Aircraft & UAVs

F-15E Strike Eagle

The F-15E Strike Eagle is a two-seat U.S. Air Force dual-role fighter built for long-range interdiction, precision attack, and self-escorted air-to-air combat. Its conformal fuel tanks, targeting/navigation pods, radar, and two-person cockpit allow it to strike ground targets day or night while retaining fighter performance, a role documented in Operation Inherent Resolve and later U.S.-Iran combat operations.

Operation Inherent ResolveU.S.-led coalition and partner forces United States-Iran ConflictUnited States

Conflict side: U.S.-led coalition and partner forcesUnited States
Built by: McDonnell Douglas; Boeing
Built in: United States

F-15E Strike Eagle, Dual-role strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVs

Profile

Type: Dual-role strike fighter
Conflict side: U.S.-led coalition and partner forcesUnited States
Origin: United States
Service note: Initial operating capability in 1989; still in U.S. Air Force service

NATO fighter strike precision fires

Service History

In service: U.S. Air Force initial operating capability in September 1989
Used by: United States Air Force
Wars: Operation Inherent Resolve, United States-Iran Conflict

Production History

Designer: McDonnell Douglas
Designed: 1980s
Built by: McDonnell Douglas; Boeing
Built in: United States
Unit cost: $31.1 million in FY1998 constant dollars
Produced: First production delivery in April 1988
Number built: 219 in U.S. Air Force total force inventory listed by USAF in 2019
Variants: F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15I Ra'am, F-15K Slam Eagle, F-15SG

Specifications

Crew: 2: pilot and weapon systems officer
Power plant: Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220 or F100-PW-229 afterburning turbofan engines
Maximum speed: 1,875 mph / Mach 2.5 plus
Ferry range: 2,400 miles with conformal fuel tanks and three external fuel tanks
Ceiling: 60,000 feet
Armament: Internal 20 mm multibarrel gun, AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-120 AMRAAM, and air-to-surface weapons carried by the U.S. Air Force

Conflict Usage

Operation Inherent Resolve: Side: U.S.-led coalition and partner forces
U.S. Air Force F-15Es deployed from RAF Lakenheath to Incirlik in November 2015 for Operation Inherent Resolve and counter-ISIL missions in Iraq and Syria.
United States-Iran Conflict: Side: United States
U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles flew Operation Epic Fury missions over Iran in April 2026; U.S. sources also reported an F-15E crew was downed in Iran and rescued.

F-15E Strike Eagle Images

F-15E Strike Eagle, Dual-role strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVs - view 1

F-15E Strike Eagle, Dual-role strike fighter, Aircraft & UAVs - view 2

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Sources

F-15E Strike Eagle Fact SheetPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Supports aircraft role, contractor, service entry, engine, dimensions, speed, range, ceiling, crew, and armament data. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Incirlik Receives F-15s in Support of OIRPublisher: U.S. Air Force | Note: Documents six F-15Es deployed to Incirlik Air Base in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and counter-ISIL missions in Iraq and Syria. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 Leaders Praise Troops Who Rescued Downed Airmen in IranPublisher: U.S. Department of War | Note: Supports United States-Iran Conflict direct use by documenting an F-15E Strike Eagle crew downed in Iran while flying in support of Operation Epic Fury. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 U.S. Air Force Fighters Take Off During Operation Epic FuryPublisher: U.S. Central Command | Note: Supports United States-Iran Conflict direct use by documenting F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft taking off for an Operation Epic Fury mission in April 2026. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 F-15E Strike Eagle over AfghanistanPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Public-domain U.S. Air Force image used as the primary catalog image. | Accessed: 2026-06-20 F-15e Eagle 91-0306 ARPPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Public-domain image used in the gallery. | Accessed: 2026-06-20