F-15 Strike Eagle

A crew chief from the 159th Air National Guard, LA maintenance crew preflights a F-15 fighter jet on Oct. 23, 2002 for Exercise Cope Snapper 2002. Held at NAS Key West Florida, Exercise Cope Snapper 02 is a multi-aircraft exercise that engages dissimilar air combat training with on fighter data link and joint operations with the Navy. The members involved in Cope Snapper consist of the 159th Fighter Wing's, Louisiana F-15 fighters, the 169th McEntire, SC Air National Guard's F-16 fighter jets, maintenance crews, and the Navy's F-18s and F-14 fighter jets. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jeremy T. Lock)

An F-15C from the 67th Fighter Squadron refuels in flight from a KC-135R, from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, June 28, 2001, while on a routine training mission over the Pacific ocean. Both units are stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Marvice Krause)

OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN -- An F-15C from the 67th Fighter Squadron prepares to refuel in flight from a KC-135R, from the 909th Air Refueling Squadron, June 28, 2001, while on a routine training mission over the Pacific ocean. Both units are stationed at Kadena Air Base, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Marvice Krause)

 A pair of F-15E Strike Eagles, fly over the pyramids. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Scott McKeever)

A row of F-15s sits on the ramp here. The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat. The single-seat F-15C and two-seat F-15D models entered the Air Force inventory beginning in 1979. (U.S. Air Force photo)

A crew chief from the 335th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron prepares an F-15E Strike Eagle for a mission at a forward-deployed location on March 21, 2003. The Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson A.F.B., are deployed in support of current operations in the Middle East. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Derrick C. Goode)

336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron maintainers work on a F-15E Strike Eagle. The 336th EFS is deployed to a location supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. The maintanence crews work around the clock to ensure every aircraft is ready for the next mission. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. David Donovan)

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- A Japanese air self-defense force F-15J takes off for a familiarization training mission here May 30. The Japanese are in Alaska for Cooperative Cope Thunder, a Pacific Air Forces-sponsored air-combat training exercise set for June 5 to 20. Cope Thunder represents the first time the Japanese have deployed F-15 aircraft to North America for an exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Keith Brown)

ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- An F-15E Strike Eagle waits at the end of the runway here before taking off for a deployment supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. William Greer)

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Seventy-five F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., are waiting out Hurricane Isabel on a runway here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Eddie Edge)

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Master Sgt. Scott Lemak (left) guides a vehicle operator as Senior Airman Nicholas Surita (center) and Staff Sgt. Maurice Williams help remove an M-61A1 gun from an F-15E Strike Eagle. The airmen are deployed from the 494th Fighter Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. Lemak is a weapons flight chief, Surita is a weapons loader, and Williams is a weapons-load team chief. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. William J. Sharp)

LMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- An F-15 Eagle from the 12th Fighter Squadron here prepares to taxi out for a real world deployment Oct. 26. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt Adrian Cadiz)

MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- An F-15E Strike Eagle from the 391st Fighter Squadron here, takes off for an early morning sortie during an Operational Readiness Inspection on Oct. 17. The 366th FW was evaluated on how well it responded to crisis, employed forces, provided mission support and survived and operated in hostile environments. ORIs are conducted to evaluate the ability of units with a wartime or contingency mission to conduct assigned operational missions. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Bennie J. Davis)