A Royal Saudi Air Force F-15 Eagle seen during joint exercises with the US Air Force over Saudi Arabia in February 2011. A similar aircraft was likely downed in Yemen this week. (US Army/Sgt. Erica Knight)
Iran-Backed Houthis Claim Saudi F-15 Kill over Yemen
The militant group in northern Yemen filmed a video of a destroyed aircraft on the ground, which Western analysts matched to a fighter jet in Saudi Arabia’s inventory.
The Iranian-backed Houthi militants claimed on Wednesday to have shot down a US-made F-15SA fighter, one of the 84 purpose-built aircraft for the Royal Saudi Air Force. The group released a video that purported to show the wreckage of a downed Saudi fighter, and stated that the US-built fighter was downed by a locally manufactured surface-to-air missile.
Saudi Arabia has not commented on the Houthis’ claim, but Western media outlets, including CNN, have identified the crash site in Marib, Yemen. The identification number of the aircraft in the video is “5539,” which analysts have said is consistent with a fighter operated by the RSAF. It was reported to have been assigned to the 55th Squadron at Khalid Air Base, and was photographed at the facility just seven months ago.
The incident comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting between the Houthis, a Yemeni militant group allied with Iran, and the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government of Yemen in September.
The Houthis currently control most of western and northern Yemen, including the capital city of Sanaa and most of the country’s population. They recently seized key areas along the Red Sea coast to dominate the vital Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
Earlier this month, the Houthis launched drone and missile strikes targeting Saudi military bases, including the Sharurah base, and regional energy sites including Saudi Arabia’s east-west oil pipeline, leading to its closure.
Losing an F-15 Is a Big Deal for Saudi Arabia
To date, no F-15 of any variation has been shot down in air-to-air combat, with the fighter maintaining a flawless aerial record with more than 100 victories over enemy aircraft.
However, at least seven F-15s have been shot down by ground-based surface-to-air systems via friendly fire. Three US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly targeted and shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses in March during the early stages of Operation Epic Fury. Just over a month later, another F-15E was downed by Iranian ground fire. All eight aviators from the four aircraft safely ejected and were rescued, although some suffered injuries before their recovery.
If confirmed, this week’s incident would be the first loss of an F-15SA in combat. However, another Saudi-operated F-15SA crashed during a training mission at King Abdulaziz Air Base in July 2023, killing both crewmembers.
Saudi Arabia Loves American F-15s
The F-15 Eagle is the backbone of Saudi Arabia’s immense fighter jet fleet. Riyadh operates around 230 of the aircraft, including base model F-15 Eagles, F-15E Strike Eagles, and the F-15SA, an advanced version of the F-15S based on the Strike Eagle.
The F-15SA made its maiden flight in February 2013 and was developed for both air-to-air combat and ground strike missions. The fourth-generation-plus fighter is powered by two GE Aviation F110-GE-129 afterburning turbofans, and is outfitted with a fly-by-wire flight control system that allows for the reactivation of additional underwing pylon stations one and nine. It is also equipped with advanced cockpit displays and Raytheon’s AN/APG-63(V)3 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, and the F-15SA further features a structurally redesigned wing and a new nose barrel.
The F-15SA is also equipped with BAE Systems-developed digital electronic warfare system/common missile warning system (DEWS/CMWS); Lockheed Martin’s AN/AAS-42 infrared search and track (IRST) system; a Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) and a Link-16 multifunctional information distribution system (MIDS). The platform can be equipped with Lockheed Martin’s AN/AAQ-33 Sniper advanced targeting pod (ATP), as well as the firm’s AN/AAQ-13 Low Altitude Navigation and Targeting Infrared for Night (LANTIRN) system.
According to Boeing, the F-15SA can carry up to 12 air-to-air missiles and 24 air-to-ground munitions.
The first F-15SA was rolled out at Boeing’s St. Louis facilities in April 2013, while the final F-15SA advanced fighter aircraft were delivered in December 2020 as part of a $29.4 billion Foreign Military Sales (FMS) deal for 84 of the newly-built aircraft and upgrade kits for 70 of Riyadh’s F-15S aircraft.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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