n 1967 the U.S. became aware of the Soviet MiG-25 Foxbat. This made it necessary to develop
a new aircraft to counter the MiG-25. The USAF rejected the USN F-14 Tomcat and issued its
own requirements. The solution came in the form of the McDonnell-Douglas (now Boeing) F-15
Eagle. The F-15A made its inaugural flight in July 1972 and in January 1976 the first Eagle
entered service. The "E" entered service in 1989. The F-15 was the first dedicated USAF air
superiority fighter since the F-86 Sabre.
The Royal Saudi Air Force purchased 72 F-15S’s comprised of 48 aircraft set up to specialize in
air-to-ground missions and 24 for air intercept roles. The maiden flight of the F-15s took place on
June 19, 1995 with the official roll out took place on September 12, 1995. The last F-15S was
delivered on November 10, 1999. The twenty first F-15S was 93-0872 Saudi serial S21 and
delivered in August 1997. 93-0872 is assigned to the 6th Squadron/5th Wing located at Khamis
Mushait (King Khalid Air Base).