The F-15 Eagle is an awesome air defense fighter jet in service with the United States Air Force and Air National Guard. It was designed in the early 1970's to counter the Russian's Mig-25 Foxbat. This aircraft was designed to be an all-weather attack fighter and has earned a reputation for being the dominate victor in aerial encounters. Since it entered service with the Air Force in 1974, the F-15 has become the best attack fighter and has seen much combat in the Middle East. The Air National Guard now maintains the F-15 on 24-hour alert to protect the United States from enemy threats. Now 22 years later the F-15 Eagle also provides protection for several foreign countries worldwide.

The F-l5 has proven to be a superior fighter due to McDonnell Douglas's design. The airframe's design is composed of such metals including titanium, aluminum, and composite materials. This mighty aircraft is powered by two Pratt and Whitney F100 afterburning turbofan engines. The weapons system includes a multi-barrel cannon and three types of missiles that can be carried to eight various stations. At the heart of the aircraft is a pulse doppler radar that can track targets up to 100 miles away. We can now understand why the F-15 has been in service for such a long time.

Over its many years of service, the F-15 has been modified several times. There is now a two-seat version used as a trainer. The older versions have been modified with updated electronics so that they can work as effective. The most recent edition to the eagle family is an F-15 that can be flown in a air-to-air and air-to-ground mode. With continuing modifications, the F-l5 Eagle will serve well into the twenty-first century. u