40 Years of Dominance: Why the F-15 Has a an Air-To-Air Kill Ratio of 104 to 0.

Dario Leone

Security, Americas

We break it down.

When the Eagle’s wheels first touched Kadena Air Base flightline in the fall of 1979, F-15C and D models were still fresh off the production line.

As explained by Senior Airman John Linzmeier, 18th Wing Public Affairs in his article F-15 Eagle: Timeless airframe with modern capabilities, for more than 40 years the F-15 has defended the skies with a track record of success unlike any other fighter jet in the history of aviation.

A claim confirmed by the fact that the Eagle has an unmatched air-to-air killratio of 104 to 0.

This incredible achievement wouldn’t be possible without its updated weapon systems.

In fact while the airframe has been aging, generations of hard work from maintainers, engineers and pilots has kept the aircraft lethal, advanced and relevant in today’s modern world.

“When you think about fighters and their general lifespan it’s absolutely less than a decade,” said Capt. Matthew Selby, 44th Fighter Squadron F-15 pilot. “Sometimes they’ll dominate the skies for three or four years and then it’s done, but this jet has been managed so well that it’s been at the top of the fighter community the whole time.”