F-15E Strike Eagle

The F-15 Strike Eagle aircraft is an advanced two-seat fighter-bomber, complementing the F-15 Eagle air superiority fighter. Originally, the F-16 Fighting Falcon was seen as the only Air Force fighter-bomber of its generation, but the Strike Eagle evolved as a high-end attack aircraft. This evolution was over the objections of Air Force leaders who, perhaps emotionally, valued the air-to-air mission above all else; an informal motto for the original F-15 program was "not a pound for air to ground".

Avionics

Strike Eagle avionics interconnect through the MIL-STD-1553B bus, and participates in the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System.

Radar

Originally, the Strike Eagle used the AN/APG-70, but the additional ground attack software of this system is reconverging with the AN/APG-63 series on the F-15 Eagle, in the new AN/APG-63 V(4) version.

Communications

Its AN/ARC-210 radio is compatible with the HAVE QUICK II UHF radio used in air operations and the VHF SINCGARS radio used by ground forces. The radio extends into the HF spectrum, and also connects to tactical satellite communications. It has embedded encryption as well as frequency agility.

Defensive

The aircraft has an AN/ALE-47 Countermeasures Dispenser System [CMDS], is a "smart" dispenser that connects directly to infrared and radar warning receivers, release expendable and towed/retrivable decoys, as well as helping the pilot with situational awareness of the threat.

Foreign operators

Israel uses a Strike Eagle variant specific to national needs and U.S. export controls.

Successor

For the United States, the successor to the F-15 air superiority and probably advanced fighter bomber series is the F-22 Raptor. With the proposed early end of production of the F-22, with funds to be transferred to the F-35A Lightning II, the Joint Strike Fighter should be able to replace the Strike Eagle.