Israel’s F-15I Ra’am Fighter Was Built to Bomb Iran Into Submission

Key Points – Israel’s F-15I “Ra’am” (Thunder) fighter jets was likely instrumental in “Operation Rising Lion,” the massive air assault on Iran that began on June 12th.

-Leveraging their huge payload capacity of 11 tons, the F-15Is were likely tasked with destroying hardened and deeply buried targets, such as Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility, using powerful “bunker buster” munitions like the GBU-28.

-The F-15I, a heavily modified variant of the F-15E, uses advanced systems like the LANTIRN targeting pod and APG-70 radar for precision strikes in all weather conditions, making it a cornerstone of Israel’s long-range strike force.

F-15I Ra’am Likely Blasted Targets in Iran

Operation Rising Lion, a massive air strike against Iranian military targets and nuclear infrastructure, will go down as one of the most essential Israeli defense actions in recent history.

The bombing eliminated Iranian military commanders and scientists and took out many atomic sites around the country.

This operation will likely continue in the coming days until Iran has no more ability to execute its nuclear weapons program.

One airplane that was likely instrumental in the operation’s initial success was the F-15I Ra’am (“Thunder”). “Given its weapons capacity, the F-15I is probably the best aircraft to address the deeply buried bunkers of Natanz with the GBU-28, a 2,300kg (5,000lb) ‘bunker buster’ munition,” FlightGlobal.com said.

“According to the first reports, the strike involved over 200 aircraft participated in five waves of strikes against Iran, which used over 330 munitions,” the Aviationist wrote. Israel has around 66 F-15Is.

It Was Time for Israel to Strike Natanz

Israel was close to developing nine nuclear devices, and targeting Natanz was a key part of its strategy and tactics. Natanz has the critical centrifuges that make atomic bombs possible. Social media sites showed videos that Natanz was on fire overnight.

Most of the facility is underground, and Israeli bunker busters from the F-15I were likely instrumental in the attack on Natanz.

“The underground area of the [Natanz] site was damaged. This area features a multi-story enrichment hall, including centrifuges, electrical rooms, and additional supporting infrastructure. In addition, critical infrastructure enabling the site’s continuous operation and the Iranian regime’s ongoing efforts to obtain nuclear weapons were targeted. We will continue to operate to prevent the Iranian Regime from acquiring nuclear weapons,” Israeli Defense Forces said.

Evidence the F-15I Took Part in the Operation

Micro-blogging site X showed a video of F-15I drop tanks jettisoned on the way to targets in Iran. The F-15Is likely flew over Iraqi and Syrian air space and were re-fueled by KC-707 tankers.

“Eyewitnesses in Iraq confirmed overflights by fighter jets, possibly F-15I Ra’ams, along with visible projectile trails believed to be outbound munitions fired toward Iranian territory,” according to Defense Security Asia.

More Details About the F-15I

The F-15I is a highly upgraded variant of the baseline F-15 Eagle, which has proven itself undefeated in combat. The Israelis sought a model that could be compared to the F-15EX.

The F-15I is one of the fastest warplanes in the world, with a top speed of between MACH 2.25 and MACH 2.5.

The first F-15Is arrived in Israel at the end of the 1990s. The modernizations and technologies added are designed explicitly for Israel to intercept enemy fighters in air policing mode or for ground strike missions like the last operation against Iran.

Built for Air-to-Ground Attacks

One highly significant system the Israelis have added to the F-15I is the LANTIRN. This makes acquiring ground targets much more effective. LANTIRN was instrumental in the Iranian attack. This is a navigation pod with forward-looking infrared (FLIR) attributes.

“The Ra’am’s advanced systems include an APG-70 radar with terrain mapping capability. The sharp picture that the APG-70 provides, regardless of weather conditions and light, makes it possible to locate targets that are otherwise very hard to find—i.e., missile batteries, tanks and structures—even under such adverse conditions as complete fog cover, heavy rain or moonless nights,” according to Israeli-Weapons.com.

The F-15I’s APG-70 radar features terrain mapping capability, enabling it to spot difficult targets at night. The Ra’am likely made its attacks in the second, third, or fourth wave of airplanes during Operation Rising Lion. The F-35I Adir likely cleared the way by destroying enemy air defenses and radar. These sites were already degraded by a previous group of air strikes against the Iranians last autumn.

The F-15I can carry a payload of 11 tons. It also can launch AMRAAMs and Python-4 missiles. The Ra’ams may have been outfitted with 30,000-pound GBU-57 bombs for better underground penetration.

The F-15I has a considerable range—up to 4,400 kilometers (2,700 miles). This makes it an excellent option against Iran.

Not Stopping Until All Targets Are Destroyed

The Ra’am will be busy in the coming days. Iranian air defenses have been mostly destroyed, and now is the time to eliminate as many nuclear infrastructure targets as possible before the prime minister stops the operation. The Israelis have improved the baseline F-15 so it can thrive when attacking Iran. This is precisely what the Israeli Air Force was hoping for when it modernized the Eagle.

Iran is reeling from the attack from the F-15Is and other warplanes. So far, the operation must be considered an enormous success. We will know in the coming days about the bomb damage assessment from Israeli intelligence (if it is publicized). If Natanz is offline, then the F-15I likely enjoyed a high level of efficacy, and that’s what the Israeli Air Force had in mind with the Ra’am.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.

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