McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle
History
The F-15E Strike Eagle was developed in the early 1980s by McDonnell Douglas to meet a U.S. Air Force requirement for a dual-role fighter capable of long-range precision strike while retaining full air-to-air combat performance. While the original F-15 was designed exclusively for air superiority, operational experience and evolving threats highlighted the need for an aircraft that could penetrate defended airspace, deliver heavy ordnance with precision, and survive in contested environments.
Selected in 1984 under the Dual-Role Fighter program, the Strike Eagle offered a combination of high payload capacity, extended range, twin-engine survivability, and advanced avionics. The aircraft first flew in 1986 and achieved operational service by the end of the decade.
The Strike Eagle proved its effectiveness during Operation Desert Storm, where it conducted night, low-level strikes against Iraqi command centers, infrastructure, airfields, and mobile missile launchers. Using advanced navigation and targeting systems, the aircraft operated independently of weather and lighting conditions, often deep inside hostile territory. The platform also demonstrated its retained air-to-air capability, including a rare aerial victory achieved using a laser-guided bomb against an enemy helicopter.
Following Desert Storm, the Strike Eagle remained a key asset in enforcing no-fly zones over Iraq and later participated in operations across the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Continuous upgrades allowed the aircraft to adapt to changing mission requirements, ensuring its relevance well into the modern era. The Strike Eagle’s blend of range, payload, survivability, and multirole flexibility has solidified its reputation as one of the most capable strike fighters ever fielded.
Technology Suites
F-15E Basic (Initial Operational Configuration)
- Introduced: 1989
- Radar: AN/APG-70 multimode mechanically scanned radar providing air-to-air tracking and high-resolution air-to-ground mapping
- Weapons Integration: Laser-guided bombs and conventional air-to-ground munitions
- Electronic Warfare: AN/ALQ-135 internal radar jammer
- Navigation: Inertial Navigation System with GPS updates
- Avionics: Two-seat cockpit equipped with CRT multi-function displays for pilot and Weapon Systems Officer
- Sensors: Initial integration of the LANTIRN navigation and targeting system
This configuration established the Strike Eagle as an all-weather, day-night deep strike platform while retaining full air-to-air combat capability.
Suite 1
- Introduced: Late 1990s
- Radar: Improved AN/APG-70 signal processing enhancing detection, tracking, and ground-mapping performance
- Weapons Integration: Full Paveway laser-guided bomb family and initial JDAM capability
- Electronic Warfare: Updated AN/ALQ-135 threat libraries and countermeasure logic
- Navigation: Improved GPS-aided targeting accuracy
- Avionics: Refined CRT display layouts improving crew workload management
- Sensors: Full operational employment of AN/AAQ-13 navigation pod and AN/AAQ-14 targeting pod (LANTIRN)
Suite 2
- Introduced: Early 2000s
- Radar: Continued refinement of AN/APG-70 performance and reliability
- Weapons Integration: Expanded compatibility with precision-guided and stand-off air-to-ground munitions
- Electronic Warfare: Incremental improvements to jammer effectiveness and threat response
- Navigation: Enhanced mission accuracy through improved system integration
- Avionics: Improved system stability, reliability, and mission management
Suite 2 represents the mature post–Cold War Strike Eagle configuration widely used during no-fly-zone enforcement and early 2000s operations.
Suite 4 / 4E / 4E+
- Introduced: Early to mid 2000s
- Radar: AN/APG-70 retained with improved mission integration
- Weapons Integration: Integration of AGM-158 JASSM and expanded precision strike capability
- Electronic Warfare: Enhanced AN/ALQ-135 countermeasure performance
- Navigation: Improved coordination with off-board targeting and mission planning systems
- Avionics: Transition to high-resolution color multi-function displays
- Data Links: Introduction of Link-16 for networked operations and real-time coordination
This suite marked the Strike Eagle’s transition into a network-enabled, information-centric battlefield environment.
Radar Modernization Program (RMP)
- Program Initiation: 2007
- Radar: AN/APG-82(V)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar
Key Improvements:
- Near-simultaneous air-to-air and air-to-ground mode interleaving
- Long-range air target detection and tracking
- High-resolution synthetic aperture radar ground mapping
- Improved ground moving target indication
- Increased reliability and reduced maintenance burden
Initial Operational Capability was achieved in 2014, fundamentally transforming Strike Eagle sensor performance.
Suite 5 (Suite 5E / 5E+)
- Introduced: 2010s
- Radar: Continued refinement and software enhancement of the AN/APG-82 AESA
- Weapons Integration: Small Diameter Bomb (GBU-39), expanded JDAM variants, and extended JASSM support
- Electronic Warfare: Expanded AN/ALQ-135 capability pending replacement
- Navigation: Improved precision through enhanced sensor and data integration
- Avionics: Increased automation and improved sensor fusion
- Sensors: AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR advanced targeting pod
Suite 6 (Ongoing Modernization)
- Introduced: 2020s
- Radar: Continued hardware and software upgrades to the AN/APG-82 AESA
- Weapons Integration: Integration planning for next-generation and hypersonic weapons
- Electronic Warfare: AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) replacing ALQ-135
- Navigation: Improved survivability and situational awareness in contested environments
- Avionics: Enhanced digital interfaces, sensor fusion, and mission processing
- Mission Role: Sustaining long-term effectiveness against peer and near-peer adversaries
Armament
Air-to-Air Missiles
AIM-7 Sparrow
- AIM-7F
- AIM-7M
- AIM-7MH
AIM-120 AMRAAM
- AIM-120A
- AIM-120B
- AIM-120C-2
- AIM-120C-3
- AIM-120C-4
- AIM-120C-5
- AIM-120C-6
- AIM-120C-7
- AIM-120C-8
- AIM-120D-2
- AIM-120D-3
- CATM-120B
- CATM-120C
AIM-9 Sidewinder
- AIM-9P-3
- AIM-9P-4
- AIM-9P-5
- AIM-9L
- AIM-9M
- AIM-9M-7
- AIM-9M-9
- AIM-9X
- AIM-9X Block II
- CATM-9
Air-to-Ground Missiles
- AGM-65A
- AGM-65B
- AGM-65D
- AGM-65G
- AGM-65G-2
- AGM-65H
- AGM-65K
- AGM-130A-12
- AGM-154A-1
- AGM-154B-2
- AGM-158A-1
- AGM-158B-2
- AGM-179
- JAGM-F
Precision-Guided Bombs
- GBU-10/B
- GBU-12/B
- GBU-15/B
- GBU-24/B
- GBU-27/B
- GBU-28/B
- GBU-31(V)1/B
- GBU-31(V)3/B
- GBU-38/B
- GBU-39/B
- GBU-53/B
- GBU-54/B
General-Purpose Bombs
- Mk-81 (250 lb)
- Mk-82 (500 lb)
- Mk-84 (2,000 lb)
Cluster Bomb Units
- CBU-87/B
- CBU-97/B
- Mk-20 Rockeye II
Other Bomb Types
- BLU-107/B
- BLU-109/B
- BLU-116/B
Gun
- M61A1 20 mm Vulcan Cannon
Miscellaneous
- Conformal Fuel Tanks (600-gallon)
- 600-gallon external fuel tanks
- 370-gallon external fuel tanks
- AN/AAQ-13 Navigation Pod
- AN/AAQ-14 Targeting Pod
- AN/AAQ-33 Sniper XR
- DB-110 Reconnaissance Pod
- ALQ-135M Electronic Countermeasures
- ALQ-184 ECM Pod
- AAR-47 Missile Warning System
- Link-16
Export Variants (Overview)
- F-15I (Israel)
- F-15K (South Korea)
- F-15S / F-15SA (Saudi Arabia)
- F-15SG (Singapore)
- F-15QA (Qatar)
- F-15EX Eagle II (USAF derivative)
Stores Layout
Sources
- U.S. Air Force Fact Sheets – F-15E Strike Eagle
- Boeing Defense – F-15 Program Overview
- Raytheon radar documentation (AN/APG-70 / AN/APG-82)
- Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft
- Air Force Magazine archives
- Congressional Research Service reports on F-15 modernization
Bug Reports:
SOLVED GBU-15 Employment Speed
Inability to mix CFTs with missiles and bombs
SOLVED Missing AN/AAQ-33 Sniper TGP
