F-15E EAGLE The Boeing F-15E dual-role fighter is an advanced long-range interdiction fighter and tactical aircraft. The F-15E is the latest version of the Eagle, a Mach 2.5-class twin-engine fighter. More than 1,300 F-15s are in service worldwide with the US Air Force, US Air National Guard and the air forces of Israel, Japan and Saudi Arabia, including over 220 F-15E fighters. The F-15E made its first flight in 1986. It is armed with air-to-air missiles that can be launched from beyond visual range and has air-to-ground capability to penetrate hostile air and ground defences to deliver up to 24,000 pounds of precision ordnance. COCKPIT While F-15A/C aircraft are single crew aircraft, F-15B/D/E have a crew of two. The F-15E is crewed by the pilot and the weapon systems officer (WSO). The WSO is equipped with two Sperry full-colour and two Kaiser single-colour cathode ray tubes The WSO can access information from the radar, electronic warfare or infrared sensors and monitor aircraft or weapons status and possible threats. The WSO also selects targets and navigates with the aid of a moving map display produced by an AlliedSignal remote film strip reader. The pilot's crew station features one full-color and two single-color cathode ray tubes. A holographic wide-field-of-view head-up display (HUD) from Kaiser provides the pilot with flight and tactical information. WEAPONS The F-15E aircraft can carry payloads up to 23,000 lbs. The aircraft can carry up to four Lockheed Martin/Raytheon AIM-9LM infrared-guided Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, up to four Raytheon AIM-7F/M radar-guided Sparrow air-to-air missiles or eight Raytheon AMRAAM radar-guided medium range air-to-air missiles. Ranges for these missiles are: Sidewinder - 8 km, Sparrow - 45 km, AMRAAM - 50 km. The range of air-to-ground ordnance includes guided GBU-10, -12, -15 and -24 bombs and Raytheon AGM-65 Maverick infrared-guided missiles. Maverick's range is 25 km. The first units of GBU-15 glide bomb upgraded with GPS (global positioning system) guidance have been delivered for deployment on the F-15E. The aircraft is also armed with an internal M-61 20 mm Gatling gun installed in the right wing root. TARGETING The integrated avionics systems provide all weather around-the-clock navigation and targeting capability. The Raytheon APG-70 synthetic aperture radar displays high quality images of ground targets. APG-70 is able to create and freeze the high-resolution ground maps during quick sweeps of the target area lasting only seconds. The F-15E is fitted with the Lockheed Martin LANTIRN navigation and targeting system. The LANTIRN navigation pod contains a FLIR (Forward-Looking InfraRed) sensor, which produces video images that are projected onto the pilot's HUD, and terrain-following radar. The LANTIRN system can be coupled to the flight control system for hands-off terrain following at altitudes as low as 200 feet. The LANTIRN targeting pod contains a tracking FLIR and laser designator. After obtaining a radar image of the target area, the F-15E aircrew can designate targets by positioning a cursor on the radar display. The target data is transferred to the LANTIRN system for use by the tracking FLIR, which enables aiming of air-to-ground weapons from up to 10 miles. Target tracking data is handed automatically to precision-guided weapons such as Low-Level Laser-Guided bombs, which can be guided to the target after release. COUNTERMEASURES The aircraft is equipped with an integrated internal electronic warfare suite including Lockheed Martin AN/ALR-56C radar warning receiver, Northrop Grumman AN/ALQ-135(V) radar jammer and Raytheon AN/ALQ-128 EW warner. Northrop Grumman is upgrading the ALQ-135 to Band 1.5 standard. It is also fitted with a Tracor AN/ALE-45 automatic chaff dispenser. FLIGHT CONTROL The F15E is equipped with a triple-redundant BAE SYSTEMS Astronics flight control system. Using manual terrain following, navigation is possible over rough terrain at altitudes down to 200 feet, at nearly 600 miles per hour, with the pilot following commands from the LANTIRN system. Automatic terrain following is accomplished through the flight control system linked to the LANTIRN navigation pod's terrain-following radar. ENGINES F-15Es are equipped with Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 low-bypass turbofan engines, which provide 29,000 pounds of thrust per engine. Using the digital electronic engine control system, the pilot can accelerate from idle power to maximum afterburner within four seconds. F-15E EAGLE - SPECIFICATION Crew  Two  Role  Long-range interdiction and air superiority  Designer and Manufacturer  Boeing, previously McDonnell Douglas Aerospace division of McDonnell Douglas Corp.,St. Louis, Missouri  Dimensions     Wingspan  42.8 feet (13.05 m)  Length  63.8 feet (19.45 m)  Height  18.5 feet (5.64 m)  Weight  45,000 lb (20,411 kg) class  Maximum gross takeoff weight  81,000 pounds  Powerplant  Two Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 low-bypass turbofan engines each developing approximately 29,000 pounds of thrust.  Weapons  Air-to-air missiles     Up to four AIM-9LM infrared-guided Sidewinder missiles     Up to four AIM-7F/M radar-guided Sparrow missiles     Up to eight Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air missiles, AMRAAM     Air-to-ground ordnance     Range of air-to-ground ordnance, including precision weapons such as:     GBU-10, -12, -15 and -24 bombs, and     AGM-65.Maverick imaging infrared missile     Gun     One M-61 2Omm Gatling gun  Avionics  Raytheon APG-70 synthetic aperture radar     Kaiser wide-field-of-view holographic head-up display     Litton ring-laser-gyro inertial navigation system     7 Sperry multipurpose monochrome and color dispay screens     Internal countermeasures equipment by Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon     Lockeed Martin LANTIRN Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night system  Performance     Speed  Mach 2.5 (1,875 mph)  Range  more than 3,500 miles ferry range (conformal fuel tanks plus 3 external fuel tanks)  Ceiling  65,000 feet (20,000 metres)  Load Factor  -3g to +9g