McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine fighter and attack aircraft, the first flight of which took place on July 27, 1972. The F-15 aircraft is the result of the experience gained during air battles over Vietnam, as well as the response of the USAF to the Soviet MiG-23 and MiG-25 fighters. It was created as part of the FX (Fighter Experimental) project, in which McDonnell-Douglas was the winner in 1969. When designing the F-15, special attention was paid to the maximum reduction of service life. Basically, on the one hand, it was based on the installation of the most easy-to-use elements, and on the other hand, on the use of automatic systems that somehow relieve people. As a result, the successor of the F-4 Phantom, superior to it in all parameters, can be serviced twice as fast. Another strong point of the F-15 is a pair of Pratt-Whitney F100 afterburner engines, the thrust of which is 4,500 kg more than the weight of the machine itself, which allows it to make sharp turns without sacrificing high speed. In addition, it makes it possible to hang a huge amount of additional weapons on 8 nodes under the wings and fuselage. Since the F-15 entered service, several variants have been created. Versions C and D are the second generation of single-seater and two-seater aircraft, respectively, which replaced versions A and B in 1979. Externally, they are not much different from them, but the avionics underwent a complex improvement, which made the Eagle an even more deadly weapon. In the 1980s, the F-15D also experimented with ASAT anti-satellite missiles. In parallel, the F15-E Strike Eagle version was developed. Unlike the previous models, the E version is not only a hunting machine used to gain dominance in the air, but also an assault machine with a wide range of capabilities for attacking ground targets. The E version entered service in 1988 and is expected to remain in the lineup until 2035. Another option is the F-15J, which is exported and manufactured under license in Japan. F-15 aircraft were exported to several countries, including Japan, Israel, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. The F-15 turned out to be a very valuable machine that won, among other things, aerial victories. during Operation Desert Storm and the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Technical data (variant E): Maximum speed: 2,660 km/h, rate of climb: 255 m/s, practical ceiling 19,500 m, maximum range: 5,580 km, armament: stationary — 1 six-barreled 20-mm gun M61A-1, suspended — up to 10,660 kg of load.
