- Three US F-15E jets were downed by Kuwaiti air defenses in a friendly fire incident
- The F-15E Strike Eagle is a twin-engine, multirole fighter jet designed for air superiority
- The US has exported the F-15 to Israel, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Singapore, and Qatar
Three American F-15E 'Strike Eagle' fighter jets were downed 'friendly fire' incidents by Kuwati air defence, the US has said amid the ongoing 'Operation Epic Fury' in the war-torn Middle East. In contradictory claims, Iranian media reports that the Iranian forces, specifically Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps, has downed the jets. The pilots are safe, according to the US Central Command.
The downing marks the loss of an aircraft carrying an unmatched combat legacy in the US military aviation history.
Read: 3 US F-15 Jets Shot Down By Kuwaiti Air Defences In Friendly Fire Incident
A Frontline Fighter Jet
The F-15E is a twin-engine multirole all-weather fighter jet that was designed to meet the US demand for a pure air superiority fighter. Originally developed by McDonnell Douglas, which later merged with Boeing, the F-15 is a frontline fighter jet of the US Air Force.
While the initial F-15 models were first flown by the US Air Force in 1972, the Strike Eagle version made its first flight in 1986, and it achieved initial operation capability with the US Air Force in 1989. Since then, it has remained a top asset for air forces across the world.
The F-15 features among the most successful modern fighters boasting of no losses in aerial combat. It can carry up to 23,000 pounds of payload, including laser-guided bombs, air-to-air missiles, and GPS-guided munitions, and strike targets with extreme accuracy. The fighter jet also has a built-in 20 mm M61A1 Vulcan 6-barrel rotary cannon.
With a flying capability exceeding Mach 2.5, the jet can attain over 1,800 mph speed, and can detect, track, and engage multiple targets, even at night.
While previous models of the F-15 were assigned air-to-air roles, the F-15E is a dual-role fighter using two crew members, a pilot and a weapon systems officer.
The jet comes with the sophisticated F-15 ACES II ejection system, designed to ensure that the pilots could eject safely during high-risk scenarios.
Which Countries Have F-15
The US has exported the F-15 jet to Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Japan. Israeli Air Force holds the record of most kills using the F-15E. Singapore and Qatar have also received the jet from the US. A new upgraded version of the jet, F-15EX Eagle II is also being procured by the US Air Force.
