Eat that! Spectacular moment US F15 fires missile and blows opponent out of the sky during training exercise off British coast
- The mission was part of a live fire exercise that took place over sea off the coast of the UK on December 8
- Footage shows an F15-C Eagle fighter jet shooting down its target with a a Sidewinder missile
- The event was carried out by the 493d Fighter Squadron, or ‘The Grim Reapers’, of the US Air Force
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This is the incredible moment a US F15 fighter jet fires a missile and blows its target out of the sky.
The mission was part of a live fire exercise off the coast of the UK on December 8.
Video footage shows a view of the cockpit of the F15-C Eagle fighter jet as it fires a Sidewinder missile towards its target over the Atlantic Ocean.
The exercise was conducted in conjunction with QinetiQ, a UK-based multinational defense technology company.
The aircraft carried modified AIM-9M infrared-guided missiles fired at flare packs being towed 300 feet behind a drone.
According to Capt. John Bynum, 493rd FS electronic combat pilot, the training gives fighter squadrons in the United States Air Forces in Europe, an opportunity to test live missiles.
This is the incredible moment an F15 fighter jet fires a missile and blows its target out of the sky
Video footage shows a view of the cockpit of the F15-C Eagle fighter jet as it fires a Sidewinder missile towards its target over the Atlantic Ocean
From another aircraft, we are then shown the missile hitting its target and destroying it, leaving debris in its wake
The missile was a training version of the AIM-9M Sidewinder, a short-range air-to-air missile which entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964
From another aircraft, we are then shown the missile hitting its target and destroying it, leaving debris in its wake.
The missile was a training version of the AIM-9M Sidewinder, a short-range air-to-air missile which entered service with the US Navy in 1956 and subsequently was adopted by the US Air Force in 1964.
The F-15C Eagle is an American twin-engine, all-weather tactical fighter aircraft designed by McDonnell Douglas, now Boeing, in 1972.
It entered service in 1979 and is among the most successful fighter jets in production today, with no losses in aerial combat.
The aircraft is predominantly used by the US Air Force as well as the air forces of Saudi Arabia, Israel and Japan.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of Defense said: ‘The training helped pilots gain real-world experience by using infrared-guided missiles aimed at flare packs being towed 300 feet behind a subscale drone.’
A 493rd Fighter Squadron F-15C is pictured heading out to the exercise over the Atlantic Ocean
Aircraft assigned to the Lakenheath-based 494th Fighter Squadron on the flight line at Tyndall AFB, for the Combat Archer 19-8 exercise
The statement added that ‘the training enabled Liberty Wing fighter pilots to meet mission requirements, becoming combat-ready in a wartime environment.’
According to Lt. Col. Anthony May, 493rd Fighter Squadron commander, live air-to-air weapons employment in the European theatre is vital to maintaining operational readiness and strategic messaging.
‘This type of experience provides a deterrent effect to potential adversaries by outwardly exhibiting readiness,’ said May. ‘It demonstrates the Liberty Wing’s commitment to allies, showing the capability to deliver air superiority across Europe.’
The event was carried out by the 493d Fighter Squadron, nicknamed’The Grim Reapers’, part of the United States Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing located at RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk.
The 493d provides air-to-air offensive and defensive support for US and NATO operations.