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F15E

The F-15E Strike Eagle’s 2000-lb laser-guided bombing of an Iraqi Mi-24 during Operation Desert Storm

by Till Daisd January 5, 2024

One of the most unique air-to-air kills in aviation history is ascribed to “Chiefs” from 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS, now known as 335th Fighter Squadron, FS) during Operation Desert Storm F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487, or “487” for short

The F-15E Strike Eagle was created to satisfy the US Air Force’s (USAF) requirement for air-to-ground missions. It took off for the first time in December 1986 from St. Louis. In addition to having an infrared targeting and advanced navigation system, which enables the Strike Eagle to fly at night or in bad weather at a low altitude while maintaining a high speed, the Strike Eagle can carry 23,000 pounds of air-to-ground and air-to-air weaponry, shielding it from enemy defenses.

April 1988 saw the delivery of the F-15E’s first production model to the 405th Tactical Training Wing at Luke AFB in Arizona.

During Operation Desert Storm, which was launched between January 17, 1991, and February 28, 1991, with the intention of freeing Kuwait from the Iraqi invasion, the F-15E was used for the first time in combat. One of the most unique air-to-air kills in aviation history was attributed to F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487, or “487” for short, from the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS, now known as the 335th Fighter Squadron, FS) “Chiefs” during this combat.

The first air-to-air kill for an F-15E Strike Eagle took place on February 14, 1991, during an air encounter by Capts. Richard T. Bennett, pilot, and Daniel B. Bakke, weapon systems operator (WSO).

“On one flight, we used a laser-guided bomb [LGB] to shoot down a helicopter,” Bennet explained to Barry D. Smith for his article Tim Bennett’s War. “This occurred on February 14, Valentine’s Day. The mission was a Scud CAP [combat air patrol] in northwestern Iraq. During the Scud CAPs, we would look around with either the FLIR targeting pod or the radar to find the mobile Scuds. My wingman had twelve Mk. 82s, and I had four GBU-10s-2,000-pound LGBs-four AIM-9s, and two external fuel tanks. I was leading the flight.

“Our CAP time on this mission was 1:00 to 3:00 in the morning. We went up and hit the tanker, then proceeded north. Our patrol area started up at Al Qaim, near the Syrian border, and ran east about halfway to Baghdad, south to just beyond H-2, and then back to the Syrian border.

“The weather was bad that night, with clouds from about 4,000 feet to about 18,000 feet. We were cruising above the weather, waiting for AWACS [an E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft] or someone else to pass us some coordinates on some Scuds.

“AWACS gave us a call and said that a Special Forces team was in trouble. They had been found by the Iraqis, who were moving to cut them off. We had ten to fifteen Special Forces teams in the general area looking for Scuds. This team was about 300 miles across the border.

“Five Iraqi helicopters were in their area-about fifty miles to our west. As we headed in their direction, I put my wingman in a four-mile trail formation behind me because I had to go down through the weather. When I was about fifty miles from the team, Capt. Dan Bakke, my back-seater, began working the radar to look for the helicopters. We got contacts on them moving west to east, just like the AWACS had said.

“Dan and I started talking about what we were going to do. We knew there were helicopters down there, but if we were going to shoot them down, we wanted confirmation that they were bad guys. We called up AWACS, call sign Cougar, and asked them if there were any friendly helicopters in the area. The AWACS controller said, ‘We don’t have any friendlies in the area. Any helicopters you find, you are cleared to shoot.’

“We got a little closer and kept going down to get below the weather. I wanted to confirm, one more time, before we lost contact with AWACS, that these were definitely bad guys and not some of our Special Forces helicopters coming to get the team. We had a few based in Syria that would have been following the same general course and could have gotten to the area fairly quickly. AWACS confirmed there were no friendlies in the area.

“We continued to press in and were down to about 2,500 feet along the major road between Baghdad and the Syrian border. That area was always hot with a lot of AAA. I was working the radar, and Dan was working the high-resolution FLIR in the targeting pod to find the helicopters. When we popped out of the clouds fifteen to twenty miles from the team, Dan could see the helicopters with the pod. They were moving pretty much abreast, with the lead out in front in the middle. They were still moving west to east. They were moving and stopping at regular intervals.

“There was also a group of troops on the ground to the east of the team. We started getting AAA fire from these troops. To us, it looked as if they were trying to herd the team with the helicopters into the troops to the east. The helicopters were keeping an even distance from each other, and we figured they might be dropping off troops to help herd the team.

“The image on the pod was good enough to identify the helicopters as probable [Mi-24] ‘Hinds,’ five to ten miles out. Hinds can carry troops and are heavily armed with rockets and machine guns. As soon as the helicopters picked up and started moving, we were getting hits off them on the radar. The radar would stay locked on them when they were on the ground because the moving rotor blades were picked up.

“Dan and I discussed how we wanted to conduct the attack. We decided to hit the lead helicopter with a GBU-10 while he was on the ground. If we hit him, he would be destroyed. If he moved off before the bomb landed, it would still get the troops he just left on the ground. It would also give the other helicopters something to think about, which might give the team a chance to get away in the confusion. We would then circle around and pop the others as we could. We passed our plan to our wingman and told him to get the first helicopter he saw with an AIM-9.

“By this time, we were screaming over the ground, doing about 600 knots–almost 700 mph. The AAA was still coming up pretty thick. Our course took us right over the top of the Iraqi troops to the east of the team.

F-15E Mi-24 killer — F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487 armed for a close air support mission over Afghanistan.

“[…] Dan was lasing the lead helicopter. We let the bomb go from about four miles out while the leader was on the ground. Because of our speed, it had a hell of a range on it-more range than an AIM-9. I got AIM-9 guidance going and uncaged a Sidewinder. I was ready to fire the missile as soon as we were in range.

“Just as we released the bomb, the airspeed readout on the radar showed the target at 100 knots and climbing. The lead chopper had picked up and started moving. I said, ‘There’s no chance the bomb will get him now,’ even though Dan was working hard to keep the laser spot on him. I got a good lock with my missile and was about to pickle off a Sidewinder when the bomb flew into my field of view on the targeting IR screen.

“There was a big flash, and I could see pieces flying in different directions. It blew the helicopter to hell, damn near vaporized it.

“We sat there for a few seconds, just staring. By that time, the AAA was getting real heavy and the other helicopters were starting to scatter. I told my wingman to put three Mk. 82 500-pounders on that same spot to get any troops that the helos dropped off.

“We beat up the area with bombs and were going to circle around and come down on them again. I popped up above 10,000 feet and talked to AWACS to tell them what was going on. They said, ‘I understand you visually ID’ed that as an Iraqi helo.’

“I said, ‘No, it’s still dark out here, but I saw a FLIR image of what I took to be a Hind.’

“At that point, my stomach hit the floor. I told AWACS to get the AWACS commander on the radio. Dan and I were thinking, ‘We hit a friendly helo.’ But when we got the AWACS commander on the air, he confirmed that there were no friendlies in the area.

“With that confirmed, I told Dan, ‘OK, let’s go back down and get the rest of the helos.’ We got down low and the AAA was just as bad as before. The helicopters scattered and were running north. My wingman and I were sorting them out and waiting to get within AIM-9 range. We were about ten miles behind and closing fast.

“I was running in on them and getting ready to be a hero and knock a few more down when, all of a sudden, I started seeing flashes on both sides of us. I thought, ‘What have they done? Here we are in the middle of a bunch of SAMs!’

“Then it hit me: Those weren’t SAMs. They were bombs! AWACS had sent another flight in and told them to drop bombs on a set of coordinates. Those coordinates happened to be us!”

Bennet concludes:

“I figured we had pushed our luck far enough, and we got the hell out of there. AWACS gave the orders to that other flight on another frequency. If it had been on ours, I would have heard the bombers’ side of the conversation and could have canceled the drop. I decided we had had enough for one day, but our night wasn’t over yet. We still had fifteen minutes left on our Scud CAP and were directed to a site near H-2. We found a mobile Scud on a launchpad, attacked it, and then headed home.

“The Special Forces team got out OK and went back to Central Air Forces headquarters to say thanks and confirm our kill for us. They saw the helicopter go down. When the helos had bugged out, the team moved back to the west and was extracted.”

Today, “487”is still assigned to the same squadron it made history with in 1991. It’s the Chiefs’ flagship and still has a small green star adorned on the aircraft’s port side representing that moment in the squadron’s history.

F-15E Driver explains how he shot down an Iraqi Mi-24 attack helicopter with a 2000lb laser-guided bomb — The green star on Aircraft #89-0487 represents an air-to-air victory achieved during Operation Desert Storm.

Photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung, James D’Angina and MSGT STEVEN TURNER / U.S. Air Force

January 5, 2024 0 comment

History

The 50th anniversary of the mighty F-15 Eagle’s first flight

by Till Daisd October 26, 2023

written by Till Daisd

These incidents complete fifty years of undefeated air superiority missions for the F-15 Eagle, the fighter that has never been shot down in combat

The F-15 Eagle celebrated its 50th birthday, and there were celebrations all around the country.

According to AFLCMC Public Affairs’ Daryl Mayer, who was mentioned in the article, Eagle to celebrate golden anniversary, the ceremony was scheduled for July 27, 2022, at the Boeing plant in St. Louis, where all F-15s were and are currently made.

On July 28, there was a program office personnel celebration and a static display at Wright-Patterson. Col. Cesar Rodriguez, the MiG kill leader since the Vietnam War, retired. In 1991, during the Gulf War, he shot down two MiGs; in 1999, he shot down another one over Kosovo.

The F-15 Expo and the Gathering of Eagles banquet took place at the US Air Force National Museum on July 29. Ultimately, a celebration honoring the F-15 included a cake ceremony, a scavenger hunt, and community activities on August 5 at the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB in Georgia.

F-15-Prototype-1200x950-1 — McDonnell Douglas F-15A (S/N 71-0280, the first F-15A prototype). Note the square wingtips and unnotched stabilator.

The fighter that has never been shot down in combat celebrated fifty years of unbeaten air dominance operations.

On an episode of AFLCMC’s Leadership Log podcast, Craig (BJ) Hunnicutt, a program manager for the F-15 Division at Robins AFB, and Greg (Sherlock) Watson, an IPT lead for the F-15 Division at Wright-Patterson AFB, spoke about this remarkable platform. Together, they have logged almost 5,000 hours in the F-15E.

Subsequently, in 1967, after the company was chosen to compete in the US Air Force’s FX competition, McDonnell Douglas developed the concept for the F-15. Confronted with the F-4 Phantom II, which was becoming known as a formidable fighter, McDonnell applied lessons acquired from the Vietnam War to his competition against Fairchild Hiller and North American Rockwell. Following over two years of rigorous testing and assessment, the Air Force awarded McDonnell Douglas the contract for the F-15 Advanced Tactical Fighter on December 23, 1969. Out of the three competitors, the McDonnell Douglas team had the lowest contract price and placed first in every round of the competition.

The goal of the McDonnell Douglas Group was to develop innovative technology. The Eagle’s exceptional acceleration and maneuverability are its most noteworthy features. It was the first US fighter to be able to accelerate during a vertical climb thanks to engine thrust that was higher than the aircraft’s basic weight. The Eagle’s strong power, lightweight, and large wing area all work together to provide exceptional agility.

“It was designed with energy maneuverability in mind, with the most power we could put on an airplane with two Pratt & Whitney F-100 engines at the top of their game and with the biggest radar that we can put on an air-to-air fighter in the APG-63 out of Hughes, which later became Raytheon,” Watson said.

First-F-15E — The first McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) F-15E Strike Eagle, was used on March 2, 1987, at Edwards Air Force Base for Developmental Test and evaluation.

They combined that with as many missiles as they could carry and a 20-mm gun.

“We could fly further, we could fly faster, we could fly longer than any other fighter out there,” Watson said.

The two-seat F-15B (formerly TF-15A) trainer made its maiden flight in July 1973, while the F-15A made its first flight in July 1972. In November 1974, the first Eagle (F-15B) was delivered. The first Eagle to be assigned to a combat squadron was delivered in January 1976.

F-15EX-173rd-FW — F-15EX Eagle II prototype

In 1979, the Air Force began receiving the single-seat F-15C and two-seat F-15D variants into its inventory. On June 24th, 1979, Israeli F-15s began their 104-0 combat record when they shot down three Syrian MiGs. The F-15E Strike Eagle was created to meet the US Air Force’s requirements for air-to-ground missions. It took off for the first time in December 1986 from St. Louis.

“In addition to being revolutionary, the jet has been very evolutionary as well,” Hunnicutt mentioned the switch from analog to digital computers, the adoption of touch screens in place of dials and knobs, and the inclusion of GPS.

The F-15EX Eagle II, the most sophisticated model to date, was delivered to the USAF on March 11, 2021. The F-15EX will essentially carry out the F-15C/D’s mission, but as the F-15E is nearing the end of its useful life in the 2030s, the EX may begin to perform more ground-attack duties similar to those of the Strike Eagle variant.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

October 26, 2023 0 comment

History

On the Eighth Air Force’s 80th anniversary, the USAF B-1B, F-15Es, and RAF F-35B conducted joint flypasts

by Till Daisd July 28, 2023

written by Till Daisd

A RAF F-35B Lightning from RAF Marham along with a USAF B-1B Lancer and an F-15 Strike Eagle aircraft for multiple flypasts in the UK on February 1, 2022, to celebrate the Eighth Air Force’s 80th anniversary.

A US Air Force (USAF) B-1B Lancer, an F-15 Strike Eagle, and a Royal Air Force (RAF) F-35B Lightning II aircraft from RAF Marham performed many flypasts throughout the UK on February 1, 2022, to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Eighth Air Force.

Lancer-Flypast-Eighth-Air-Force-80th-Anniversary

The B-1B strategic bombers, which had flown directly from the US, the F-15s, and the Royal Air Force’s F-35 fifth-generation fighter jet participated in the flypasts at RAF Lakenheath and RAF Duxford, according to a Royal Air Force news release. The largest air museum in Europe is now located where a P-51 squadron from the Eighth Air Force formerly resided.

The VIII Bomber Command was founded on February 1st, 1942, at Langley Field, Virginia. Shortly after, it relocated to England, first to RAF Daws Hill, then to RAF High Wycombe, the RAF’s Bomber Command, where it set up its wartime headquarters in the Wycombe Abbey School. Targets throughout France, the Low Countries, and Germany were strategically bombed by the Eighth Air Force, a US Army Air Force Combat Air Force with a focus on the European Theatre.

B-1B-Flypast-Eighth-Air-Force-80th-Anniversary

“The Eighth Air Force has a long, rich history that dates back to World War II. Not only does this flight signify the longevity and reach of the United States bomber force, but it pays tribute to our UK allies as well. Eighth Air Force has had a close relationship with the Royal Air Force since its beginning.” Major General Andrew Gebara, Eighth Air Force and Joint-Global Strike Operations Center Commander said. “For 80 years, bomber operations have remained a vital component to U.S. strategic forces.”

“Today’s sortie was an excellent opportunity for 207 Squadron to operate alongside our NATO partners whilst commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Eighth Air Force. Our ability to integrate our assets with NATO allies further strengthens our ability to flexibly employ Air Power across the NATO partnership.” Commander Tim Flatman, Officer Commanding 207 Squadron, said.

USAF-RAF-Flypast-Eighth-Air-Force-80th-Anniversary

Due to its size and strength during WWII, the Eighth Air Force was known as “The Mighty Eighth.” The unit had more than 200,000 members by the middle of 1944. While it was at its most effective, the Mighty Eighth could, if necessary, send more than 1,000 four-engine bombers and different types of fighter aircraft on a single mission. The Eighth Air Force was reorganized into the US Strategic Air Forces in Europe on February 22, 1944, and is now known as US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE).

The RAF collaborates with the Bomber Task Force (BTF) all year long and has done so for a number of years, giving us the opportunity to work and train with allies. To escort BTF aircraft in UK airspace, Quick Reaction Alert is typically used. BTFs demonstrate the US Air Force’s ability to rapidly deploy and integrate with NATO allies and coalition partners. These exercises highlight the RAF and USAFE’s interoperability.

Photo by Cpl Scott, RAF Leeming

July 28, 2023 0 comment

History

F-15E used a 2000-pound laser-guided bomb to bring down an Iraqi Mi-24 attack helicopter

by Till Daisd June 8, 2023

written by Till Daisd

“I said, ‘There’s no chance the bomb will get him now,’ even though Dan was working hard to keep the laser spot on him. I got a good lock with my missile and was about to pickle off a Sidewinder when the bomb flew into my field of view on the targeting IR screen. There was a big flash, and I could see pieces flying in different directions. It blew the helicopter to hell, damn near vaporized it,” Richard T. Bennett, F-15E Strike Eagle Driver

The F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seat, dual-role, fully integrated fighter for all-weather, air-to-air, and deep interdiction missions that was created to replace the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark.

During Operation Desert Storm, the campaign that took place between January 17, 1991, and February 28, 1991, with the goal of rescuing Kuwait from the Iraqi assault, the F-15E saw its first action. The 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron (TFS, now 335th Fighter Squadron, FS) “Chiefs” F-15E Strike Eagle #89-0487, sometimes known as “487,” is credited with one of the most unusual air-to-air kills in aviation history during this combat.

On February 14, 1991, Capt. Richard T. Bennett, a pilot, engaged in an air battle. Weapon systems operator (WSO) Daniel B. Bakke achieved the first air-to-air victory for an F-15E Strike Eagle.

“On one flight, we used a laser-guided bomb [LGB] to shoot down a helicopter,” Bennet explained to Barry D. Smith for his article Tim Bennett’s War. “This occurred on February 14, Valentine’s Day. The mission was a Scud CAP [combat air patrol] in northwestern Iraq. During the Scud CAPs, we would look around with either the FLIR targeting pod or the radar to find the mobile Scuds. My wingman had twelve Mk. 82s and I had four GBU-10s-2,000-pound LGBs-four AIM-9s and two external fuel tanks. I was leading the flight.

“Our CAP time on this mission was 1:00 to 3:00 in the morning. We went up and hit the tanker and then proceeded north. Our patrol area started up at Al Qaim, near the Syrian border, and ran east about halfway to Baghdad, south to just beyond H-2, and then back to the Syrian border.

“Dan and I discussed how we wanted to conduct the attack. We decided to hit the lead helicopter with a GBU-10 while he was on the ground. If we hit him, he would be destroyed. If he moved off before the bomb landed, it would still get the troops he just left on the ground. It would also give the other helicopters something to think about, which might give the team a chance to get away from the confusion. We would then circle around and pop the others as we could. We passed our plan to our wingman and told him to get the first helicopter he saw with an AIM-9.

“[…] Dan was lasing the lead helicopter. We let the bomb go from about four miles out while the leader was on the ground. Because of our speed, it had a hell of a range on the it-more range than an AIM-9. I got AIM-9 guidance going and uncaged a Sidewinder. I was ready to fire the missile as soon as we were in range.

“There was a big flash, and I could see pieces flying in different directions. It blew the helicopter to hell, damn near vaporized it.

“We sat there for a few seconds, just staring. By that time, the AAA was getting really heavy and the other helicopters were starting to scatter. I told my wingman to put three Mk. 82 500-pounders in that same spot to get any troops that the helos dropped off.

“I said, ‘No, it’s still dark out here, but I saw a FLIR image of what I took to be a Hind.’

“With that confirmed, I told Dan, ‘OK, let’s go back down and get the rest of the helos.’ We got down low and the AAA was just as bad as before. The helicopters scattered and were running north. My wingman and I were sorting them out and waiting to get within the AIM-9 range. We were about ten miles behind and closing fast.

“Then it hit me: Those weren’t SAMs. They were bombs! AWACS had sent another flight in and told them to drop bombs on a set of coordinates. Those coordinates happened to be us!”

Bennet concludes:

Today, “487” is still assigned to the same squadron it made history in 1991. It’s the Chiefs’ flagship and still has a small green star adorned on the aircraft’s port side representing that moment in the squadron’s history.

Photo by Master Sgt. Lance Cheung, James D’Angina and MSGT STEVEN TURNER / U.S. Air Force

June 8, 2023 0 comment

Military

The F-15E was the first 48th FW Strike Eagle to land at RAF Lakenheath

by Till Daisd March 20, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The 492nd and 494th Fighter Squadrons are the only two Strike Eagle squadrons in the United States Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces in Africa

Over time, a lot can happen at an airbase.

As explained by Airman 1st Class Eli Chevalier, 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs, in the article RAF Lakenheath celebrates 25 years of Strike Eagles, airmen come and go, deployment locations change, but one thing has remained constant at RAF Lakenheath over the last quarter-century: the combat airpower projected throughout Europe and Africa by the 48th Fighter Wing’s (FW) F-15E Strike Eagles.

The F-15E has been flying in East Anglia for 27 years, first touching down on the Liberty Wing’s (as the 48th FW is known) runway on February 21, 1992. In the United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) and Air Forces Africa, the 492nd and 494th Fighter Squadrons are the only two Strike Eagle squadrons.

The 48th FW commander, Col. Evan Pettus, said the 25th anniversary is a significant milestone.

“This milestone is a reminder of the breadth and depth of the U.S. commitment to our partners and allies in NATO,” he said. “The Strike Eagle was our Air Force’s most modern machine when it landed at RAF Lakenheath 27 years ago, and it’s been upgraded continuously ever since. Today’s F-15E is far more lethal than ever before.”

The Strike Eagle squadrons have supported combat operations in Iraq, the Balkans, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Libya while stationed at RAF Lakenheath, and have engaged in exercises in more than 20 countries across the world.

“The F-15E will be with us for years to come, and it will continue to play a key role in ongoing combat operations,” Pettus said. “Soon, RAF Lakenheath’s F-15 units will be complemented by two squadrons of fifth-generation F-35s, making the Liberty Wing even more capable of delivering decisive airpower to our nation and its allies.”

This F-15E Strike Eagle was the wing’s new flagship upon its arrival at the 48th Fighter Wing, Feb. 21, 1992.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

March 20, 2023 0 comment

History

30 years after its maiden flight the F15-E Strike Eagle is still one the best fighter

by Till Daisd February 21, 2023

written by Till Daisd

The F-15E remains a fantastic and capable warfighting aircraft. It has complete power over the sky and the ground

The legendary F-15E Strike Eagle commemorated the 30th anniversary of its first flight on December 11, 2016.

The F-15E Strike Eagle, also known as the “Mudhen” by its aircrews, is still regarded by the United States Air Force (USAF) as one of its most capable multi-role, air-to-air, and air-to-ground strike fighters.

The old F-15E is nevertheless useful and capable of meeting the needs of current combatant commanders despite having flown thousands of missions during worldwide combat operations.

In his piece Strike Eagle still soars after 30 years, Airman 1st Class Kenneth Boyton of the 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs explains how the F-15E was created as a fighter bomber with a back seat for a second crew member to operate a ground attack weapons delivery system. The most cutting-edge avionics, controls, and displays are found in the cockpit. The strengthened structure of the modified airframe enabled greater takeoff weights and doubled the lifespan of the original F-15 Eagle.

The F-15E can fly day or night, at low altitudes, and in any weather thanks to modern electronics and avionics. The aircraft is also capable of transporting almost all air-to-ground weapons available to the Air Force, such as AIM-7F/M Sparrows, AIM-9M Sidewinders, and AIM-120 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles.

“The way the F-15E is built is a huge reason why it’s such a respected and capable aircraft,” said Maj. Michael Jokhy, 335th Fighter Squadron assistant director of operations. “The F-15E Strike Eagle can hold a lot more gas and weapons than other multi-role aircraft in our inventory.”

The Strike Eagle can stay longer where it is required and deliver more life-saving close-air support because to the extra fuel. Additionally, according to Jokhy, the extra weapons the Strike Eagle can carry are a great deterrent and serve to remind enemies that the United States wields the most powerful air force in the world.

During Operation Desert Storm in 1991, an F-15E from the 335th Tactical Fighter Squadron at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (AFB), North Carolina, used a laser-guided bomb to destroy an Iraqi Mi-24 Hind helicopter. The F-15E also demonstrated its air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities by repeatedly flying into hostile territory while coming under intense anti-aircraft artillery fire and destroying Scud missile installations.

During the Balkan conflict of the 1990s, the F-15E was the only fighter capable of continuously attacking ground targets in all weather conditions.

There are now 219 F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft in the U.S. Air Force, which are mostly used for close air support during operations.

As of December 2, U.S. and coalition aircraft had carried out more than 16,592 attacks in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in Syria and Iraq, according to the Department of Defense. In support of OIR, the Strike Eagle has helped degrade and ultimately defeat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant by destroying or damaging more than 31,900 targets.

In order to support the DOD’s lines of effort, which include providing military support to our allies, obstructing the flow of foreign fighters, stopping ISIL’s financing and funding, and exposing ISIL’s true nature, the 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons and maintenance units frequently deploy to areas of responsibility in Southwest Asia.

Pilots and weapons systems officers of the F-15E Strike Eagle flew more than 9,250 combat hours, dropped more than 2,000 bombs, and killed more than 80 high-value ISIL members during the most recent deployment of the 335th Fighter Squadron.

The F-15E Strike Eagles at Seymour Johnson are now receiving upgrades through the Boeing Co.’s Radar Modernization Program to further improve their already lethal capability.

“We’re doing [the upgrade] on all of the F-15E models,” said Jonathan Pierce, Boeing Co. F-15E site lead. “This radar update is going to drastically improve the aircraft’s air-to-air and air-to-ground radar, making it significantly more capable.”

The new active electronically scanned radar system, APG-82, is replacing the outdated heritage APG-70 mechanically scanned radar. It is designed to provide improved mission employment capabilities while maintaining the functioning of the previous legacy radar system.

“What I’m most looking forward to with the modification is that it will be more in line with what other fighters have across the combat Air Force,” said Capt. Bryan Hladik, 336th FS pilot. “The upgraded radar will further enhance our abilities to target [ISIL] through the weather. On days that visual acquisition of the target is not possible due to clouds, we will be able to take precise air-to-ground maps and target [Joint Direct Attack Munition] with a very high level of accuracy.”

The commander of the 4th Fighter Wing, Col. Christopher Sage, thinks the F-15E is crucial to the mission of the Air Force and to the development of combat air power.

“On its 30th anniversary, the F-15E is still a phenomenal and capable war-fighting machine. It controls the sky and dominates the ground,” said Sage. “It’s an important piece of equipment our Air Force uses to maintain air superiority in support of global operations and national defense.”

Photo by Staff Sgt. Aaron Allmon, Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins, Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Rissmiller and Airman 1st Class Aaron J. Jenne / U.S. Air Force

February 21, 2023 0 comment

History

The F-15E crew that dodged 2 Iraqi SAMs

by Till Daisd October 9, 2022

written by Till Daisd

“It is only the size of a dime, but the black words backlit on the square red light jumped at me larger than life – ‘SAM’. At the same time my WSO, Maddog, shouted ‘ROLAND’!” Capt ‘Hacker’ Haskin, 4th FW F-15E Strike Eagle pilot

A dual-role fighter with the capability of carrying out air-to-air and air-to-ground operations is the F-15E Strike Eagle which is equipped with a variety of avionics and electronics equipment that let it fight at low altitudes, day or night, and in any weather.

For more than ten years, the F-15E has served as the backbone of American and coalition operations in the Middle East. As part of Operations Northern Watch and Southern Watch, it has flown over northern and southern Iraq. As Coalition aircraft carried out this operation, Iraqi SAM and AAA emplacements were constantly being attacked by the Strike Eagle.

Operation Iraqi Freedom, which was started in mid-March 2003 to liberate the people and guarantee the destruction of Saddam Hussein’s purported weapons of mass destruction, marked the end of the USAF’s usage of the F-15E in the area. In the end, the F-15Es of the 4th Fighter Wing (FW) were used most frequently, taking out Iraqi armor before Coalition ground troops advanced and giving soldiers and Special Forces close air support (CAS) as they engaged the enemy.

In carrying out such missions, the mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) threat remained very real for the first few weeks of the conflict despite the bad condition of the Iraqi integrated air defense system (IADS) and the battlefield preparations carried out by Coalition aircraft during Operation Southern Watch.

On March 31, 2003, while piloting a 4th FW F-15E, Capt. “Hacker” Haskin (pilot) and Capt. “Maddog” Farrell (Weapons System Operator, WSO) were tasked with hitting targets in a kill box near Baghdad city, according to Steve Davies’ account in his book F-15C/E Eagle Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The crew of the Strike Eagle (No. 2 of “Junker 67” flight), which was forced to descend below 14,000 feet due to bad weather, made numerous passes over the target area in an effort to find Iraqi Republican Guard vehicles, which were rumored to be present in large numbers.

ROLAND! Read the story of the F-15E crew that dodged two (very fast) Iraqi SAMs in few seconds

But on the third and final pass, all hell broke loose, as Hacker relates: “We were climbing up to conserve fuel on the way home, and I had barely finished my turn when the RWR (Radar Warning Receiver) screamed its stuttering wail in my headset. The noise chilled me to the bone – it was the missile launch tone. Before I looked at the RWR itself, my eyes cued in on the blazingly bright red warning light on the instrument panel, located just below the glare shield at eye level. It is only the size of a dime, but the black words backlit on the square red light jumped at me larger than life – ‘SAM’. At the same time my WSO, Maddog, shouted ‘ROLAND’!”

Two French-built Roland SAMs that ripple-fired one after the other had to be directed towards Junker 68.

Hacker recalls: “What was strange was that the RWR was telling me I was right on top of the SAM site. That wasn’t a situation we had really trained for back at Seymour Johnson, so I knew I had to get my eyeballs on the missile ASAP.

“My first move was to plug in maximum afterburner and make a hard turn 30 degrees to the right, dumping out two bursts of chaff, then another hard jink 45 degrees back to the left. At this point I was still at just under 400 knots – a good fighting airspeed – so I pulled the throttles back out of the blower. I didn’t want to present an overly ripe heat signature since at 13,000 ft I was also in a WEZ [Weapon Engagement Zone] for several IR-guided SAMs. I looked over my left shoulder and down the wing line at the target area, trying to visually acquire the missile in flight. Since the Roland is very fast, I knew I only had seconds to locate the missile and outmaneuver it. Unfortunately, I saw nothing. With the missile site most likely have been at my ‘low six o’clock’ position, the fuselage and wings would have been blocking my line of sight regardless of how much I was turning and jinking.

“My initial defensive moves out of the way, it was time to tell ‘Junker 1’ that I was getting shot at. Many times on this trip I’ve run into occasions where my training kicked in and I just reacted to circumstances without thinking about it. This, however, was not one of them! If it were a training sortie where we were practicing SAM threat reactions, I’d have said ‘Junker 2’s’ defending south. Mud Roland’. Instead, I simply blurted out – yelled, practically – ‘One Roland launch!’ with my Bullseye location, followed by ‘I don’t see the missile!’ over the intercom. Maddog was maintaining his composure much better than I was, saying simply ‘I don’t see the missile’ while twisting himself up like a pretzel in the back seat trying to turn around and see it.

the F-15E driver who scored the drone kill on Jun. 8, reveals some interesting details about the air engagement

“After two more hard turns, many more chaff actuations, and even a few flares dropped, the Roland indication left my RWR scope. ‘Two’s naked’, I said and began to let out a sigh of relief that we were still flying and, apparently, had neither been launched on nor evaded the missile.

“Almost as quickly as it had gone away, the Roland symbol flashed on my scope again, this time at my very close ‘six o’ clock’. The missile launch tone also returned to my headset. I continued pumping out the chaff and modified my maneuvering. Although the electronics were telling me that there was a missile in the air, neither of us could see one.

“Maddog and I were going through the same thought processes, evidently, because as my left arm moved off the throttles and toward the combat jettison button on the lower left instrument panel, he commented, ‘Think about the tank’. Dropping the external fuel tanks lightens the airplane’s weight, reduces drag, and improves maneuverability – all things that I want while I’m fighting a missile shot at me. With my left index finger I punched the red button once, and with a satisfying little ‘clunk’, much like the feeling when a 500-lb bomb is dropped, the tanks fell away from the wing stations. Looking back to my ‘six o’clock’, and with the jet in a hard right 90-degree bank, I saw the light grey tanks bobbling end-over-end through the air as they dropped away.

“More chaff and maneuvering followed, and eventually my RWR went quiet. I was still frantically looking for the missiles, but I never saw them. My flight lead after the sortie commented that he watched both missiles zip up toward us from below, leaving two white smoke trails, then detonate on chaffless than a mile behind us.

“I can’t help taking being shot at personally. Many times, flying airplanes and dropping bombs seems a very impersonal way to fight. This time, however, it feels like it was mano-a-mano – me versus the SAM operator – and I won. It’s just too bad that I couldn’t go back and cram a ‘500-pounder’ down his throat as a going-away present to the loser of the fight – I was too low on fuel!”

Cockpit Voice Recording Transcript of the Roland Incident

2A = Capt Haskin (pilot)
2B = Capt Farrell (WSO)
1A = Flight lead (pilot)

2A: Five (seconds to bomb drop)
2B: Negative (WSO cannot capture target in TP)
2A: Okay
(RWR Launch Tone)
2B: Roland!
2A: (Under G) Chaff, Chaff
2B: (Grunting) I didn’t see the missile
2A: (UHF2) One, Roland launch, bullseye…
2B: Chaff
2A: (UHF2) … 161 for 80
2A: (UHF2) I don’t see the missile
2B: I didn’t see it, either
2A: (UHF2) Two’s naked (No RWR indications)
(RWR Launch Tone)
2B: Roland Launch
2A: (UHF2, under G) Two’s Roland launch, still 162 for 82, BRA 030
2B: (Under G) Think about the tanks…
2A: (Still under G) Jett! Tanks are gone
2A: (UHF 2) Two’s naked
1A: (UHF 2) One’s naked
2B: Dude, I’m tempted to go back there and f***in’ kill ’em!
2A: No way, man!
2B: (Laughing) Ya big p***y!

The crews of the 4th FW were starkly reminded by this and other similar close encounters with death that the Iraqi Republican Guard was more than capable of retaliation under the right circumstances.

Photo by Staff Sgt. Eric Harris, Senior Airman Rae Perry, and Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins / U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, and Teddy Techer

October 9, 2022 0 comment

History

The F-15E pilots who completed the longest-ever fighter combat sortie

by Till Daisd April 2, 2022

written by Till Daisd

The F-15E fighter bombers refueled 12 times during the historic “Crockett 51/52s” flight, each time extending their loiter time by 60 to 90 minutes

The ultimate multi-role fighter in the West is the F-15E Strike Eagle. From Desert Shield to Iraqi Freedom, it has been at the heart of every combat in which the USAF has been engaged since 1990. It not only consistently hit targets that no other Coalition, NATO, or US fighter could reach, but it also set records for mission endurance and effectiveness.

F-15Es from the 391st FS/366th Air Expeditionary Wing (AEW), located in Mountain Home, were sent to Kuwait for Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in the wake of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, in New York and Washington, DC. Four crew members from the unit made history during their three-month service when they completed the longest fighter combat sortie ever (no exact date for this mission has ever been released by the USAF).

“Crockett 51/52,” a two-ship F-15E mission, was tasked with patrolling a set of grid coordinates over Afghanistan for the customary “vulnerability” duration of three hours. Of the 15.5 hours, nine were spent over the target.

Slokes and Snitch, a pilot and a WSO, were in the lead jet, and Spear and Buzzer were the crew on No 2. Nine GBU-12s, two AIM-9Ms, two AIM-120Cs, and two wing fuel tanks were all carried by each F-15E. When “Crockett” flight arrived on station, AWACS sent a TST instructing it to get in touch with a Predator UAV control unit. The latter had been keeping an eye out for unusual behavior near structures thought to be Taliban command and control centers.

‘Spear’ recalled in Steve Davies’ book F-15E Strike Eagle Units in Combat 1990-2005;

‘Each jet set up two different laser codes— No 1 had 1511 on the left CFT and 1533 on the right and No 2 had 1522 on the left and 1544 on the right. The lead pilot released four GBU-12s from his jet, giving us two with the 1511 laser code and two with 1533. We programmed in 1533 on our in laser so that we could guide two of their bombs and they had 1511ndialled in on theirs so that they could guide two of ours. This way we took out two buildings, side-by-side, with simultaneous impacts for eight GBU-12s. We actually flew two passes — the first to ensure that we had the correct targets and the second to actually drop the weapons.’

Both targets were effectively neutralized. One AAA piece had been firing at the flight during this operation, and it too would have been attacked if the battery hadn’t stopped firing at them and the F-15E crews hadn’t been able to find it. After a second Predator tasking, another structure was struck and destroyed. The “Crockett” flight continued with a road reconnaissance after making a call to the FAC for assistance in identifying some vehicles that he had seen.

The flight was unable to identify the precise nature of the traffic, but it soon encountered a Taliban roadblock in the mountains and quickly cleared it. The airplane was getting fuel for their way home after multiple air refuelings when AWACS contacted and requested that they make another contact with Predator. They were given a third building, and each jet rippled two GBU-12s into it. The building, which was immediately struck and destroyed, was thought to be housing Taliban members.

No less than 12 refuelings occurred during the historic “Crockett 51/52s” flight, each of which extended the planes’ loiter time by 60 to 90 minutes. In terms of weapon effects achieved and weapon delivery precision, the mission had been a resounding success. Despite the remarkable length of the sortie, “Spear” appeared more impressed that his backside could still hurt a week later!

The story of the F-15E crews who flew the longest fighter combat sortie ever

F-15E Strike Eagle Units in Combat 1990-2005 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.

Photo by U.S. Air Force

April 2, 2022 0 comment