F-15E Strike Eagle[]
| F-15E Strike Eagle | |
| Aircraft role | Multirole/Attacker |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | Boeing IDS |
| Real-world origin | United States of America |
| Primary operator | USAF (F-15E) |
| Secondary operators |
Isreael (F-15I) South Korea (F-15K) Saudi Arabia (F-15S) Singapore (F-15SG) |
| Plane variant(s) | F-15C Eagle |
The F-15E Strike Eagle is a strike aircraft featured in the Ace Combat series. It was featured on the cover of Ace Combat 6 Fires of Liberation. It is the only F-15 variant that is a dedicated multirole/attacker aircraft in the AC games.
Description[]
The F-15E is a fighter-bomber aircraft designed to replace the F-111 Aardvark as the USAF's strike fighter (another name for fighter-bomber). The plans for a ground attack Eagle were formed ever since testing began of the original F-15A Eagle. However, it was abandoned in 1975, primarily due to increasing costs, and was revived in 1982 when trials began with an modified F-15B. The production model first flew December 11, 1986, after it was chosen over its competitor, the F-16XL. The F-15's cockpit is state-of-the-art and the pilot has a wide angle Heads-Up Display as well as 3 Multi-Function Displays, while the Weapons Systems Operator (in the back seat) has 4 MFD's. The F-15E is based off of the F-15C Eagle air superiority fighter. The Strike Eagle acquired air-to-ground capability, while retaining the F-15C's outstanding air-to-air capability. The disadvantage that the F-15E had to the F-111F, which it was criticized for in it's early life, was the fact that the F-15E didn't have the internal range (2,994 miles in the F-111F to 2,100 miles in the F-15E) nor the weapons payload capability (31,302 lbs to 24,471 lbs) as the Aardvark. However, despite these shortcomings, the F-15E is one of the most powerful aircraft in the U.S. arsenal. Strike Eagles were used in other countries, including Israel (F-15I Ra'am, which means "Thunder"), South Korea (F-15K Slam Eagle), Saudi Arabia (F-15S),and Singapore (F-15SG, formerly F-15T). The aircraft is planned to stay in service until 2025. It will eventually be supplemented with 5th generation multirole fighters, like the F-35A Lightning II.