In this article:
F-15
The first F-15A flight was made in July 1972, and the first flight of the two-seat F-15B (formerly TF-15A) trainer was made in July 1973. The first Eagle (F-15B) was delivered in November 1974. In January 1976, the first Eagle destined for a combat squadron was delivered.
The single-seat F-15C and two-seat F-15D models entered the Air Force inventory beginning in 1979. The first production model of the F-15E was delivered to the 405th Tactical Training Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona, in April 1988.
F-15C, D and E models were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm where they proved their superior combat capability. F-15C fighters accounted for 34 of the 37 Air Force air-to-air victories. F-15E’s were operated mainly at night, hunting SCUD missile launchers and artillery sites using the LANTIRN system.
SAM duels in the early stages of the conflict
As explained by Peter E. Davies in his book Coalition Aircraft vs Iraqi SAMs Operation Desert Storm 1991, F-15Cs from the 33rd TFW and 32nd TFS, flying escort and air superiority missions at high altitude, were at reduced threat from SAMs. Nevertheless, pilots prepared for them anyway, as well as for air combat. SAM avoidance tactics and interception of enemy fighters required drop tanks to be shed, leading to a shortage. Of the 536 F-15 tanks delivered for the 45-day campaign, 90 were dropped in the first three days by the 58th TFS as their jets maneuvered to avoid SAMs or responded to threats from the IrAF.
There were potential SAM duels in the early stages of the conflict. On Night 1, US Marine Corps exchange pilot Capt Chuck Magill of the 58th TFS led “Union” flight of F-15Cs as escorts for a 46-aircraft F-16 strike on Al-Asad and Al Taqaddum airfields. Alerted to a pair of MiG-29s defending the target, Magill’s flight crossed numerous SAM and AAA emplacements. Magill sent another flight (“Penzoil”) to explore Al-Asad, but soon afterwards a smoke trail on the ground and a RHAW signal indicated that the Eagles had flown directly over an SA-2 site. They immediately jettisoned their underwing tanks and entered a 10,000ft dive, pumping out chaff.
Recovering their position, Magill and his wingman, Capt Rhory Draeger, caught up with two IrAF MiG-29s on CAP and shot them both down with AIM-7Ms. However, the SA-2s continued to pursue them, and the two Eagle pilots had to sacrifice their centerline fuel tanks, leaving them in serious need of a tanker.
The F-15E crew that put 10.5g on the airframe to evade Iraqi SAMs
In a Scud site attack near Al-Qa’im (known as “Sam’s Town” because of its dense missile defenses), Capts James McCullough and Ansel Mangrum dispensed 90 bundles of chaff – almost their entire load – in avoiding three SAMs fired at their F-15E in quick succession. They jettisoned wing tanks and entered violent maneuvers, but continued with their bombing run. In all, up to 17 SA-2s and SA-3s were launched at them. Capts Mark Mouw and Tom O’Reilly had the same experience, although they had to jettison their ordnance to evade a trio of missiles.
SAMs were so numerous that the SEAD flights could not always defeat them all. F-15E crews, faced with an oncoming SA-2 or SA-3, sometimes had to resort to Vietnam-era evasive maneuvers. These required a white-knuckle wait until about five seconds before missile impact, at which point the pilot yanked the jet into a violent, diving barrel roll – on at least one occasion, this put 10.5g on the airframe. Missiles were often fired in threes, and several evasive maneuvers left a pilot very short of speed and altitude. Where very intensive SAM coverage was in place, Strike Eagle pilots sometimes had to jettison their ordnance to make those gut wrenching evasions.
Coalition Aircraft vs Iraqi SAMs Operation Desert Storm 1991 is published by Osprey Publishing and is available to order here.
Photo credit: U.S. Air Force
