McDonnell-Douglas F-15I Ra'am
The McDonnell-Douglas F-15I Ra'am is a twin engine multirole strike fighter operated by the Israeli Air Force. The F-15I Ra'am is similar to the F-15E, but features several different avionic systems to meet Israeli requirements. To facilitate night-time strikes, the F-15Is were initially fitted with Sharpshooter targeting pods designed for Israeli F-16s. The Sharpshooter pod was less capable than the LANTIRN pods used on USAF F-15Es; Israel later purchased 30 LANTIRN pods. The F-15Is initially lacked Radar Warning Receivers, Israel installed its own electronic warfare equipment, the Elisra SPS-2110, as well as a new central computer and embedded GPS/INS system. All sensors can be slaved to the Display And Sight Helmet (DASH) helmet-mounted sight, providing both crew members a means of targeting which the F-15E lacks. The F-15I uses the APG-70I radar; its terrain mapping capability can locate targets difficult to spot while under adverse weather conditions. The radar can detect large airliner-sized targets at 150 nautical miles (277.8 kilometers), and fighter-sized targets at 56 nautical miles (103.71 kilometers), it has a reduced resolution one-third below the standard USAF APG-70. In January 2016, Israel approved an upgrade of the F-15I fleet that includes structural changes, an AESA radar, updated avionics, and new (unspecified) weapon systems. In March 2020, the Israeli Defense Forces approved the order of twenty-six new build F-15IAs and to upgrade the F-15Is to F-15IA standard.
Users[edit | edit source]
- Israel
- Israeli Air Force x 26 (another 26 F-15IA on order)
