The F-15 Strike Eagle is arguably the bedrock of the US Air Force. The fighter jet has been in service for over 50 years and has an astonishing track record. For example, over those decades, only a handful have ever been lost: two in the 1991 Gulf War and one in the 2003 Iraq War.
So eyebrows were raised last month when three of them were shot down on March 1 over Kuwait in what was described as a “friendly fire incident” involving Kuwaiti air defenses. This was an embarrassing moment for both the United States and Kuwait, as the estimated cost for the lost aircraft and their replacements is estimated to be roughly $300 million.
