Few aircraft have achieved the iconic status of the United States Air Force’s F-15 Eagle. It is a fourth-generation warplane that is virtually unparalleled in its ability to achieve air superiority over its foes.

As a result of the latter part of the Cold War, the Americans needed a decisive, high-tech air superiority fighter to counter perceptions that the Soviets were beating the Americans in the Cold War. Coinciding with advances in radar technology, missile capabilities, and computer processing power, the F-15 Eagle quickly rose to the top in terms of the world’s best warplane.

Today, decades after it was first introduced, the F-15 Eagle (and its multiple variants) continues proving it is the world’s premier fighter. Of course, finally, technological development and the advances in fifth-generation warplane and anti-aircraft technologies seem to be making this legendary bird obsolete. But the fact that it has taken so long for the F-15’s obsolescence to become a reality should show you how truly advanced this warplane was for its time. In fact, the F-15 continues to be competitive and a real threat to rivals everywhere.

The Fighter Mafia and the F-15

Tracing its design roots to the late 1960s, the Americans needed to counter the growing capabilities of emerging Soviet warplanes, such as the MiG-25 “Foxbat.” At the time that the F-15s were being designed, the Americans were fighting the Vietnam War. That conflict had not gone as its supporters had envisioned it.

Thus, many of the requirements that defined the F-15’s development were from the hard-learned lessons of the air war over Vietnam.

A group within the Air Force known as the “Fighter Mafia” played a pivotal war in shaping the requirements for what would become one of the most successful warplanes in the modern age of air war. The Fighter Mafia advocated for a return to the principles of maneuverability, speed, and agility—all while employing energy-saving methods. Essentially, the F-15 was a dogfighter to its very core.

What’s more, the Air Force wanted its new, fourth-generation warplane to incorporate burgeoning technologies, such as the aforementioned advanced radar as well as missile systems that could operate beyond visual range while in combat.

In 1965, the U.S. Air Force launched what was known as the F-X Program, aiming to create an aircraft that would enjoy air superiority in any combat situation. Several aerospace companies proposed interesting designs. McDonnell Douglas, however, proposed a design that not only met but exceeded the Air Force’s expectations.

This bird came with two powerful Pratt & Whitney F100 turbofan engines, providing the necessary thrust for high-speed, high-altitude performance. These sky beasts employed the AN/APG-63 radar, which was one of the most advanced radar systems in the world at that time. Because of this system, the F-15 had greater situational awareness and enhanced its ability to detect, track, and even engage multiple targets at long ranges.

F-15s were built with large wing areas, a high thrust-to-weight ratio, and relaxed stability. The F-15 could perform tight turns at extremely high speeds. Hence, it has impressive dogfighting capabilities.

An incredible run

America’s F-15 Eagle first took to the skies on July 27, 1972, piloted by Irving L. Burrows. Initial tests on the bird proved its exceptional performance, notably in the area of high speed. The F-15 had remarkable acceleration and agility. The F-15 was then sent over to Nelli Air Force Base where its combat effectiveness was tested during exercises like Operation Red Flag. At that time, the F-15s demonstrated an impressive kill ratio against simulated enemy aircraft.

Then came 1976, when the F-15 was formally introduced into service with the U.S. Air Force. An export craft, the United States sold a variant of these birds to its close allies in Israel. Using the F-15I “Soufa,” Israel obliterated massive numbers of targets in the 1982 Lebanon War. The United States used these birds routinely in various combat operations around the world. Each time, the various versions of the F-15s used delivered devastating results against the targets they were sent after.

America’s F-15 is one of the most adaptable and useful warplanes even today, as fifth-generation warplanes and advanced anti-aircraft systems increasingly push the F-15 aside. Indeed, the Air Force has even purchased the F-15EX Eagle II, a massively upgraded version of the F-15, even as it is trying to move entirely to fifth-generation warplanes (the F-35 Lightning II). This is hands-down America’s most prolific warplane.

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is available for purchase wherever books are sold. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.