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| F-15E |
It is the backbone of the US Air Force (USAF) and made its first flight in 1986. The USAF has 227 in total.
Two squadrons are kept at Lakenheath American Air Force base in Suffolk, the largest US Air Force-operated base in England, where they have previously seen service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is the only US base in Europe to house F-15 warplanes.
Although a fighter jet, the Strike Eagle's advanced avionics systems mean is able to perform both air-to-surface and air-to-air or air-to-surface missions "at all altitudes, day or night, in any weather”, Boeing claims.
The first production model of the F-15E was delivered to the US military in April 1988. Dubbed "Strike Eagle", it first saw active service the following year.
The jets' maximum speed is twice the speed of sound and it has a "digital threat warning system" to detect potenial enemies.
The plane carries a 23,000lb arsenal which includes air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons.
The planes are safe for operational use until at least 2035.
Since 2001, USAF F-15E aircraft have been almost exclusively used for "close air support" - the military term for operations involviving co-ordinated action between air and land forces.
In July 2009, two US arimen were killed when an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet crashed because of mechanical problems.
In addition to the United States, F15s are flown by Singapore, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Israel.
Sources: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
