/Gulf_War/6LdLnGdo">Gulf War</a> and the conflict over <a href="/facts/Yugoslav_Wars/CUoVQ6Y9">Yugoslavia</a>. The USAF began replacing its air superiority F-15A/B/C/D with the <a href="/facts/Lockheed_Martin_F-22_Raptor/uGSDLBu9">F-22 Raptor</a> in the 2000s, but the severely reduced procurement pushed the retirement of the remaining F-15C/D, mostly in the <a href="/facts/Air_National_Guard/50qC3e0V">Air National Guard</a>, to 2026 and forced the service to supplement the F-22 with an advanced Eagle variant, the <a href="/facts/Boeing_F-15EX_Eagle_II/8g2Dnchq">F-15EX</a>, in order to retain an adequate number of air superiority fighters. The F-15 remains in service with numerous countries.

McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle open-in-new

McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle