Key Points and Summary – Few fighters in history match the F-15 Eagle’s record: more than 100 air-to-air kills and zero losses, built across Israeli, American, Saudi, and Japanese operations.
-As the U.S. fields the new F-15EX and allies pour billions into upgraded Eagles, this “old” fourth-generation jet keeps shaping how air forces think about range, payload, and reliability.
F-15EX Eagle II In the Sky. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
-Advanced radar, heavy missile loads, and fresh electronic-warfare suites let it complement stealth fleets instead of competing with them.
-In a world racing toward sixth-generation tech, the Eagle still sets the standard for proven, scalable combat airpower.
The F-15 Eagle Is Still Standing Strong As the World Approaches Sixth-Gen Tech
For more than four decades, the F-15 Eagle has sustained an impressive combat reputation – one, in fact, that is unmatched by any fighter in modern history.
The half-century-old fighter jet has more than 100 confirmed air-to-air kills under its belt and zero losses in air-to-air combat.
That record was built over a long period of time and across multiple wars, with various operators and numerous contents, and today, the aircraft still shapes how the United States and its allies approach airpower, at least for now.
As the U.S. Air Force prepares to field the newest F-15EX variant, and as partners from Israel to Japan invest heavily in upgraded versions of the Eagle to call their own, the aircraft’s legacy is as relevant as ever.
F-15 Fighter Taken on July 19, 2025. Image Credit: National Security Journal.
In an era increasingly defined by stealth, drones, and incoming sixth-generation technologies, the longevity of the F-15 platform becomes more impressive by the day: how, exactly, does a fourth-generation aircraft still hold the most perfect record of any fighter in service? And what does it mean for future conflicts – if anything?
The F-15’s History of Success
The F-15’s combat history begins not in American hands, but with Israel, which became the first country to fly the F-15 operationally after receiving its first deliveries in 1976.
Israeli pilots were the first to score air-to-air kills in 1979 and went on to secure the majority of the aircraft’s lifetime tally during the 1982 Lebanon War, also known as Operation Peace for Galilee.
According to the Israeli Air Force, the F-15 was responsible for at least 40 Syrian aircraft shot down during the conflict, including MiG-21s and MiG-23s, with no Eagles lost during combat. Israel’s historical records have long praised the jet and described it as the backbone of its air superiority efforts throughout the 1980s and 1990s.
Much of its success was attributed not just to the aircraft – though that was a significant factor – but to pilot training and superior radar capabilities. The Eagle’s energy-maneuverability design philosophy – referring to the aircraft’s excess power proportional to its potential climb rate – also played a part in allowing pilots to maintain high altitude and speed.
But it wasn’t just the Israelis who learned how to use the Eagle F-15 this well.
F-15 Fighter at the U.S. Air Force Museum. Image Taken on July 19, 2025 by National Security Journal.
The United States Air Force added substantially to its undefeated air-to-air record during the 1991 Gulf War. USAF F-15Cs were responsible for 34 confirmed Iraqi aircraft kills, including MiG-29s, MiG-25s, Mirage F1s, Su-22s, and even Mil Mi-24 helicopters.
Other pilots added to the aircraft’s reputation, too. Saudi Arabia, for example, used its F-15 fleet in multiple engagements, including shooting down Iranian drones and participating in operations over Yemen starting in 2015.
The Royal Saudi Air Force confirmed that its F-15C pilots downed Iranian-built Qasef-1 drones approaching Saudi airspace, further adding to the Eagle’s unbroken record.
Japan, meanwhile, has flown its larger F-15J fleet for more than 40 years and uses the jet for hundreds of intercepts annually against Chinese and Russian aircraft entering Japan’s air defense zone.
How the F-15 Still Shapes Today’s Airpower Decisions
The F-15 isn’t dead yet, but it will go down in history – not just for its past performance, but for ongoing successes.
This year, the U.S. Air Force confirmed that Boeing had delivered the first operational F-15EX II to an active-duty unit – the 142nd Wing of the Oregon Air National Guard – marking a significant milestone in the service’s plan to build on its aging F-15C/D fleet.
The modernized variant delivered to Oregon was not just a refreshed version of an old jet, either. The F-15EX carries an upgraded AESA radar – one of the most powerful fighter radars in any U.S. aircraft, in fact.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Marydith Stidham, a 125th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, marshals Capt. Steven Fleming, a 125th Fighter Squadron F-15C Eagle pilot, while taxiing on the flightline at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, April 16, 2024. Units assigned to the 125th Fighter Wing participated a two-week exercise in support of the USAF Weapons School. During the exercise, the wing operated in both daytime and nighttime vulnerability periods in a contested degraded environment, preparing students for real-world conditions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jose Miguel T. Tamondong)
It also integrates the Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) and an advanced electronic-warfare suite designed to counter modern radars and missile threats.
The Air Force has repeatedly stressed the upgraded variant’s impressive weapons capacity, too. According to the service, the jet can carry up to 12 air-to-air missiles – a loadout unmatched by any other U.S. fighter.
At the same time, the F-15 is a valuable export aircraft. In 2022, Japan’s Ministry of Defense announced new funding for the ongoing F-15J “Kai” upgrade program, which aims to retrofit dozens of fighters with modern electronic warfare systems and long-range anti-ship missiles. Japan said that it will upgrade 68 F-15J Eagles at a cost of around $5.62 billion.
Israel also signed an agreement with the U.S. in 2024 to reopen production lines for a customized variant of the aircraft known as the F-15IA.
This deal was described by Israeli officials as essential for maintaining the country’s long-range strike capability. The deal was worth $5.2 billion and described as a “landmark transaction.”
As the world races toward sixth-generation stealth and autonomy, the Eagle is – remarkably – still standing strong.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York who writes frequently for National Security Journal. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he analyzes and understands left-wing and right-wing radicalization and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
