Meet the F-15I: Although Israel’s specialized variant of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter often makes headlines for being the most advanced fifth-generation fighter on the planet, another modified American jet perhaps remains the preferred platform in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The F-15 fighter has remained the staple of Israel’s aerial capabilities since its introduction to service nearly forty years ago. In fact, Israel’s love affair with the older airframe has recently been reaffirmed after the government sent a formal request to the U.S. to purchase 25 F-15EX jets in January.
As tensions between the Jewish state and its top adversary, Iran, have heated up in recent years, the potential for a future IAF strike into Iranian territory is more probable. The F-15 can carry all the heavy weaponry Israel would need to penetrate Iran’s nuclear facilities, which remains a top security concern for the Jewish state. Considering the F-15’s proven track record in combat operations, it makes sense why the IAF continues to rely on this older platform.
How Did Israel Acquire Its Own Specialized Eagle Variant?
In the late 1990s, Israel’s Air Force first acquired its unique version of the American-made F-15E Strike Eagle. The 1991 Gulf War highlighted the IDF’s aerial inadequacies while simultaneously emphasizing the power of the Eagle. Equipped with hardly mediocre air defense systems at the time, Israel suffered from constant barrages of Iraq’s SCUD ballistic missiles. While the U.S. pressured the Jewish state not to retaliate against Saddam Hussein’s attacks, even if Israel wanted to respond it lacked the long-range aircraft and reconnaissance assets to do so.
Based on the Strike Eagle’s robust performance during the Gulf War, the IDF knew that it needed this airframe to strengthen its aerial capacities. One decade earlier, Israeli pilots had to fly both the F-15 and F-16 to destroy Iraq’s nuclear reactor at Osirak due to refueling constraints. The IDF was very invested in acquiring a platform that could act as two planes in one and fly longer ranges.
What Can the Ra’am Do That the Adir Cannot
The IDF’s customized F-15I variant is a heavy, two-seat fighter that can carry a staggering 11.5 tons of weapons and extra fuel. In addition to a greatly increased payload, the F-15 Ra’ams possess APG-701 radars capable of detecting ground targets including missile-launching systems up to 37 miles away.
As detailed in Popular Mechanics, “They were furthermore customized with Israeli-designed helmet-mounted display/sights, electronic self-defense jammers and radar warning receiver, radios, and support for indigenous Python-3/4 air-to-air missiles and Popeye cruise missiles (range 48 miles).” Since the Ra’am sports conformal fuel tanks, the IAF has the capability to strike targets farther away. The fighter’s larger frame also enables it to carry greater payloads than its predecessors in addition to the fifth-generation F-35I Adir.
The Ra’ams Have an Honorable Track Record in Combat Operations
Since its arrival in Israel, the F-15I has served continuously with the IAF. The platform has participated in frequent training exercises in addition to anti-terrorism operations. Israeli pilots flew the Ra’am in the 2006 Lebanon War, the Gaza War, Operation Pillar of Defense, and Operation Cast Lead. In 2007, the F-35Is participated in an attack that took out a Syrian nuclear reactor in a mission known as Operation Orchard.
May 10, 2011. The Israeli Air Force crosses all of Israel from north to south, in honor of the country’s 63rd Independence Day. Pictured: A “Re’em” plane (Boeing 707) refueling a “Ra’am” plane (F-15I) above the beaches of Tel-Aviv.
F-15I. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Image: Creative Commons.
Image: Creative Commons.
More recently, F-35I jets have been involved in hundreds of strikes targeting Iranian and Hezbollah assets in Syria. In 2018, the IDF military chief awarded the Ra’am squadron with a citation for its success in these operations.
The news that Israel is seeking an additional 25 newer F-15I fighters coincides with the ramp up of tensions in the region. As Iran is inching toward achieving a nuclear weapon, the IAF is seeking out ways to elevate its capabilities to strike Iranian territory if necessary. Israel’s 69 Squadron, dubbed the “Hammers,” is the sole operator of the F-15I fighters based out of the Hatzerim Air Base in southern Israel.
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Maya Carlin, a Senior Editor for 19FortyFive, is an analyst with the Center for Security Policy and a former Anna Sobol Levy Fellow at IDC Herzliya in Israel. She has by-lines in many publications, including The National Interest, Jerusalem Post, and Times of Israel. You can follow her on Twitter: @MayaCarlin.
