- Side
- Israel
RAND's study of Israeli air operations says F-15I and F-16I multirole fighters formed the main fighter force tasked for Operation Specific Weight against Hezbollah rocket infrastructure during the 2006 Lebanon War.
Aircraft & UAVs
F-15I Ra'am
Also known as
- F-15I
- F-15I Raam
- Ra'am
- Thunder
- Boeing F-15I
- McDonnell Douglas F-15I
- F-15I Thunder
The F-15I Ra'am is Israel's F-15E-derived two-seat strike fighter, built in the United States with Israeli-specific avionics, communications, electronic-warfare, and helmet-sight equipment. Open-source records tie the 69th Squadron aircraft to long-range strike and interdiction roles from the 2006 Lebanon War through Gaza, Hezbollah, Red Sea/Yemen, and Iran operations, while Boeing and Israeli-reference sources describe the original 25-aircraft fleet, F100-PW-229 engines, APG-70 radar, and precision-weapon compatibility.
Role in Conflicts
- Side
- Israel
The Times of Israel, citing the IAF website, reported that Air Force chief Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar flew an operational sortie with the F-15I-equipped 69th Squadron and struck Hamas targets in Gaza during the 2023 Israel-Hamas War.
Role details- Side
- Israel
The Jerusalem Post reported that F-15I aircraft from the 69th Fighter Squadron dropped close to 100 bombs on Hezbollah's underground headquarters in Beirut on September 27, 2024, killing Hassan Nasrallah.
- Side
- Israel
The Jerusalem Post, citing an IDF profile, said Israeli Baz and F-15I Ra'am aircraft led Israel's first strike in Yemen in July 2024 during the Red Sea crisis.
Role details- Side
- Israel
FPRI's Operation Rising Lion air-offensive study says later IDF footage showed BRU-61/A racks with GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs being loaded onto F-15I Ra'am aircraft during Israel's June 2025 air campaign against Iran.
Role detailsProfile / Specs
Profile
- Origin
- United States / Israel
- Built by
- McDonnell DouglasBoeing
- Built in
- United States
- Type
- Two-seat long-range strike fighter
- Service note
- Israeli service from 1998 through current regional strike operations
- Designer
- McDonnell Douglas
- Designed
- Selected by Israel in January 1994; first F-15I flight on September 12, 1997
- Unit cost
- Original Israeli program reported around $2.5 billion for 25 aircraft in secondary references
- Produced
- First two aircraft arrived at Hatzerim Air Base on January 19, 1998; original fleet deliveries completed in the late 1990s
- Number built
- 25 F-15I aircraft in the original Israeli fleet
- Developed from
- F-15E Strike Eagle
Specifications
- Crew
- 2: pilot and weapon systems officer
- Power plant
- Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 afterburning turbofan engines, about 29,000 lb thrust each
- Radar
- Hughes APG-70 synthetic-aperture radar in Boeing's rollout description
- Helmet sight
- Elbit display and sight helmet (DASH) system
- Length
- About 19.4 m
- Wingspan
- About 13 m
- Maximum takeoff weight
- About 36,700 kg in specialist Israeli-inventory references
- Armament
- Internal 20 mm cannon, Python and AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, plus precision air-to-ground weapons depending on mission fit
- Primary unit
- Israeli Air Force 69th Squadron at Hatzerim Air Base in sourced operational reporting
Israeli-Specific Strike Fit
The Ra'am is best treated as an Israeli strike derivative, not just a renamed F-15E. Boeing's rollout release says the aircraft incorporated unique weapons, avionics, electronic-warfare, and communications capabilities, while later DSCA material describes mid-life update kits for Israel's existing F-15I fleet.
Radar and cueing
Boeing identified the APG-70 synthetic-aperture radar, Kaiser holographic HUD, and Elbit DASH helmet sight in the first-aircraft rollout.
Strike role
Direct conflict-use sources place F-15I aircraft in Hezbollah, Gaza, Yemen, and Iran strike contexts rather than independent air-superiority engagements.
Fleet baseline
Boeing and DSCA sources preserve the 25-aircraft original fleet context; future F-15IA and F-15I+ records should be kept distinct if they receive separate public sourcing.
Variants
The Ra'am sits in the Strike Eagle branch of the F-15 family: it is not the older Israeli Baz air-superiority line, and it predates later Advanced Eagle derivatives such as the F-15EX and proposed F-15IA.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
 | Baseline U.S. strike fighter | Boeing described the F-15I as similar in role to the U.S. Air Force F-15E, combining long-range interdiction with Eagle air-superiority capability. Sources: The 1st F-15I for Israel Air Force |
 | Israeli F-15A/B/C/D branch | The Baz record covers Israel's earlier Eagle airframes; this Ra'am record covers the later two-seat F-15I strike variant. Sources: Boeing F-15I Ra'am Thunder |
 | Saudi Strike Eagle derivative | The F-15S is another export derivative in the same F-15E strike-fighter lineage, but it represents Saudi rather than Israeli service. Sources: The 1st F-15I for Israel Air Force |
 | Later Advanced Eagle branch | DSCA's 2024 sale notice links Israel's proposed F-15IA aircraft and F-15I+ mid-life updates to the later advanced F-15 modernization lane. Sources: F-15IA and F-15I+ Aircraft |
Carried Munitions
Public sources identify the Ra'am as a precision-strike aircraft with air-to-air and air-to-ground weapon carriage; conflict rows document only the munitions directly tied to those reports.
| Carried item | Item type | Carriage evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | 2,000-pound JDAM-family bomb | The Jerusalem Post reported GBU-31 bunker-buster bombs in the September 2024 F-15I strike on Hezbollah's underground headquarters in Beirut. |
 | Small Diameter Bomb | FPRI reported IDF footage showing GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb racks being loaded onto F-15I Ra'am aircraft during Operation Rising Lion. |
 | Beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile | Boeing's rollout release lists AMRAAM among the F-15I's air-to-air missile options. Sources: The 1st F-15I for Israel Air Force |
Timeline
F-15I Ra'am Key Events
Israel selects the F-15I
Boeing said Israel selected the F-15I in January 1994 after evaluating aircraft for its defense needs.
Sources: The 1st F-15I for Israel Air Force
First F-15I flight
Boeing's rollout release says the first F-15I flew on September 12, 1997 before delivery testing.
Sources: The 1st F-15I for Israel Air Force
First pair arrives in Israel
Boeing reported that two new F-15I Thunder aircraft arrived at Hatzerim Air Base in Israel.
Sources: F-15I THUNDERS Arrive in Israel
Lebanon-war strike force
RAND describes F-15I and F-16I multirole fighters as the main fighter types tasked for Operation Specific Weight during the 2006 Lebanon War.
Sources: RAND Air Operations in Israel's War Against Hezbollah
Beirut headquarters strike
The Jerusalem Post reported that 69th Squadron F-15I aircraft dropped close to 100 bombs on Hezbollah's underground headquarters in Beirut.
Sources: IDF releases footage of assassination of Nasrallah
First Yemen strike role reported
The Jerusalem Post, citing an IDF profile, said Baz and F-15I Ra'am aircraft led Israel's first strike in Yemen during the Red Sea crisis.
Sources: Jerusalem Post Baz and Ra'am Operations
Operation Rising Lion begins
FPRI's study of the air offensive says IDF footage later showed GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb racks being loaded onto F-15I Ra'am aircraft.
Sources: FPRI Rising Lion Air Offensive Part I
Media
F-15I Ra'am Images
Related Weapon Systems
Sources
The 1st F-15I for Israel Air ForcePublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports F-15I identity, 25-aircraft original production context, Israeli selection in January 1994, first flight date, F-15E-derived dual-role fighter context, manufacturer background, APG-70 radar, DASH helmet sight, F100-PW-229 engines, and AMRAAM compatibility. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-15I THUNDERS Arrive in IsraelPublisher: Boeing | Note: Supports arrival of the first two F-15I Thunder aircraft at Hatzerim Air Base on January 19, 1998. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Boeing F-15I Ra'am ThunderPublisher: Israeli Air Force | Note: Supports official Israeli F-15I Ra'am identity, dimensions, speed, engine, armament, and Israeli service context; the page was source-indexed but returned access-denied from this environment. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IAF Aircraft Inventory F-15I Eagle Ra'amPublisher: Jewish Virtual Library | Note: Supports F-15I inventory background, two-seat strike-fighter identity, APG-70/DASH/F100-PW-229 details, dimensions, ceiling, range, and maximum takeoff weight in a specialist Israeli-reference profile. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-15I Ra'am ThunderPublisher: GlobalSecurity.org | Note: Supports original 25-aircraft fleet context, January 1998 delivery background, and Israeli F-15I acquisition history. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-15IA and F-15I+ AircraftPublisher: Defense Security Cooperation Agency | Note: Supports current modernization context for Israel's existing 25 F-15I aircraft and proposed F-15I mid-life update kits. | Accessed: 2026-07-02RAND Air Operations in Israel's War Against HezbollahPublisher: RAND Corporation | Note: Supports 2006 Lebanon War direct conflict-use by describing F-15I and F-16I multirole fighters tasked for Operation Specific Weight against Hezbollah rocket infrastructure. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IDF says Air Force chief carried out sortie, struck Hamas targets in Gaza this weekPublisher: The Times of Israel | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hamas War direct conflict-use by reporting an operational sortie with the F-15I-equipped 69th Squadron against Hamas targets in Gaza. | Accessed: 2026-07-02IDF releases footage of assassination of NasrallahPublisher: The Jerusalem Post | Note: Supports 2023 Israel-Hezbollah Conflict direct conflict-use by reporting F-15I aircraft from the 69th Fighter Squadron dropping close to 100 bombs on Hezbollah's underground headquarters in Beirut on September 27, 2024. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Jerusalem Post Baz and Ra'am OperationsPublisher: The Jerusalem Post | Note: Supports 2023 Red Sea Crisis direct conflict-use by reporting that Baz and F-15I Ra'am aircraft led Israel's first Yemen strike in July 2024 during Israel-Houthi fighting. | Accessed: 2026-07-02FPRI Rising Lion Air Offensive Part IPublisher: Foreign Policy Research Institute | Note: Supports 2025 Israel-Iran Conflict direct conflict-use by reporting IDF footage showing GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb racks being loaded onto F-15I Ra'am aircraft during Operation Rising Lion. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-15I Ra'am refulePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain U.S. Air Force image provenance for the primary F-15I Ra'am refueling image. | Accessed: 2026-07-02F-15I Ra'am imagePublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain U.S. Air Force image provenance for a gallery image of an Israeli Air Force F-15I Ra'am. | Accessed: 2026-07-02Two F-15I Ra'amPublisher: Wikimedia Commons | Note: Supports public-domain U.S. Air Force image provenance for a gallery image showing two F-15I Ra'am aircraft. | Accessed: 2026-07-02