The United States is nearing approval for a deal to sell F-15 fighter jets to Israel after extensive debate regarding the latter's entitlement to this lethal weapon. What are the qualifications of these fighter jets?
The F-15 Eagle is a fighter aircraft and one of the most important planes that emerged in the late 20th century. More than 1,100 models have been manufactured as of 2008, designed to gain air superiority over the battlefield for the U.S. Air Force. The United States plans to keep them in its aerial arsenal until 2025. They have also been exported to allied countries of America, including Israel and Saudi Arabia.
One of the key features is that they are long-range aircraft capable of reaching deep into enemy territory to strike strategic targets behind the lines. Between 1984 and 1986, two F-15 jets were used to launch several anti-satellite missiles, modified to carry the ASM-135 anti-satellite missile, which were launched at an altitude of 11.6 km at an angle of 65° and at a speed of 1.2 Mach. An American decommissioned satellite was successfully destroyed in the third test. Notably, NASA uses these aircraft for long-range missions.
