Wednesday, Jun. 29, 2011

F-15E Fighter Jet

The Boeing F-15E is one of the Air Force's top ground-pounders. A derivative of the F-15 fighter, the Strike Eagle was designed to attack targets on the ground instead of shooting enemy fighters out of the sky. Its two-person crew includes a "wizzo" — weapons systems officer — who sits behind the pilot and targets the plane's weapons, which include most of the bombs in the Air Force inventory. The F-15E also packs a M61 20mm cannon.



For the inside story on America's military operations around the world, check out Mark Thompson's blog, Battleland: Where military intelligence is not a contradiction in terms.