Why Has the F-15 Never Lost in Combat?

By Kris Osborn, President, Center for Military Modernization

(Washington D.C.) The ability to fly at Mach 2.5 speeds, maneuver and dogfight with a high 1.24 thrust-to-weight ratio, and perform attack missions with ranges over 1,000 miles are likely reasons why the famous 1980s-era F-15 Eagle has never been shot down in combat.

Its combat record certainly speaks for itself, as the F-15 has remained a highly capable jet for decades, in large measure because it has kept pace with evolving threats. Although first introduced nearly 50-years ago, in 1976, today’s F-15 is nothing like it was at its inception. Years of upgrades to the fighter’s avionics, weapons systems, computing, radar and propulsion, among other things, have positioned the aircraft to remain viable and extremely problematic for adversaries.

The F-15 was being massively upgraded even before the advent of the F-15EX aircraft, which is of course known for integrating a number of 4th-generation “plus” technological enhancements. Prior to the arrival of the F-15EX, Air Force and Boeing weapons developers were planning to fly the F-15 well into the 2040s.

Some enhancements include adding Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, which massively increases precision to detect, track, and destroy multiple targets at once.

EW & AESA for F-15

For the last several years, the service has been in the process of testing, engineering, and integrating a new Eagle Passive/Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS) into its fleet of F-15s to, quite simply, keep pace with fast-changing threats.

By operating in passive or active mode, the EPAWSS can perform both offensive and defensive missions, such as finding and jamming enemy radio communications, detecting the electronic signature of incoming weapons, or simply sustaining an EW-enabled operational presence.

Passive mode allows the electronic warfare (EW) system to in effect “listen” for enemy signatures while not giving off a signal itself. This can be of great significance given that once any kind of electromagnetic signal is emitted, there is naturally a risk that it could be found or detected by an enemy.