Widespread use of F-15s in Middle East shows benefits of US military co-operation

The US-made F-15 Eagle, one of the most popular fighter jets employed by nations around the world, is representative of the United States' ongoing military co-operation in the Middle East.

More than 1,500 different variants of the F-15 have been assembled since production was approved in 1976.

Hundreds of F-15s operate in the Middle East, including with Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Israel has 50 F-15 A/B/C/D variants and 25 F-15I's, Breaking Defence reported in January.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has at least 207 F-15SA and 62 F-15 Eagle fighters in service, according to Breaking Defence.

Qatar has 22 F-15QAs, with another 14 set to be delivered. The contract includes an option for another 36.

In 2022, the US Department of Defence expressed its intention to sell F-15s to Egypt, although no deliveries have yet occurred.

Historic partnership

In the 1990s, the Israeli-US effort to develop a fighter jet demonstrated what a close strategic and technological partnership can produce.

The first Israeli fighter jet developed in partnership with the United States -- the F-15I -- remains a testament to the strong relationship between the two nations after more than two decades in active service.

The first of these planes was built in 1997. Israel selected the F-15 as its fighter jet of the future in 1994.

The Israeli air force (IAF)'s F-15I Ra'am (Thunder) is a modified version of the US Air Force's F-15E Strike Eagle. It was developed to meet Israel's needs and specifications in close collaboration with Israeli engineers and suppliers.

The two-seat, twin-engine fighter jet is dubbed Israel's "strategic aircraft" for its long-range strike capabilities.

McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) designed the F-15 as a pure air-to-air fighter but modified it into an all-weather multi-role strike fighter with the F-15E. It further developed the F-15I to meet Israel's needs, per the National Interest.

Israel's version incorporates more advanced weapons, avionics, electronic warfare and communications capabilities, enabling it to conduct longer-range ground strikes.

"From a purely technological standpoint, the F-15I is a masterpiece," then-Boeing chairman and CEO Phil Condit said in 1997.

"Israeli engineers and suppliers played a significant role in the production of this airplane. That fact is meaningful not just from a technology standpoint but as a matter of pride," he said.

The F-15I industrial co-operation programme involved 34 partners in Israel's aerospace industry and contracts valued at more than $500 million.

'Strategic aircraft'

Israeli engineers had used earlier versions of the F-15 for 15 years, and had plenty of ideas on how to improve on the F-15E to meet the IAF's requirements.

The F-15I in the past has been outfitted with the AIM-7 Sparrow and AIM-9L Sidewinder air-to-air missiles. It can carry the Python infrared-guided short-range missiles and newer AIM-120 AMRAAM radar-guided medium-range missiles.

The F-15I's arsenal now includes Paveway laser-guided bombs, Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) satellite-guided bombs, BLU-109 "bunker-buster" bombs, the SPICE precision-guided bomb and AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles.

The jet includes an APG-70 radar with terrain mapping that provides a sharp picture, enabling the crew to locate targets regardless of weather conditions, an Israeli-made central computer and an Elbit display and sight helmet (DASH).

According to the Elbit Systems website, this "enables pilots to aim their weapons simply by looking at the target".

While newer fighter jets such as the F-35I Adir have entered the IAF's inventory in recent years, the F-15I remains relevant.

The IAF announced in 2016 an upgrade programme for the F-15I that included a new active, electronically scanned array radar, updated avionics, structural changes and new, unspecified weapon systems.

Although some missions will eventually pass to the F-35, the F-15I will remain a "strategic aircraft", an IAF officer said at the time, noting its "great carrying abilities".

"When we want to reach far distances with few aircraft and many arms -- the F-15I wins," he said.