Almost 50 years after its first flight, the F-15 Eagle is still the main strike force of many Air Forces around the world.  It was designed to replace its successor, the multi-role, two-seat F-4 Phantom II, at the height of the Cold War in the mid-1960s. Initially designed for interception and air superiority roles, the design of the F-15 was shaped by lessons learned from the Vietnam war. It would have a "bubble" canopy providing superior visibility, light but high-thrust F100 turbofan engines, advanced avionics, a powerful radar with look-down/shoot-down capability, and high-tech missiles. It would also incorporate a 20mm M61Vulcan gun for close air combat. 

Because of its high price and capabilities, only a few countries had the permission and money to buy it. Despite its small number of users, it started to show its capabilities on the battlefield from the beginning. In 1979, Israel achieved its first aerial victory with the F-15A. After that day, the F-15 never lost its superiority in air combat. It shot down more than 100 enemy planes without any casualties. With a 108-0 kill rate, it became the world's most successful and deadliest modern fighter aircraft.