Boeing F - 15I Ra ' am The F - 15l Ra ' am is an Israeli modification of the F - 15E Strike Eagle . Description . Often defined too quickly as " a Jewish F - 15E " , actually this aircraft is more than one version of the Strike Eagle in the service of Israeli military aviation needs Its origins date back to 1991 , when during Operation Desert Storm Iraqi troops launched 40 surface - surface missiles " Al - Hussein ( extended range version of the Soviet R - 17E " Scud - B " ) against Israeli territory . Soon after the then - Air Force study of the Israel Defense Forces re - designated in 2005 as Israel ' s Aerospace Force - have demonstrated that the F - 15B / D " Baz " would be able to intercept such threats only if its radar AN / APG - 63 was adapted to detect a target accelerating vertically , also necessitating a longer - range weapon that the GBU - 15 glide bomb , the only precision projectile then available to those aircraft " . " The latter claim was true when the " Baz " were integrated in 1993 when Rafael Popeye missile , with 90 km range , and plus six F - 15B shortly after , they were part of " Peace Fox V " in real terms an program to " thank " for Israel has not retaliated to attacks in Iraq , thus undermining the Arab contribution to the coalition against Saddam Hussein . Although even more capable against ground targets , aircraft converted lacked the power to destroy the missiles as " Scud " shortly after launch , still in 1993 caused the issuance of a technical requirement for the provision of a multifunctional fighter missions in any time long - range , empowered , among other functions , for such attacks , and in sufficient quantity to equip two squadrons ( 50 aircraft ) . The Lockheed Martin F - 16 and the McDonnell Douglas F / A - 18D were proposed , but discarded due to insufficient power , with the F - 15E ( operational in the USAF since 1988 ) is openly declared as the ideal platform , although not yet approved for export . Its predecessor , the F - 111 Aardvark was considered for filling the gap , but their inability to attack in any weather condition , to defend himself as the Strike Eagle aircraft from other , outdated technology avionics mission as well as its maintenance also eliminated the " Vark " . That same year Saudi Arabia bought 72 copies of the F - 15XP , ( later designated F - 15S , a version with less powerful equipment mission than the F - 15E ) and the Israeli government signed with the Palestine Liberation Organization to the Oslo Agreement , with both events perceived as threats to Israel ' s military power . The result was acquired in May next year ' s 25 F - 15I ( I for Israel ) with some resources being initially released for Blackhawk helicopters . The first flight occurred in September 1997 , exactly two years after all the aircraft were delivered to the only operating unit of the type , the Squadron 69 " Ha ' Pat shin " ( Hammer ) , activated in July 1948 shortly after the independence of the Jewish State , three flying B - 17 bombers , and now based in Hatzerim . During January 1999 , the F - 15I , known as " Ra ' am " ( Thunder ) , had its baptism of fire in southern Lebanon , and five months later the commander of the squadron destroyed two bridges over the Litany and Awali rivers using four 907 kg laser - guided bombs in a nighttime mission with the target partially covered by clouds , demonstrating the range and accuracy of the new vector . More recently , in September 2007 , the Ra ' am was used to destroy what has been identified as a Syrian nuclear facility in Deir Ez - Zor , Operation Orchard . Avionics . As with the F - 15S , the " Ra ' am " has its main sensor in a version of something potentially reduced radar AN / APG - 70 called AN / APG - 70I , this is a common practice when selling industrial powers their products warfare . Even if you do not have ways of " Attack / Electronic Harassment " or the ability to " Non - Cooperative Target Recognition " as the Strike Eagle , the device installed in the F - 15I is integrated modules for less than the AN / APG - 63 aboard the " Baz " , having memory ten times , turned up five times faster than the same machines . Acting in the band I / J , cover an angle of 120 degrees ahead of the aircraft , operating in 15 air - air modes and four air - surface . Among the early highlights are the " Vertical Scan , which detects any target to at least 150 meters of altitude and distance up to 18 . 5km which is situated in an area of 7 . 5 degrees horizontal and 5 / 55 degrees vertical , the " Super Search " that detects the first target with the same parameters as altitude / distance to penetrate a circle of 20 degree opening designed the HUD and screening - to - scan , while 10 can detect targets at the same time , although it can only attack one target at a time , with a minimum speed of 84 km / h with the maximum range against air targets being 185km . Already against terrestrial targets , there is the mode of " Real Map " which could cover an area up to 148 km apart within which there is the possibility of being activated mode " High - Resolution Map " with up to 74 km area , if the aircraft is flying at 330 meters ( the highest resolution , 2 . 6 m , is obtained at a distance of up to 37 km of this zone , where vehicles can be identified ) , and " Target Land Mobile , " capable of detecting , for example , Trucks and armored vehicles up to 59 km . The air - surface operating modes according to the functional principles of Synthetic Aperture immune to clouds smoke and snow . The F - 15I is equipped with four radios U / VHF Israeli origin , and the Integrated Electronic Warfare SPS - 2110 ( capable , among other things , to warn an approaching missile ) and Electronic Warfare System SPS - 3000 , systems that replaced the Americans . There is also the datalink Rafael and Collection System and Data Transfer RADA , which resembles a data cartridge with the parameters of the missions . The aircraft is integrated with LANTIRN and Litening pods . Altogether there are about 16 computers managing all systems , whose data are shown in three multifunction displays for the pilot ( one color ) and four for the navigator / weapons operator ( two colored ) . Altogether there are 27 possible viewing options on such displays , including satellite images . For night missions , the crew of " Ra ' am , " stays in ACES II ejection seats , using night vision goggles " Journal " , while daytime sorties to use the display DASH .