Monster Moves: What Made The F-15 So Killer In Combat It Never Lost

Monster Moves: What Made The F-15 So Killer In Combat It Never Lost

When determining what is truly worthy of being described as the “Greatest Of All Time” (GOAT), no losses is certainly a box to check. That easily puts the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle on the shortlist of greatest combat fighters of the 20th century, and perhaps even of all time. Considered among the most successful modern fighters, the F-15 Eagle has more than 100 victories to its credit with not a single loss in aerial combat.

Development of the F-15 began in the late 1960s as part of the United States Air Force’s efforts to keep pace with the emergence of the MiG-23 and MiG-24 fighters and to replace the fleet of McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom IIs, which had been in service since 1960. The program for the new fighter began in 1967, and after more than two years of intensive testing and evaluation, the Air Force awarded McDonnell Douglas the F-15 Advanced Tactical Fighter contract, after the aviation maker placed first amongst the three competitors in all phases of the competition, while also coming in with the lowest contract price.