USAF Fact Sheet
F-15 Eagle
Mission
The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter
designed to permit
the Air Force to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat.
Features
The Eagle's air superiority is achieved through a mixture of unprecedented
maneuverability and
acceleration, range, weapons and avionics. It can penetrate enemy defense and
outperform and
outfight any current enemy aircraft. The F-15 has electronic systems and
weaponry to detect,
acquire, track and attack enemy aircraft while operating in friendly or
enemy-controlled
airspace. The weapons and flight control systems are designed so one person
can safely and
effectively perform air-to-air combat.
The F-15's superior maneuverability and acceleration are achieved through
high engine
thrust-to-weight ratio and low wing loading. Low wing-loading (the ratio of
aircraft weight to
its wing area) is a vital factor in maneuverability and, combined with the
high
thrust-to-weight ratio, enables the aircraft to turn tightly without losing
airspeed.
A multimission avionics system sets the F-15 apart from other fighter
aircraft. It includes a
head-up display, advanced radar, inertial navigation system, flight
instruments, ultrahigh
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 head-up display projects on the windscreen 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.
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 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 20mm 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 cubic feet 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.
The F-15E 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.
Background
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
pounds (900 kilograms) of additional internal fuel, provision for carrying
exterior conformal
fuel tanks and increased maximum takeoff weight of up to 68,000 pounds
(30,600 kilograms).
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.
F-15C, D and E models were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of
Operation Desert
Storm where they proved their superior combat capability with a confirmed
26:0 kill ratio.
F-15 fighters 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
UN-sanctioned no-fly zone in Southern Iraq; Operation Provide Comfort in
Turkey; in support of
NATO operations in Bosnia, and recent air expeditionary force deployments.
General Characteristics
Primary function: Tactical fighter
Contractor: McDonnell Douglas Corp.
Power plant: Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 or 229 turbofan engines with
afterburners
Thrust: (C/D models) 23,450 pounds each engine
Wing span: 42.8 feet (13 meters)
Length: 63.8 feet (19.44 meters)
Height: 18.5 feet (5.6 meters)
Speed: 1,875 mph (Mach 2.5 plus)
Maximum takeoff weight: (C/D models) 68,000 pounds (30,844 kilograms)
Ceiling: 65,000 feet (19,812 meters)
Range: 3,450 miles (3,000 nautical miles) ferry range with conformal fuel
tanks and three
external fuel tanks
Crew: F-15A/C: one. F-15B/D/E: two
Armament: One internally mounted M-61A1 20mm 20-mm, six-barrel cannon with
940 rounds of
ammunition; four AIM-9L/M Sidewinder and four AIM-7F/M Sparrow air-to-air
missiles, or eight
AIM-120 AMRAAMs, carried externally.
Unit Cost: $15 million
Date deployed: July 1972
Inventory: Active force, 423; Reserve, 0; ANG, 45.
Point of Contact
Air Combat Command, Public Affairs Office; 115 Thompson St., Ste. 211;
Langley Air
Force Base, Va. 23665-1987; DSN 574-5014 or (757) 764-5014.
Current as of March 1999
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사람이 꽃보다 아름답다는 말이있다. 그러나 가끔은 꽃이 사람보다 따뜻하다는
느낌이 온다. 구름 없는 하늘아래를 어렵게 걷다가 문득 바라본 길가의 제비 꽃의
수줍은 미소는 사람 보다 따뜻한 숨결을 생각하도록하고 미치도록 진한 아카시아의
향은 사람의 향기 보다 진하게 나를 부른다. 가야겠다....가야겠다.....