The F-15E Strike Eagle carries more bombs than the B-24 bomber

Summary and key points: A versatile and highly effective dual-role fighter jet, the F-15E Strike Eagle has earned its place in military history. Introduced in 1986 as the successor to the F-4 Phantom, the F-15E excels in both air superiority and ground attack missions.

– With a payload capacity of 23,000 pounds, it surpasses even World War II heavy bombers. In its first combat mission during Operation Desert Storm, it targeted SCUD missile sites and was involved in anti-tank missions.

– Notable F-15E feats include the air-to-air downing of an Iraqi helicopter with a laser-guided bomb. The Strike Eagle remains in service in modern conflicts today, proving its enduring value and unmatched versatility.

Strike Eagle Dominance: The impressive combat record of the F-15E

“Strike Eagle, Strike Eagle, they call me by name/I bombed Goldwater Range like crazy…” So begins the song that Dick Jonas – a Vietnam War fighter pilot turned professional singer – dedicates to the F-15E Strike Eagle, the successor to the F-4 Phantom that Lt. Col USAF, Ret. Jonas had flown over the jungles of Southeast Asia. A look at the history of the F-15E makes it abundantly clear why “the fighter pilot’s minstrel” sings about the Strike Eagle with such reverence.

“I carry more bombs than a B-24…”

Fans of military aviation history certainly need no introduction to the F-15 Eagle series of fighter jets, as during its more than 40 years of service it achieved an unmatched and incredible kill ratio of 104:0 without suffering a single loss in air combat.

In particular, the E-series variant made its maiden flight on December 11, 1986, 14 years after the original F-15.

The Strike Eagle in particular was designed as a combat aircraft capable of both air superiority and And the ground attack aircraft role, a dual role originally intended for the General Dynamics F-111 Aardvark, which didn’t quite make the cut (although to be fair, the Aardvark performed quite well in Operation Eldorado Canyon, the U.S. bombing of Libya in April 1986).

In fact, the F-111 was phased out by 1996 and completely replaced by the F-15E.

What makes the F-15E really special

The most obvious difference between the F-15E and earlier models is that it is a two-seater, as the Strike Eagle also features a Weapons Systems Officer (WSO), affectionately known as “Whizzo” or “GIB (Guy/Gal In Back)” in USAF slang.

The Whizzo is a necessary addition for several reasons, most notably the operation of the APG-70 radar system, which, as my colleague Brent M. Eastwood explains, “also has a dual function. The pilot can use the system to engage ground targets while the weapons systems officer can look for air targets. The crew can then switch roles depending on whether there are new air-to-air threats or other targets on the ground.”

Plus, Brent continued, “the weapons systems officer has a great job because there’s a lot going on in the back seat. There are four screens you can look through. These control radar, electronic warfare, enemy aircraft monitoring, weapons status, threats and navigation.”

As for the aircraft’s intended dual role, this fighter jet can carry a payload of up to 23,000 pounds (3,628 kilograms) of bombs, with a carrying capacity of 15 JDAMs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions) being one of the options.

To give the reader some perspective and a basis for comparison, the legendary B-17 Flying Fortress, B-24 Liberator, and B-29 Superfortress, all considered “heavy” bombers by World War II standards, had bomb payload capacities of 17,600 pounds (7,800 kilograms), 8,000 pounds (3,600 kilograms), and 20,000 pounds (9,100 kilograms), respectively.

“…And I fucked a couple through Saddam’s back door”

The F-15E had its baptism of fire during Operation Desert Storm. On the first night of that campaign, 24 F-15Es launched an attack on five fixed Scud sites in western Iraq. F-15Es attacked heavily defended targets throughout Iraq, focusing primarily on SCUD missile sites. They also conducted anti-tank missions against Iraqi vehicles in Kuwait before the ground war phase of the Kuwait liberation effort began.

In addition, F-15E aircraft using GBU-12 and CBU-87 ammunition destroyed 18 Iraqi Air Force (IqAF) jets on the ground.

Ironically, the F-15E achieved its first air-to-air kill not with its built-in 20mm cannon or air-to-air missiles, but with a laser-guided bomb, namely a GBU-10.

On Valentine’s Day 1991, an F-15E crew consisting of then-pilot Captain Tim Bennett and then-WSO Captain Dan Bakke spotted a Mi-24 Hind helicopter unloading Iraqi troops, which would have posed a threat to a nearby U.S. special forces team.

As Tim Bennett himself tells it:

“Dan and I discussed how we were going to carry out the attack. We decided to hit the lead helicopter with a GBU-10 while it was on the ground. If we hit it, it would be destroyed. If it moved away before the bomb landed, it would still hit the troops it had just left on the ground. It would also give the other helicopters something to think about, perhaps giving the team a chance to escape in the confusion… There was a big flash and I could see pieces flying in different directions. It blew the helicopter up, almost vaporizing it..”

During operations over Syria in 2017 and 2021, the Strike Eagles added three UAVs to their air-to-air kill record. As for the bomber role, the F-15E has performed it with flying colors, from Operations Deliberate Force and Allied Force over the Balkans to Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom (where it wiped out 60% of the entire Iraqi Republican Guard force of Medina) to Operation Inherent Resolve.

In November 2015, the Strike Eagle achieved its most valuable target: the killing of Abu Nabil, alias Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al-Zubaydi, the then leader of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Libya.

“…And nobody wants to leave me because I’m too much fun”

Since this article began with a quote from Dick Jonas’ song, I think it is appropriate to conclude it with this: “Strike Eagle, Strike Eagle, you know what I mean/I’ll ​​still be flying in 2019/Yeah, I’ll still be flying in 2019.”

We are now in 2024 and it is actually still flying.

About the author

Christian D. Orr is a former Air Force officer, federal police officer, and private military contractor (with deployments in Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, Japan, Germany, and the Pentagon). Chris holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Southern California (USC) and an MA in Intelligence Studies (emphasis in terrorism studies) from the American Military University (AMU). He has also published in The Daily Torch And The Journal for Intelligence and Cybersecurity.