Article 12779 of rec.aviation.military:
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From: jfb@usgp1.ih.att.com (Joe Baugher)
Subject: New Fighter Series--McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle (11 of 26)
Message-ID: <D3poC2.7x3@ssbunews.ih.att.com>
Summary: Service of F-15 with USAF and ANG
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Date: Thu, 9 Feb 1995 02:31:14 GMT
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Production of an initial batch of 30 F-15A/B fighters was announced 
on March 1973.  The first Eagle to be delivered to an operational USAF 
unit was TF-15A 73-0108, formally accepted by the 555th Tactical 
Fighter Training Squadron of the 58th Tactical Training Wing at Luke 
AFB, Arizona on November 4, 1974 in a ceremony presided over by 
President Gerald Ford.  This wing served as the Replacement Training 
Unit (RTU) for F-15 operations during the initial phases of the 
introduction of the Eagle into service.  

Deliveries to the first combat-ready wing, the 1st TFW at Langley AFB 
in Virginia, began in January 1976.  The F-15s replaced the F-4Es that 
had previously been flown by this wing.  In 1977, F-15As and Bs were 
issued to the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing based at Bitburg, Germany, 
marking the first overseas deployment of the Eagle.  That same year, 
the 49th TFW at Holloman AFB in New Mexico, began to receive the 
Eagle.  The 57th Fighter Weapons Wing at Nellis AFB, Nevada received 
its first F-15A/B Eagles in 1977.  These were issued to the 433rd 
Fighter Weapons Wing and were used to train pilots destined for new 
Eagle squadrons.  

In 1978, Eagles went to the 32nd Tactical Fighter Squadron based at 
Soesterberg in the Netherlonds.  It is under Dutch Air Force control 
as part of its NATO mission.  That same year, the 33rd TFW at Eglin 
AFB in Florida received F-15A/B Eagles.  

The introduction of the F-15 into USAF service was not without its 
problems.  The pilots at Luke AFB with the Tactical Training Wing 
found that they could not mount the planned number of sorties.  There 
were difficulties with parts and maintenance, but the most serious 
problem was with the engines.  The Air Force had underestimated the 
number of powercycles per sortie and had not realized how much the 
Eagle's maneuvering capabilities would result in frequent abrupt 
changes in throttle setting.  This caused unexpectedly high wear on 
key engine components, resulting in frequent failures of key engine 
components such as first-stage turbine blades.  These problems could 
be corrected by more careful engine maintenance and closer attention 
to quality control during manufacturing of engine components.  
However, the most serious problem was stagnation stalling.  

There were frequent groundings and delays in engine deliveries while 
an attempt was made to fix these problem.  Strikes at two major 
subcontractors delayed the delivery of engines.  By the end of 1979, 
the USAF was forced to accept engineless F-15 airframes and place them 
in storage until sufficient numbers of engines could be delivered.  A 
massive effort by Pratt & Whitney helped to alleviate this problem, 
but the F-15 suffered from an engine shortage for a long time.  

Early problems with the reliability of the F100 engines were largely 
overcome by modifications plus improvements in materials, maintenance 
and operating procedures.  The installation of a quartz window in the 
side of the afterburner assembly to enable a flame sensor to monitor 
the pilot flame of the augmentor helped to cure the problem with 
"hard" afterburner starts.  Modifications to the fuel control system 
helped to lower the frequency of stagnation stalls.  In 1976 the F-15 
fleet had suffered 11-12 stagnation stalls per 1000 flying hours.  By 
the end of 1981, this rate was down to 1.5.  However, the F100 even 
today still has a reputation of being a temperamental engine under 
certain conditions.  

In the mid-1980s, the 21st Composite Wing (later Tactical Fighter 
Wing) received F-15A/B Eagles.  There was an embarassing incident on 
March 19, 1990, when a pilot of one of the Wing's F-15s accidentally 
fired a live Sidewinder round which struck and damaged another F-15.  
This incident caused the commander of the Wing to be relieved, 
although the damaged aircraft was able to land safely, emphasizing the 
high degree of structural strength and survivability that had been 
built into the F-15 design.  

The last of the 360 F-15As and Bs that were built were delivered to 
fighter interceptor squadrons that had been assigned by the Tactical 
Air Command to the aerial defense of the United States.  This 
organization was a descendant of the now-defunct Air Defense Command 
(known in its last years as the Aerospace Defense Command), which had 
turned over its resources to TAC in October of 1979.  TAC reorganized 
these assets into the Air Defense Tactical Air Command (ADTAC), 
headquartered at Colorado Springs.  The headquarters were later moved 
to Langley AFB.  A further organization change in 1985 resulted in 
ADTAC becoming the First Air Force.  Four TAC squadrons (5th, 48th, 
57th, and 318th Fighter Interceptor Squadrons) took the F-15A/B on 
charge in the interceptor role, replacing the Convair F-106 Delta 
Dart.  Some of the Eagles operated by these squadrons were wired to 
carry the Vought antisatellite weapon, although the ASAT program had 
been officially dropped at Congressional insistence in the early 
1980s.  The role of the Eagle in the air defense of the United States 
was a brief one, with the bulk of the air defense role now being 
carried out by the F-16A Fighting Falcon fighters operated by various 
units of the Air National Guard.  The First Air Force's Eagle 
interceptor squadrons were deactivated during the early 1990s, and 
their planes were passed along to the Air National Guard.  

The improved F-15C/D began to be delivered to the USAF in the early 
1980s.  First to get the F-15C/D was the 32nd Tactical Fighter 
Squadron based at Soesterberg in the Netherlands, replacing the unit's 
earlier F-15A/Bs.  These more potent Eagles then were issued to the 
18th TFW at Kadena AB in Okinawa (marking the first Pacific deployment 
of the Eagle), and the 57th FIS at Keflavik in Iceland, and with a 
second squadron in the Alaskan Air command (the 54th TFS).  With the 
exception of the 49th TFW, the F-15C/D replaced the F-15A/Bs in 
service with all of the USAF units that had previously been operating 
the Eagle.  A total of 408 F-15Cs and 62 F-15Ds were delivered to the 
USAF.  Many of the F-15A/Bs replaced by the more advanced Eagles were 
passed along to Air National Guard units.  

In the late 1980s, the F-15E "Strike Eagle" ground attack version of 
the F-15 began to reach Air Force squadrons.  The first unit to get 
the F-15E was the 461st Tactical Fighter Training Squadron (TFTS), 
which was part of the 405th Tactical Training Wing at Luke AFB in 
Arizona.  It achieved IOC in July of 1988.  The first operational 
F-15E unit was the 336th Tactical Fighter Squadron of the 4th Tactical 
Fighter Wing (now just the 4th Wing), stationed at Semour Johnson AFB 
in North Carolina.  It achieved initial IOC in October of 1989.  In 
June of 1990, the F-15E competed in the USAF's *Long Rifle* gunner 
meet held at Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona and scored first and second 
in the contest.  

Under the Multi-Stage Improvement Program (MSIP), upgrades were 
progressively incorporated onto the F-16C/D production line and then 
retrofitted to earlier production F-15Cs.  The MSIP is a joint program 
carried out by McDonnell Douglas and the Warner Robins Logistics 
Center in Georgia.  F-15A, B, C, and D versions are planned to go 
through the program.  The APG-63 radar will be replaced by the more 
capable APG-70 radar installed on the later F-15C/D, and improved 
avionics will be fitted.  The analog computers of the F-15A/B will be 
replaced by digital computers, and the digital computers of the 
F-15C/D will be replaced by more advanced digital computers.  The 
weapons panel will be improved, and a cathode ray terminal similar to 
that found on the F-15E.  The F-15C/D will be fitted with chaff/flare 
dispensers behind the nosewheel door.  The A models that go through 
the MSIP will not be fitted with the conformal fuel tanks of the C, 
but they will be otherwise indistinguishable.  However, some of the 
very early As (from FYs 1973, 1974, and 1975) will not be upgraded 
under MSIP but will instead be retired and made available as gate 
guards or donated to museums.  Some of them will be given to Israel as 
payment for policy decisions made during the Gulf War.  

In the early 1990s, the USAF decided to consolidate its F-111 assets.  
The 48th Fighter Wing based at RAF Lakenheath converted from the 
F-111F to the F-15E during 1992.  The first to convert was the Wing's 
492nd FS, with a second squadron (either the 493rd or 494th) 
converting later.  

In the general military drawdown following the end of the Cold War, 
many European-based Eagle units have been transferred stateside or 
disbanded altogether.  In early 1994, the last F-15s of the 32nd 
Fighter Group left Soesterberg, ending nearly 40 years of USAF 
presence at this Dutch base.  These planes were transferred to the 
101st Fighter Squadron of the Massachusetts ANG.  In March of 1994, 
the last of the F-16s with the 36th Fighter Wing left Bitburg.  After 
the departure of the USAF, the base will be returned to German 
control.  The 57th Fighter Squadron at Keflavik reduced its complement 
of 12 F-15C/Cs to just four in 1994.  This reduction was made possible 
by the virtual absence in recent years of Russian Bear reconnaissance 
aircraft which regularly used to probe Western defenses in the North 
Atlantic.  The 555th Fighter Squadron stationed at Luke AFB was 
transferred to Europe, and in its place the 550th Fighter Squadron has 
been reactivated as the second F-15E unit at Luke.  Current plans are 
to consolidate Strike Eagle training under the 4th Wing at Seymour 
Johnson AFB.  Many of the USAF F-15 wings which are not being 
deactivated are being sharply cut back in the number of Eagles that 
they carry on strength--the three squadrons of the 1st Fighter Wing at 
Langley AFB are to reduce their complements from 24 to 18 aircraft 
each.  

The following USAF units have operated the Eagle:  

1st Fighter Wing, Langley AFB, Virginia
	27th, 71st, 94th Fighter Squadrons.  Converted to F-15A/B in
	1975 and to F-15C/D in early 1980s.
3rd Wing, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska
	43rd (F-15A and C), 54th (F-15C), 90th (F-15E) Fighter Squadrons.
	Originally designated the 21st Composite Wing.
	Converted to F-15A/B in 1982.
4th Wing, Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina
	334th, 335th, 336th Fighter Squadrons.	
	Converted from F-4E to F-15E in 1989-91
	Participated in Desert Storm
18th Fighter Wing, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan
	12th, 44th, 67th Fighter Squadrons.
	Converted to F-15C/D from F-4D in 1979.
32nd Fighter Squadron, Soesterberg, Netherlands
	directly under Allied NATO control.  Received first
	F-15A/Bs in 1978, later reequipped with F-15C/D.
	Participated in Desert Storm
33rd Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida
	58th, 59th, 60th Fighter Squadrons.  
	Converted to F-15A/B in 1978.
	To F-15C/D in 1979-80, then back to F-15A/B in 1980.
	In 1983, reconverted to F-15C/D.
	Participated in Desert Storm.
36th Fighter Wing, Bitburg AB, Germany
	22nd and 53rd Fighter Squadrons, 525th Tactical Fighter Squadron 
	Received F-15A/B in 1977.	
	Later re-equipped with F-15C/D.
	Participated in Desert Storm
	525th TFS was deactivated in 1992.
48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath
	492nd, 493 or 494th FS
	Converted from F-111F to F-15E in 1992
49th Fighter Wing, Holloman AFB, New Mexico
	7th, 8th, 9th Fighter Squadrons.  
	Converted to F-15A/B in 1977.
	Last USAF unit to operate the F-15A/B.
	9th FS deployed to Aaudi Arabia for Desert Storm
	Deactivated 1991-92.
57th Fighter Weapons Wing, Nellis AFB, Nevada
	422nd TEWS, 433rd FWS
	Test and evaluation unit for fighter weapons and tactics
	Received F-15A/B in 1977, and F-15C/D in early 1980s.
58th Tactical Training Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona
	461st TFTS, 550th TFTS, 555th TFTS.
	First unit to receive F-15A/B (1974)
	Terminated training in 1979 and transferred its mission to 405th
	TTW.
325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Florida
	1st, 2nd, 95th Fighter Squadrons.
	Activated in 1981 as Replacement Training Uuit for TAC and ANG F-15s.
	First F-15A/Bs received in 1983.
405th Tactical Training Wing, Luke AFB, Arizona
	461st TFTS, 550th TFTS, 555th TFTS
	Activated in 1979 as TAC's RTU for F-15A/B.  Converted to F-15E 
	in 1987.  555
First Air Force, Langley AFB, Virginia
	Acquired F-15A/B in early 1980s for air defense role
	5th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Minot AFB, North Dakota
		Received first F-15A/B in 1985, replacing the F-106A.
	 	Deactivated 1985, planes sent to Massachusetts ANG.
	48th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Langley AFB, Virginia
		Received first F-15A/B in 1981/82, replacing the F-106A.
	 	Deactivated 1991, planes sent to Missouri ANG.
	57th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Keflavik NS, Iceland
		Converted to F-15C/D from F-4E in 1985.
	318th FIS, McChord AFB, Washington
		Converted to F-15A/B from F-106A in 1983.
		Deactivated 1989, planes sent to Oregon ANG.
3246th Test Wing, Eglin AFB, Florida
	2347th Test Squadron
6510th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, California
	6512th Test Squadron
Tactical Air Warfare Center, Eglin AFB, Florida
	4485th Test Squadron
	flies F-15A/B which were later replaced by F-15C/D.
	Also flies other types.
2347th Test Squadron, 3246th Test Wing, Air Force Materiel 
Command, Eglin AFB, Florida
	Operates a few F-15C,D, and Es.
6512th Test Squadron, 6510th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, California
	Operates a few F-15C,D, and Es for test missions
		
As F-15As and Bs were replaced in USAF service by later-model F-15Cs 
and Ds, these earlier-model Eagles were passed along to the Air 
National Guard.  The following Air National Guard organizations use 
the Eagle:  

102nd Fighter Interceptor Group
	101th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Massachusetts ANG
	First F-15A/Bs received in 1987, replacing F-106A
116th Tactical Fighter Wing
	128th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Georgia ANG.
	First F-15A/Bs received in 1986, replacing F-4D	
150th Tactical Fighter Group
	188th Tactical Fighter Squadron, New Mexico ANG
	Transitioned to F-15A/B in 1991
159th Tactical Fighter group
	122nd Tactical Fighter Squadron, Louisiana ANG.
131st Tactical Fighter Wing
 	110th Tactical Fighter Squadron, Missouri ANG.
	converted to F-15A/B in 1991 from F-4E.
142nd Fighter Interceptor Group
	123rd Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Oregon ANG.
	converted to F-15A/B in 1989/90.
	Most of the planes came from the 318th FIS at
	McChord AFB, which was being disbanded.
154th Composite Group
	199th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, Hawaii ANG.	
	F-15A/Bs from 21st TFW replaced F-4C Phantoms in 1987
	In mid-1991, early F-15C versions were received.
 
In the current military drawdown, many of the ANG squadrons will
lose a significant number of their F-15s, which will be placed in
AMARC storage.  Approximately 100 F-15s are in storage at the present
time (end of 1994).

Sources:

   McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Since 1920, Volume II, Rene J.
   Francillon, Naval Institute Press, 1990.

   Combat Aircraft F-15, Michael J. Gething and Paul Crickmore,
   Crescent Books, 1992.
   
   From ALKALI to AAM-L, Part 2, Piotr Butowski, Air International,
   November 1994.

   The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, 
   Orion, 1987.

   The World's Great Interceptor Aircraft, Gallery Books, 1989. 

   F-15 Eagle, Robert F. Dorr, World Airpower Journal, Volume 9,
   Summer 1992.


Joe Baugher			  **************************************
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