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The F-15E Strike Eagle StorySteve DaviesTwo-part series

The complete F-15E Strike Eagle Story… so far

One story. Two books.

A continuous history of the Strike Eagle, built from original research, rare photography and the accounts of the people who developed, maintained and flew it.

Hardback editions · Secure checkout at 10percenttrue.com

“A highly reputed military aerospace defence writer.”— Eagle Dynamics

Primary-source researchFront-line aircrew accountsBoeing historical archive access
Reader reviews

Amazon readers

4.9
★★★★★

4.9 out of 5 · 13 ratings

Overall4.9

“This superb book on the F-15E Strike Eagle is a ‘must own’.”

Timothy Philip Rogers · Amazon UK

“The most descriptive and exciting F-15E text available.”

“mickjorgo” · Amazon UK

“A treasure chest for F-15E fans.”

Szabolcs Serflek · Amazon US
01Inside the books

Four decades of the Strike Eagle—told from inside the programme.

This is not a catalogue of variants and specifications. Across two substantial volumes, Steve Davies connects the aircraft’s technical evolution with the decisions, pressures and first-hand experiences that shaped it—from St Louis to the front line.

Part 1 · 1978—2002

Be Afraid of the Dark

How an air-superiority fighter became the world’s most capable all-weather strike aircraft—and proved itself in combat.

01

The birth of the Strike Eagle

Go inside the Advanced Fighter Capability Demonstrator and the hard-fought competition that transformed the F-15 from air-superiority icon into the definitive dual-role fighter. Drawing on programme records and the recollections of those involved, BAOTD shows why key decisions were taken—and what nearly sent the programme in a different direction.

02

Turning a concept into a weapon system

Follow the engineers and test crews as APG-70, LANTIRN, conformal fuel tanks, engines and a new cockpit were made to work as one formidable weapon system. The book makes the technical story accessible without simplifying it, revealing the compromises, failures and breakthroughs behind the finished aircraft.

03

Service, training and first combat

Experience Desert Storm, the no-fly zones, the Balkans and Enduring Freedom through the accounts of the aircrew, maintainers and squadrons who took the aircraft to war. Mission narratives explain not only what happened, but how the Strike Eagle was actually planned, fought and sustained under operational pressure.

04

The Strike Eagle beyond the USAF

Discover how Israel, Saudi Arabia and South Korea selected and adapted the Strike Eagle—creating distinct aircraft for their own operational demands. BAOTD connects the political, industrial and technical threads that produced each export variant, with detail rarely assembled in a single account.

Part 2 · 2002—2022

Twenty Years at War

The inside story of a combat-proven aircraft remade for the networked battlespace—and used at war for twenty more years.

01

From platform to network

See how Gold Pan, Fighter Data Link, Litening and Sniper changed what crews could see, share and understand—turning the Strike Eagle into a node in the battlespace. TYAW follows the people who drove those changes and shows how apparently incremental upgrades altered cockpit workload, tactics and the crew’s view of the fight.

02

New sensors, weapons and processing

Trace the hidden architecture behind the modern Strike Eagle: the Mission Equipment Data Bus (MEDB), Advanced Display Core Processors and Universal Armament Interface (UAI). TYAW explains how these little-documented systems made rapid integration of Small Diameter Bomb, Laser JDAM, Dragon’s Eye, APG-82 AESA and later weapons possible.

03

The 4.5-generation Strike Eagle

Understand how MIDS-JTRS, universal weapons integration, EPAWSS and fifth-generation cooperation kept a heavily used fleet lethal, survivable and relevant. The book draws the hardware, software and tactical strands together to show how a 1970s airframe became a genuine 4.5-generation combat aircraft rather than merely an upgraded legacy platform.

04

At war

Read the missions as the crews experienced them: two decades of operational narratives, including previously classified missions in Djibouti and against ISIL. These are detailed human accounts of planning, improvisation and combat—not summaries assembled from press releases—and many have not previously been told in print.

02Sample spreads

Designed to be read. Made to be kept.

Open the full PDF sample
Technical cockpit-system spread inside Be Afraid of the Dark
Cockpit systems and technical detail
Illustrated F-15E operational-history spread inside Be Afraid of the Dark
First-hand operational history
F-15E photography and analysis spread inside Be Afraid of the Dark
Photography, reference and analysis
Open Be Afraid of the Dark hardback showing an illustrated operational-history spread
Illustrated history in a premium hardback
Aviation author Steve Davies beside a military aircraft
Steve Davies
03The author

Research spanning archives, retirees and crews flying combat today.

Steve Davies is a world-renowned author and journalist with 25 years’ experience in aviation journalism. He has a track record of telling stories characterised by their authenticity, authoritative sources and originality. He is also the host of the 10 Percent True podcast.

The extensive research behind both books began in 2003, with rare and unfettered access to Boeing’s St Louis archives and retirees. It continues to this day through long-form interviews and first-hand access to operational crews flying combat today.

21books written20+years of research10 Percent Truelong-form interviews

Part 2 · In production

Follow the Strike Eagle into Twenty Years at War.

Join Steve’s occasional email list for publication news, research notes and production updates for Twenty Years at War.

04FAQs

Before you order.

What do the books cover?

Together, the two books form a continuous history of the F-15E Strike Eagle from its origins in 1978 through four decades of development, service and combat operations.

Part 1 · Be Afraid of the Dark, 1978–2002

  1. Development
  2. F-15E production and technical
  3. Operational service
  4. Combat records
  5. Aircrew training
  6. Variants and export models
  7. The future

It covers the aircraft’s conception and flight-test programme, its systems and weapons, entry into service, Desert Storm, the no-fly zones, Allied Force and Enduring Freedom, together with the Israeli, Saudi and South Korean Strike Eagles.

Part 2 · Twenty Years at War, 2002–2022

  1. F-15E development: 2003–2023
  2. US combat deployments
  3. New weapons, pylons and racks
  4. US operators
  5. International operators
  6. Variant briefings (2003 onwards)
  7. Future

The main chapters are followed by extensive appendices and a master year-by-year table tracing the Strike Eagle’s evolution.

What is the physical format?

A 249-page hardback measuring 242 × 300 mm and weighing approximately 1.7 kg. It is printed in full colour on 170gsm silk coated stock.

Is this a limited edition?

Yes. Both are limited-edition hardbacks. Every copy is individually hand-numbered, and each book has a print run of only 1,000 copies.

How will my order be sent?

Orders are posted using a Royal Mail tracked and insured service. Delivery charges and timing are shown during checkout.

The F-15E Strike Eagle Story

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