The F-15 sees 5 decades of service to the USAF, partners Col. Jesse Warren speaks on aircraft models A through EX

ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. — In light of the 50th anniversary of the F-15 and its service to the U.S. military taking place on Wednesday, Col. Jesse Warren — F-15 mission chief and program office director — spoke on the history of the aircraft, its variations over the years and how it is utilized on Robins Air Force Base and beyond.

“I think it’s simply amazing that after 50 years this aircraft is still flying, is still relevant,” Warren said. “The fact that it’s still relevant is a testament to those brilliant engineers and developers back in the 1960s that set out to create the world’s greatest fighter aircraft.

“We wouldn’t be here, I don’t think, talking about the F-15 today if it weren’t also for the government and the industry teams that continue to advance the capabilities of this aircraft and continue to support and sustain the aircraft that we have in the field.”

According to Warren, the program office there on base is a “focal point” for managing any and all activities involving the F-15.

“We lead the purchase of new aircraft, we lead the development and installation of newer upgraded capabilities, we’re responsible for the readiness and the safety of all of the F-15s in the Air Force inventory, we also manage the purchase and upgrade of F-15 aircraft for several of our foreign military partners as well — six partners to be exact,” he said. “So really, everything across the enterprise that goes on [with] the F-15 aircraft basically comes through or is orchestrated by the program office.”

He was not able to confirm the length of time the aircraft has been maintained at Robins, but he said he believed the first F-15 came through around 45 years ago.

Depending on the particular model of the aircraft, the depot maintenance schedule can vary, Warren explained. The F-15C and F-15D aircrafts see maintenance at Robins every six years, the F-15E every 7.5 years and, on average, a little more than 50 aircraft come through the depot annually.

Of the aircraft flying in the Air Force inventory, the F-15 has a collective total of almost 4,000,000 flying hours.

“The F-15, over the last couple decades, has really been involved in every contingency out there,” Warren said. “It’s flown in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Bosnia, Serbia, the horn of Africa. It was involved in the first Gulf War, Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.”

Also, six Air National Guard units fly the F-15 with the primary mission of homeland defense.

Over the last decade, a goal of the Air Force has been to modernize these aircraft, Warren said.

“Some of those upgrades have included new and improved radars; we’ve put in the latest technology in active electronically scanned array radars,” he explained. “We upgraded the mission computer in the aircraft as well, which has enabled us then to do a bunch of other upgrades to include things like new radios and another system that we’re just starting to field right now — which is a new state-of-the-art radar warning and electronic warfare suite, which helps the aircraft and the crew members detect and counter any threats to the aircraft. So it makes the aircraft much more survivable.”

In an ongoing effort, the Air Force also works to upgrade mission software to integrate all of the capabilities listed above.

The F-15 has seen various models, A through EX, throughout its lifespan.

“The A and B models are retired; there are not any A and B models in the Air Force inventory,” he added. “The C and D aircraft are essentially the same.

“The C was designed for an air-to-air mission to basically go into combat against other aircraft. The D-model is a two-seat variant of the C-model, primarily used for training. When we brought the E-model into the inventory, it was designed to be able to also perform air-to-ground missions. So, the E-model added a second crew member — a backseater if you will, the weapons system operator.”

The E-model saw additional fuel tanks on the side of the fuselage, known as conformal fuel tanks, providing the ability to fly longer missions and stay in the air for longer periods of time. Laser-guided munitions were added for engagements with ground targets.

The Air Force is working to procure more of the newest variation of the aircraft, the F-15EX. For now, two are located at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida for testing of its new systems and capabilities.

“The EX is really the first F-15 aircraft that the Air Force has procured in about 20 years and represents a lot of improvements to the system,” Warren said. “They’ve got new engines in them, new GE F110 engines in them.

“They have Fly-by-Wire controls. They have a brand-new state-of-the-art cockpit display system, and a good portion of the EX aircraft — not the entire structure of it but a significant portion of it — has been, if you will, digitally remastered.”

He said that considering the aircraft was first designed on paper and mylar in the late 60s, the F-15 has come a long way since its inception.

Warren mentioned that his favorite version of the aircraft was the C-model.

“When that aircraft was fielded, it was the most dominant fighter aircraft on the planet,” he said. “It could fly farther, it could fly faster and it could do things that no other fighter at the time could do. It was an awesome, awesome airplane. It has quite the legacy.”

The 50th Anniversary First Flight Celebration of the F-15 will take place at Robins Air Force Base on Friday, August 5, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. inside the Century of Flight Hangar.

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