
F-15E Strike Eagle is an American all-weather multirole strike fighter derived from the McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle. The F-15E was designed in the 1980s for long-range, high-speed interdiction without relying on escort or electronic-warfare aircraft. United States Air Force (USAF) F-15E Strike Eagles can be generally distinguished from other US Eagle variants by darker aircraft camouflage, conformal fuel tanks (CFTs) mounted along the engine intake ramps (although CFTs can also be mounted on earlier F-15 variants) and a tandem-seat cockpit.
The F-15E has been upgraded with the Raytheon APG-82 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar since 2007, with the first test radar delivered to Boeing in 2010. This is a combination of APG-79 processors used in F/A. 18E/F Super Hornet with AESA APG-63(V)3 antenna mounted on F-15C. It was designated APG-63(V)4 until it received the APG-82 designation in 2009. Part of the F-15E Radar Modernization Program, which also includes a broadband radome (allowing operation at more radar frequencies) and environmental control and electronic warfare enhancements.
As of December 2012, the average age of the USAF F-15E fleet is 21 years old, and the average flight time of the aircraft is 6,000 hours. As of 2012, the USAF was reportedly considering future options. No successor to the F-15E is planned. In 2021, Boeing said its F-15EX Eagle II aircraft will replace the USAF's existing fleet of F-15C Eagle fighter jets, with an option to begin replacing F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft.