A test flight in an F-15EX Eagle II, the most advanced version of this excellent fighter jet

The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle made its first flight on July 27, 1972, and entered service on January 9, 1976, with the USAF.

The spectacular 'zoom climb' of a USAF F-15EX Eagle II fighter at Eglin AFB
A puzzling comparison of the maneuverability of the F-15QA and F-22 fighters

This excellent fighter jet has been in service for 50 years with a remarkable record: it has shot down 106 enemy aircraft without ever being defeated in aerial combat. No other fighter jet has achieved such figures in the entire history of aviation. Furthermore, it is the only aircraft to have shot down a satellite, specifically the P78-1 Sunwind, launched in 1979 and destroyed on September 13, 1985, by a USAF F-15A during tests of the ASM-135 ASAT missile.

Despite its age, the F-15 still has a long life ahead of it thanks to the latest versions of this fighter jet. The F-15's attack version, the F-15E Strike Eagle, made its first flight on December 11, 1986, and entered service with the United States Air Force (USAF) on September 30, 1989, becoming an excellent successor to the F-111 Aadvark. Production of the F-15E ceased in 2017, but it already has a replacement: the F-15EX Eagle II.

The F-15EX made its first flight on February 2, 2021, and is currently in production. Although the USAF expected to receive 104 units, the order was increased to 268 a few months ago. Three other countries have ordered their own versions of this aircraft: Saudi Arabia (84 F-15SA), Israel (25 F-15IA), and Qatar (33 F-15QA). The F-15EX is the most advanced version of the F-15, with improved flight controls and avionics, an AESA electronically scanned array radar, and an AMBER weapons payload system that allows it to carry up to 22 air-to-air missiles.

The power of the F-15EX is truly astonishing. The F-15C reached 105.7 kN with afterburner, while the F-15E increased that figure to 129.7 kN. The F-15EX reaches 131 kN. While the F-15E could carry up to 10,400 kg of weapons, the F-15EX increases that capacity to 13,381 kg, maintaining the top speed of 2,655 km/h (Mach 2.5) of its predecessor. If you want to know what it's like to fly this plane, a few days ago Sam Eckholm posted an interesting video showing the F-15EX up close and getting into one for a test flight:

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Main image: Boeing.