F-15E is an upgraded, two-seat, all-weather F-15 capable of deep interdiction/attack, tactical nuclear delivery, and air-to-air combat. Strike Eagle is capable of sustaining 9 Gs throughout the flight envelope.
It first saw combat in Desert Storm in 1991. F-15E’s large, varied load of precision weapons and 20 mm cannon make it a potent ground-attack platform, and radar-guided and IR-homing missiles give it an additional air-to-air capability. Its advanced cockpit includes a wide-field-of-view HUD and helmet mounted cockpit-cueing.
The F-15E’s avionics permit all-weather day/night engagement and it carries LANTIRN, Sniper, and Litening ATPs on dedicated pylons. The “Dragon’s Eye” SAR pod fielded in 2009 provides all-weather surveillance/reconnaissance capability. F-15Es are equipped with Link 16 and BLOS SATCOM.
The Strike Eagle is undergoing major avionics modernization centered on the new APG-82(V)1 AESA radar which will increase its lethality against more capable targets. The Eagle Passive/ Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) is simultaneously replacing the Strike Eagle’s obsolete self-defense suite to increase survivability in future high threat environments. Supporting upgrades include color Large Area Digital (LAD) displays and processors to fully exploit AESA and EPAWSS’ targeting and situational awareness improvements, and MIDS/ JTRS to enable higher capacity, jam-resistant Link 16.
Boeing completed EPAWSS installation on the first two F-15Es in 2022, and fleet-wide AESA installs are slated for completion by FY24. Future enhancements include Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) secure, jam-resistant SATCOM and NATO-interoperable SATURN UHF, as well as IRST to discreetly engage airborne targets. An F-15E conducted the first live-fire of the upgraded AIM-120D3 missile, as part of qualification testing over the Eglin range on June 30, 2022.
Contractors: Boeing (previously McDonnell Douglas); BAE Systems (EPAWSS); Raytheon (AESA).
First Flight: Dec. 11, 1986.
Delivered: April 1988-2004.
IOC: September 1989.
Production: 236.
Inventory: 218.
Operator: ACC, AFMC, USAFE.
Aircraft Location: Eglin AFB, Fla.; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; Nellis AFB, Nev.; RAF Lakenheath, U.K.; Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C.
Active Variant: •F-15E. All-weather strike aircraft derived from the F-15C/D.
Dimensions: Span 42.8 ft, length 63.8 ft, height 18.5 ft.
Weight: Max T-O 81,000 lb.
Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220, each 23,450 lb thrust; or two F100-PW-229 turbofans with afterburners, each 29,000 lb thrust.
Performance: Speed Mach 2.5, range 2,762 miles with CFTs and three external tanks (further with air refueling).
Ceiling: 50,000 ft.
Armament: One internally mounted M61A1 20 mm six-barrel cannon (500 rd); four AIM-9 Sidewinders and four AIM-120 AMRAAMs or eight AIM-120s; most air-to-surface weapons in USAF inventory (nuclear and conventional) and ECM pods.
Accommodation: Pilot and WSO on ACES II zero/zero ejection seats.