In total, they developed some 500 design concepts. Following a downselect, four companies were asked to provide further developments. Meanwhile, the Air Force chose the A-7 over the F-5 for the support role on 5 November 1965, giving further impetus for an air superiority design as the A-7 lacked any credible air-to-air capability.Įight companies responded with proposals. Īn official requirements document for an air superiority fighter was finalized in October 1965, and sent out as a request for proposals to 13 companies on 8 December. On 1 August, General Gabriel Disosway took command of Tactical Air Command and reiterated calls for the F-X, but lowered the required performance from Mach 3.0 to 2.5 to lower costs. These early studies envisioned a production run of 800 to 1,000 aircraft and stressed maneuverability over speed it also stated that the aircraft would not be considered without some level of ground-attack capability. In April 1965, Harold Brown, at that time director of the Department of Defense Research and Engineering, stated the favored position was to consider the F-5 and begin studies of an 'F-X'. This point was reinforced after the loss of two Republic F-105 Thunderchief aircraft to obsolete MiG-17s attacking the Thanh Hóa Bridge on 4 April 1965. The next month, a report on light tactical aircraft suggested the Air Force purchase the F-5 or A-7, and consider a new higher-performance aircraft to ensure its air superiority. If the Air Force chose a pure attack design, maintaining air superiority would be a priority for a new airframe. The A-4 and A-7 were more capable in the attack role, while the F-5 less so, but could defend itself. Several existing designs could fill this role the Navy favored the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk and LTV A-7 Corsair II, which were pure attack aircraft, while the Air Force was more interested in the Northrop F-5 fighter with a secondary attack capability. In January 1965, Secretary McNamara asked the Air Force to consider a new low-cost tactical fighter design for short-range roles and close air support to replace several types like the F-100 Super Sabre and various light bombers then in service. As part of this policy, the USAF and Navy had embarked on the TFX (F-111) program, aiming to deliver a medium-range interdiction aircraft for the Air Force that would also serve as a long-range interceptor aircraft for the Navy. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara was pressing for both services to use as many common aircraft as possible, even if performance compromises were involved.

Navy fought each other over future tactical aircraft. The F-15 can trace its origins to the early Vietnam War, when the U.S. The F-15 is in service with numerous countries, with production of enhanced variants continuing.ĭevelopment Early studies Test facility craftsman Jack Culpepper adjusts a model of the F-15 Eagle before it undergoes aerodynamic testing in the mid-1970s in the 4-foot transonic wind tunnel at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee The F-15E Strike Eagle is expected to continue operating in the USAF into the 2030s. The USAF had planned to replace all of its air superiority F-15s with the Lockheed Martin F-22 by the 2010s, but the severely reduced F-22 procurement forced the USAF to operate the F-15C/D into the 2020s. Several additional F-15 variants have been produced. It proved flexible enough that an improved all-weather strike derivative, the F-15E Strike Eagle, was later developed, entered service in 1989 and has been exported to several nations. Although the F-15 was originally envisioned as a pure air-superiority aircraft, its design included a secondary ground-attack capability that was largely unused.

The Eagle has been exported to many countries including Israel, Japan, and Saudi Arabia. It is among the most successful modern fighters, with over 100 victories and no losses in aerial combat, with the majority of the kills by the Israeli Air Force. The Eagle first flew in July 1972, and entered service in 1976. Following reviews of proposals, the United States Air Force (USAF) selected McDonnell Douglas's design in 1969 to meet the service's need for a dedicated air superiority fighter. The McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing).

F18 cockpit seat