F-15E Strike Eagles, deployed during Operation Epic Fury, can fly 2.5 times the speed of sound. Take a closer look.

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<ul>
<li>The US Air Force deployed F-15E Strike Eagles during Operation Epic Fury against Iran.</li>
<li>The fighter jets are designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat in all weather, day or night.</li>
<li>Kuwait mistakenly shot down three F-15E Strike Eagles in a "friendly fire" incident, CENTCOM said.</li>
</ul>
<p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/air-force-f-15es-new-electronic-warfare-hard-to-kill-2025-1">F-15E Strike Eagles</a>, fighter jets designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, are usually a dominating force in the skies.</p>
<p>When three F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly shot down by Kuwait during <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-weapons-used-to-attack-iran-fend-off-retaliation-2026-2">Operation Epic Fury</a>, it brought renewed attention to one of the Air Force's fastest, most versatile aircraft.</p>
<p>Here's a closer look at the F-15E Strike Eagle, an advanced aircraft the US is using to destroy Iran's missile arsenal and drone bases from the skies above Iran.</p>
<h2>The F-15E Strike Eagle has been in service in the US Air Force for nearly 40 years.</h2>
<p>The first F-15A model flew in 1972, and the first F-15Es were produced in 1988, according to the <a href="https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/104499/f-15e-strike-eagle/">US Air Force</a>.</p>
<h2>It's the fastest crewed aircraft in the US Air Force.</h2>
<p>The air-to-air and air-to-ground attack aircraft can fly at 1,875 miles per hour, or 2.5 times the speed of sound.</p>
<h2>The F-15E Strike Eagle's high thrust-to-weight ratio enables it to accelerate during vertical climb.</h2>
<p>The high thrust-to-weight ratio also allows the F-15E Strike Eagle to execute tight turns without sacrificing speed. It has two Pratt &amp; Whitney F100 engines, each producing over 23,000 pounds of thrust.</p>
<h2>Another distinguishing capability is the plane's head-up display, which projects flight and tactical information directly on the windscreen.</h2>
<p>Pilots can track and attack targets, check the status of weapons, and see other tactical and flight information without taking their eyes off the windscreen.</p>
<h2>The fighter jet also includes a low-altitude navigation and targeting infrared for night (LANTIRN) system.</h2>
<p>The LANTIRN system allows the planes to fly in any weather and attack ground targets at low altitudes. The system consists of two pods, a navigation pod and a targeting pod, mounted under the plane.</p>
<h2>F-15E Strike Eagles can carry both nuclear and conventional weapons.</h2>
<p>Its armament includes an internally mounted 20-millimeter gun with 500 rounds of ammunition, AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles, and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pentagon-award-air-to-air-missiles-surging-demand-thin-stockpiles-2025-8">AIM-120 AMRAAMs</a>, an acronym for the radar-guided Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles.</p>
<p>The F-15 also regularly carries ground attack weapons like the Joint Direct Attack Munition, or JDAM, a kit that adapts an unguided munition into a "smart" bomb with fins and GPS guidance.</p>
<h2>F-15E Strike Eagles are flown by a pilot and a weapons systems officer.</h2>
<p>The weapon system officer sits directly behind the pilot, and closely manages the plane's sensors and weapons.</p>
<p>Two variants of the F-15 are single-seaters: the F-15A and F-15C.</p>
<h2>The planes can fly 2,400 miles without refueling, and can be refueled in flight.</h2>
<p>F-15E Strike Eagles have a fuel capacity of 35,550 pounds.</p>
<p>The fighter jets can be refueled in flight by KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft, which Boeing developed from its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aviation-history-planes-boeing-dash-80-2026-3">"Dash 80" prototype</a> in the 1950s.</p>
<p>KC-135s were also deployed to Israel as part of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-weapons-used-to-attack-iran-fend-off-retaliation-2026-2">Operation Epic Fury.</a> One <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/a-us-military-refueling-aircraft-went-down-in-iraq-2026-3">crashed in western Iraq</a> on Thursday, killing six US service members. United States Central Command said the circumstances of the crash were under investigation, but it "was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire."</p>
<h2>Each F-15E cost $31.1 million to produce in 1998, according to US Air Force figures. That would be around $62.3 million when adjusted for inflation.</h2>
<p>Newer F-15 models cost around $100 million, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-israel-us-strikes-2026/card/how-much-does-an-f-15-jet-fighter-cost--25gOG3EERyKxuDjdizJ7?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqfOhmIyODA3y8AXtFg5kyxr--0Ox0LCakq_WkpUDxluR8zdxs10RXY-0ywlQac%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69b19f06&amp;gaa_sig=XXQC-4zWV2zvoDargS6_Ax6EMu6aEOmxPWYKaCflNdmLTLZ4o38_5UW0Hn81TxMXdcu7Edcnmg9Wlteqs4ujug%3D%3D">The Wall Street Journal</a> reported.</p>
<p>The newest version of the aircraft is the F-15EX Eagle II, which features more advanced controls and upgraded engines.</p>
<h2>On March 1, Kuwait's air defenses mistakenly shot down three American F-15Es during Operation Epic Fury in what US Central Command described as a "friendly fire incident."</h2>
<p>All six crew members ejected safely. The incident is under investigation.</p>
<p>"Kuwait has acknowledged this incident, and we are grateful for the efforts of the Kuwaiti defense forces and their support in this ongoing operation," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-aircraft-losses-iran-israel-kuwait-several-warplanes-2026-3">CENTCOM said</a>.</p>