* The first F-15A flight was made on 27 July 1972, culminating
one of the most successful aircraft development and procurement
programs in Air Force history. After an accident-free test and
evaluation period, the first aircraft was delivered to the Air
Force on Novermber 14, 1974. In January 1976, the first Eagle
destined for a combat squadron was delivered to the 1st Tactical
Fighter Wing at Langley Air Force Base, Va. Three hundred and
sixty-five F-15As were built before production of the F-15C began
in 1978. In January 1982, the 48th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at
Langley Air Force Base became the first Air Force air defense
squadron to transition to the F-15. After twenty years of service,
the F-15A has recently been reassigned from active duty Air Force
fighter squadrons to Air National Guard units. The F-15A is flown
by Air National Guard squadrons in the states of Oregon, Missouri,
Georgia, Louisiana, Hawaii, and Massachussets.
* The first flight of the two-seat F-15B (formerly TF-15A) trainer
was made in July 1973. The first F-15B Eagle was delivered in
November 1974 to the 58th Tactical Training Wing, Luke Air Force
Base, Ariz., where pilot training was accomplished in both F-15A
and B aircraft. The F-15B incorporates a tandem seating
configuration, with a second crewmember position aft of the pilot's
seat. The primary purpose of the F-15B is aircrew training, with an
instructor pilot occupying the rear seat while an upgrading pilot
mans the front seat controls. The rear seat pilot has a full set of
flight controls and can fly the aircraft throughout the envelope,
including takeoff and landing. Even though space is sacrificed to
accomodate the second crew member, the F-15B retains the same
warfighting capability as the F-15A. In keeping with the trainer
concept, however, the rear seat is not equipped with controls for
the combat avionics and weaponry. In fact, the rear seat is not a
mandatory crew position, and F-15Bs are often flown with empty rear
cockpits.
* The F-15C is an improved version of the original F-15A
single-seat air superiority fighter. Additions incorporated in the
F-15C include upgrades to avionics as well as increased internal
fuel capacity and a higher allowable gross takeoff weight. The
single-seat F-15C and two-seat F-15D models entered the Air Force
inventory beginning in 1979. Kadena Air Base, Japan, received the
first F-15C in September 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). Externally, the
differences between the F-15A and F-15C are so slight as to make
identification difficult; the only reliable indicator is the
aircraft serial number. All F-15As have tail numbers starting with
73- through 77-, while F-15Cs have tail numbers beginning with 78-
through 86-. The F-15C is the Air Force's primary air superiority
fighter, serving with active duty units at Langley AFB, VA, Eglin
AFB, FL, Mountain Home AFB, ID, Elmendorf AFB, AK, Tyndall AFB, FL,
Nellis AFB, NV, Spangdahlem AB, Germany, Lakenheath AB, England and
Kadena AB, Okinawa. The operational F-15C force structure is
approximately 300 aircraft assigned to operational units. In the
mid-1990s the F-15C experienced declining reliability indicators,
primarily from three subsystems: radar, engines, and secondary
structures. A complete retrofit of all three subsystems could be
done for less than $3 billion.
* The F-15D is a two-seat variant of the single-place F-15C. The
primary purpose of the F-15D is aircrew training, with an
instructor pilot occupying the rear seat while an upgrading pilot
mans the front seat controls.
F-15C's, D's and E's 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.
The F-15C has an air combat victory ratio of 95-0 making it one of
the most effective air superiority aircraft ever developed. The US
Air Force claims the F-15C is in several respects inferior to, or
at best equal to, the MiG-29, Su-27, Su-35/37, Rafale, and EF-2000,
which are variously superior in acceleration, maneuverability,
engine thrust, rate of climb, avionics, firepower, radar signature,
or range. Although the F-15C and Su-27P series are similar in many
categories, the Su-27 can outperform the F-15C at both long and
short ranges. In long-range encounters, with its superiorr radar
the Su-27 can launch a missile before the F-15C does, so from a
purely kinematic standpoint, the Russian fighters outperform the
F-15C in the beyond-visual-range fight. The Su-35 phased array
radar is superior to the APG-63 Doppler radar in both detection
range and tracking capabilities. Additionally, the Su-35 propulsion
system increases the aircrafts maneuverability with thrust
vectoring nozzles. Simulations conducted by British Aerospace and
the British Defense Research Agency compared the effectiveness of
the F-15C, Rafale, EF-2000, and F-22 against the Russian Su-35
armed with active radar missiles similar to the AIM-120 Advanced
Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM). The Rafale achieved a 1:1
kill ratio (1 Su-35 destroyed for each Rafale lost). The EF-2000
kill ratio was 4.5:1 while the F-22 achieved a ratio of 10:1. In
stark contrast was the F-15C, losing 1.3 Eagles for each Su-35
destroyed.
