Combat aircraft

Eagle (as the F-15SG was then known)

emerged as the winner in a close fight

with Dassault’s Rafale and the Eurofighter

Typhoon. An order of 12 aircraft plus

eight options was made in December

2005, giving the St Louis production line

an important lifeline. A subsequent order

placed in October 2007 firmed-up all

eight options along with an additional

four jets.

First deliveries of the F-15SG were

made to the 428th Fighter Squadron

at Mountain Home AFB in May 2009.

Established as part of the Peace Carvin V

program in October 2008, this is a joint

USAF-RSAF unit that not only provides

training to aspiring F-15 ground and

aircrews but also functions as a ‘high-end’

training unit that participates in both

US-based unilateral and multilateral

exercises.

While rumors began swirling of

additional deliveries over and above

EAGLE

PRODUCTION

A total of 384 F-15As and 61 F-15Bs were manufactured at St Louis from 1979-81. The F-15C/D first

flew on February 26, 1979 and 483 F-15Cs and 92 F-15Ds were manufactured between

1979-85. The USAF received 236 F-15Es, and deliveries to export customers are as follows:

Israel

F-15A/B 41/8*

F-15C/D 18/23*

F-15I 25

Japan F-15J/DJ 165/48

Qatar F-15QA 36 on order

Saudi Arabia

F-15C/D 75/23*

F-15S 72

F-15SA 84

Singapore F-15SG 40

South Korea F-15K 61

* Includes aircraft from USAF surplus stocks, thus counted twice.

pod for intelligence, surveillance and

reconnaissance (ISR).

A total of 84 new-build F-15SAs are

well into deliveries, while 68 older,

first-generation F-15S jets are being

converted to the same standard by

the Alsalam Aircraft Company and

designated as the F-15SR.

SINGAPORE

The Republic of Singapore Air Force

(RSAF) is arguably the most secretive

operator of the Eagle. Apart from two

initial buys of 24 F-15SGs, it has never

officially disclosed the actual number

it has in its inventory, and has on a few

known occasions sought to conceal

details that may suggest this, such as

taping over serial stencils on the side of

the air intake and on the ejection seat.

However, through investigative work

with open-source material, analysts have

deduced that its F-15SG fleet stands at 40.

Born out of the Next Fighter

Replacement Program, which began in

1998, Boeing’s offer of the F-15T Strike

Above: A pair of

Royal Saudi Air

Force Eagles — an

F-15C and D — in

flight near Taif

during a training

mission.

Saudi MoD/

Jamie Hunter

FEATURE ARTICLE // F-15 EAGLE

48 May 2018 //^ http://www.combataircraft.net

40-51 Eagles of the world C.indd 48 21/03/2018 10:44