![F-15 Eagle flying through the storm](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1718099647-32c7.jpg)
In the annals of military aviation history, few aircraft have earned a reputation quite as formidable as the F-15 Eagle.
![F-15 Eagle on final approach](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1718099710-6b2e.jpg)
This twin-engine, all-weather fighter, has marked its place in the skies with an undefeated combat record—a testament to its ingenuity and the tactical acumen of its operators.
![USAF F-15C Eagle pair](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1718099737-620e.jpg)
Originally designed as an air superiority fighter for the U.S. Air Force, the F-15 Eagle demonstrated its combat effectiveness when utilized by the IAF.
![USAF F-15 Eagle](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1718099805-ded3.jpg)
The Israeli Air Force (IAF) has showcased the F-15’s prowess, claiming the majority of the Eagle’s over 100 aerial victories.
![F-15 Eagle flying through the clouds](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1718099778-6064.jpg)
The dawn of the F-15 Eagle’s storied combat history dates back to June 27, 1979, a day that would cement the fighter’s fearsome legacy.
![US Air Force F-15 Eagle](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/1718099828-ffce.jpg)
It was on this date that IAF ace Moshe Melnik, an already accomplished pilot, soared into the annals of aerial warfare by achieving the Eagle’s first-ever kill.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/F-35A15-1-scaled.jpeg)
Engaged in a mission to strike against the Palestine Liberation Organization, a formation of Israeli F-15s, known affectionately as Baz (Hebrew for Falcon), was tasked with providing cover.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/F-35A14-1.jpeg)
Their presence quickly drew the attention of Syrian Air Force MiG-21 interceptors.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/F-35A13-1.jpeg)
Cleared to engage the enemy aircraft, Melnik and his fellow pilots did not hesitate.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/F-35A12-1.jpeg)
Within the first half-minute of the dogfight, Melnik selected his Python 3 missile, an Israeli-made infrared-guided weapon, and launched it at a Syrian MiG-21.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/F-35A11-1.jpeg)
The impact was devastating, effectively cleaving the Soviet-made aircraft in half and marking the F-15’s entry into the realm of aerial combat with a resounding victory.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/F-35A10-1.jpeg)
Melnik’s remarkable achievement, however, did not solely define the day’s success.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/F-35A9-1.jpeg)
Another IAF pilot, Eitan Ben-Eliyahu, would also etch his name into military history.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/F-15-Eagle2.jpeg)
Ben-Eliyahu, piloting his own F-15, engaged another Syrian fighter with the M61 Vulcan Gatling Gun—claiming the F-15’s first gun kill.
![](https://gallery.trendydigests.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/F-15-Eagle3.jpeg)
Throughout a series of raids against Palestinian factions in Lebanon from 1979 to 1981, the F-15s under the command of the Israeli Air Force continued to assert their superiority, downing a slew of Syrian MiG-21s and at least two MiG-25s.
Relevant articles:
– How the F-15 Fighter First Went to War (And Not For America), The National Interest