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| F-15E Strike Eagle | |
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| USAF F-15E out of RAF Lakenheath | |
| Role | Multirole fighter, strike fighter |
| Manufacturer | McDonnell Douglas Boeing Defense, Space & Security |
| First flight | 11 December 1986 |
| Introduction | April 1988 |
| Status | Active, in production |
| Primary users | United States Air Force Royal Saudi Air Force Israeli Air Force Republic of Korea Air Force For other users, see operators |
| Number built | 334+[N 1] |
| Unit cost | F-15E: US$31.1 million (flyaway cost, 1998)[2] F-15K: US$100 million (2006)[3] |
| Developed from | McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle |
| Variants | Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle |
The Strike Eagle has been deployed for military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. During these operations the F-15E has carried out deep strikes against high-value targets, combat air patrols, and providing close air support for coalition troops. It has also seen action in later conflicts and has been exported to several countries.
Development
Origins
The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle had been introduced by the United States Air Force (USAF) as a replacement for its fleet of McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs. However, unlike the F-4, the F-15 was strictly designed for the air-superiority mission with little consideration for a ground-attack role; the F-15 Special Project Office opposed the idea of F-15s performing the interdiction mission, giving rise to the phrase "Not a pound for air to ground."[4] In service, the F-15 was a very successful fighter, with over 100 aerial combat victories and no losses in air-to-air combat.[5][6]
To assist in the F-15E's development, McDonnell Douglas modified the second TF-15A prototype, serial number 71-0291, as a demonstrator. The aircraft, known as the Advanced Fighter Capability Demonstrator, first flew on 8 July 1980.[8] It was previously used to trial conformal fuel tanks (CFT), initially designed for the F-15 under the designation "FAST Pack", with FAST standing for "Fuel and Sensor, Tactical.[8] It was subsequently fitted with a Pave Tack laser designator pod to allow the independent delivery of guided bombs.[10] The demonstrator was displayed at the 1980 Farnborough Airshow.[11]
Enhanced Tactical Fighter
The DRF evaluation team, under the direction of Brigadier General Ronald W. Yates, ran from 1981 through 30 April 1983, during which the F-15E logged more than 200 flights, demonstrated take off weight of more than 75,000 pounds (34 t), and validated sixteen different weapons-carrying configurations.[13][14] McDonnell Douglas, to assist 71-0291 in the evaluation, added to the program other F-15s, designated 78-0468, 80–0055 and 81-0063. The single-engine F-16XL was a promising design which, with its radically redesigned cranked-delta wing, lifted the F-16's performance enormously. In the event that they were chosen, the single- and two-seat versions would have been designated F-16E and F-16F, respectively.[14] However, on 24 February 1984, the USAF chose the F-15E; key factors in the decision were the low development costs of the F-15E compared to the F-16XL (US$270 million versus US$470 million), a belief that the F-15E had future growth potential, and possessing twin-engine redundancy.[13][15] The USAF was initially expected to procure 400 aircraft, a figure later revised to 392.[14][16]
Construction of the first three F-15Es started in July 1985. The first of these, 86-0183, made its maiden flight on 11 December 1986.[13][15] Piloted by Gary Jennings, the aircraft reached a maximum speed of Mach 0.9 and an altitude of 40,000 feet (12,000 m) during the 75-minute flight.[13] This aircraft had the full F-15E avionics suite and the redesigned front fuselage, but not the aft fuselage and the common engine bay.[13] The latter was featured on 86-0184, while 86-0185 incorporated all the changes of the F-15E from the F-15.[13] On 31 March 1987, the first officially completed F-15E made its first flight.[17]
The first production F-15E was delivered to the 405th Tactical Training Wing, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in April 1988. The F-15E reached operational capability on 30 September 1989 at Seymour Johnson AFB in North Carolina with the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron.[15] Production continued into the 2000s with 236 produced for the USAF through 2001.[18]
Variants of the F-15E have been developed for Israel (F-15I), South Korea (F-15K), Saudi Arabia (F-15S), and Singapore (F-15SG).
Upgrade programs and replacement
The F-15E will be upgraded with the Raytheon APG-82 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar after 2007, and the first test radar was delivered to Boeing in 2010.[19] It combines the processor of the APG-79 used on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet with the antenna of the APG-63(V)3 AESA being fitted on the F-15C.[20] The new radar upgrade is to be part of the F-15E Radar Modernization Program.[21] The new radar was named APG-63(V)4 until it received the APG-82 designation in 2009.[22] The RMP also includes a wideband radome (to allow the AESA to operate on more radar frequencies), and improvements to the environment control and electronic warfare systems.[23]
Silent Eagle
Main article: Boeing F-15SE Silent Eagle
The F-15SE Silent Eagle is a proposed upgrade of the F-15E by Boeing using stealth features, such as internal weapons carriage and radar-absorbent material.
This version features conformal weapons bays (CWB) to hold weapons
internally instead of conformal fuel tanks and the twin vertical tails
canted outward 15 degrees to reduce radar cross section. Weapons storage
takes the place of most of each CWB with the remainder for fuel
storage.[25]The first production F-15E, s/n 86-0183, was modified to the F-15E1 configuration to serve as a Silent Eagle demonstrator. It first flew on 8 July 2010 with a left-side conformal weapons bay,[26] on 20 July 2010 an AMRAAM was successfully launched from the CWB.[27] Potential customers include Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan and South Korea.[25]
Design
The F-15E's deep strike mission is a radical departure from the original intent of the F-15, since the F-15 was designed as an air superiority fighter under the mantra "not a pound for air-to-ground."[28] The basic airframe, however, proved versatile enough to produce a very capable strike fighter. The F-15E, while designed for ground attack, retains the air-to-air lethality of the F-15, and can defend itself against enemy aircraft.[29]The F-15E prototype was a modification of the two-seat F-15B. The F-15E, despite its origins, includes significant structural changes and much more powerful engines. The back seat is equipped for a Weapon Systems Officer (WSO pronounced 'wizzo') to work the new air-to-ground avionics. The WSO uses multiple screens to display information from the radar, electronic warfare, or infrared sensors, monitor aircraft or weapons status and possible threats, select targets, and use an electronic moving map to navigate. Two hand controls are used to select new displays and to refine targeting information. Displays can be moved from one screen to another, chosen from a menu of display options. Unlike earlier two-place jets (e.g. the F-14 Tomcat and Navy variants of the F-4), whose back seat lacked flying controls, the back seat of the F-15E cockpit is equipped with its own stick and throttle so the WSO can take over flying, albeit with reduced visibility.[30]
The Strike Eagle's tactical electronic warfare system (TEWS) integrates all countermeasures on the craft: radar warning receivers (RWR), radar jammer, radar, and chaff/flare dispensers are all tied to the TEWS to provide comprehensive defense against detection and tracking. This system includes an externally mounted ALQ-131 ECM pod which is carried on the centerline pylon when required.
The APG-70 radar system allows air crews to detect ground targets from longer ranges. One feature of this system is that after a sweep of a target area, the crew freezes the air-to-ground map then goes back into air-to-air mode to clear for air threats. During the air-to-surface weapon delivery, the pilot is capable of detecting, targeting and engaging air-to-air targets while the WSO designates the ground target. The APG-70 is to be replaced by the AN/APG-82(v)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar (AESA) radar, which will begin flight tests in January 2010 with initial operational capability expected in 2014.[31]
Its inertial navigation system uses a laser gyroscope to continuously monitor the aircraft's position and provide information to the central computer and other systems, including a digital moving map in both cockpits. The low-altitude navigation and targeting infrared for night (LANTIRN) system is mounted externally under the engine intakes; it allows the aircraft to fly at low altitudes, at night and in any weather conditions, to attack ground targets with a variety of precision-guided and unguided weapons. The LANTIRN system gives the F-15E exceptional accuracy in weapons delivery day or night and in poor weather, and consists of two pods attached to the exterior of the aircraft. At night, the video picture from the LANTIRN can be projected on the HUD, producing an infrared image of ground contour.[32]
The targeting pod contains a laser designator and a tracking system that mark an enemy for destruction as far away as 10 mi (16 km). Once tracking has been started, targeting information is automatically handed off to infrared air-to-surface missiles or laser-guided bombs. The targeting pod is mounted beneath the left engine intake; configurations may be either the AN/AAQ-14 Target Pod, AN/AAQ-28 LITENING Target Pod or the AN/AAQ-33 Sniper Pod.
For air-to-ground missions, the F-15E can carry most weapons in the USAF inventory. It also can be armed with AIM-9 Sidewinders, AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-120 AMRAAMs for self-defense (though the Strike Eagle retains the counter-air capabilities from its Eagle lineage, it is rarely if ever used for counter-air missions). Like the F-15C, the Strike Eagle also carries an internally mounted General Electric M61A1 20 mm cannon with 650 rounds, which is effective against enemy aircraft and "soft" ground targets.
The MIDS Fighter Data Link Terminal, produced by BAE Systems, improves situational awareness and communications capabilities via the Link 16 datalink.[33]
Since 2004, South Korean firm LIG Nex1 has been manufacturing the F-15's Head-Up Display; a total number of 150 HUDs were delivered by 2011.[34][35] LIG Nex1 had been a participant in the F-15K program as a subcontractor to Rockwell Collins.[34][35] LIG Nex1 is also preparing to manufacture F-15's new multi-function display and flight control computer.[34] Also since 2004, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has produced the wings and forward fuselages of the F-15; in 2008, KAI established another production line for Singapore's F-15SG.[36] KAI is involved in the development and manufacture of the Conformal Weapons Bay (CWB) to be used on the F-15 Silent Eagle.[37]
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