The Israeli F-15I Ra'am, meaning "Thunder of god" in Hebrew, is to this day the go-to plane for the Israeli air force, ever since 1998. It was developed from the American F-15E Strike Eagle, found in the US tech tree. They are extremely similar, and function practically identically in-game.
Engines
The F-15I is notable because of its incredible speed, reaching speeds even as high as Mach 2 (2470kph/1535mph) in record times, faster than any plane in the game except for the F-15E. The amazing power of the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engines does not stop there, as the top speed of the F-15I sits at around Mach 2.5 (3087kph/1918mph) at high altitudes, outrunning every plane in the game (Other than the F-15E), and even outpacing some missiles! This incredible speed allows the F-15I to control the tide of air battles, as the pilot can freely choose what planes they want to fight. Enemy planes and missiles will struggle to keep up with the F-15I in the case of a retreat, but will also not be able to run away in the case of an attack.
Air-to-air Weapons
The weapons of the F-15I no less impressive than its speed, as it is capable of carrying a massive array of ordinance, suited for use against both air and ground targets. The air-to-air weaponry of the F-15I consists of nothing but the best NATO AAMs (air-to-air missiles). As its semi-active radar option, it employs the AIM-7M Sparrow, a great radar guided missile. Even though it falls short of the capability of modern FOX-3 missiles, it can still prove to be a reliable tool for taking out enemies at range. Its heat-seeking option, the AIM-9M Sidewinder, is among the best heatseeking missiles in the game. Featuring great range, a max overload of 30G, an all-aspect, IRCCM seeker and a smokeless motor, this missile paired with the HMD (Helmet-mounted display) capabilities of the F-15I make it absolutely lethal in close and medium range engagements.
The FOX-3 missile used by the F-15I is arguably the best in the game, the AIM-120B AMRAAM. Functionally, it is identical to the AIM-120A AMRAAM and RB-99 found on many top tier jets, making it an extremely good way to clean the skies of enemies. With an outstanding range, reliable pulse-doppler radar and overload of 35G, this missile is basically as good as it gets when it comes to air-to-air weaponry.
Air-to-ground Weapons
Being a dual-role fighter, designed to fight any type of enemy, whether on the ground or in the air, the F-15I comes with a massive arsenal of different types of bombs. Being able to carry up to 7 2000lb or 12 500lb unguided bombs, this aircraft is perfect for any player wishing to provide close air support in ground battles or bomb bases in air battles using just the ballistic computer on board the aircraft for guidance. For players preferring guided munitions, the ra'am is capable of carrying a massive arsenal of Laser, TV and GPS guided bombs, capable of delivering the destructive power of a bomb as precisely as a missile. The F-15I is even capable of carrying the newly added GBU-39 GPS-guided glide bombs, which can glide to targets tens of kilometers away, using their almost 12 minute guidance time and deployable wings to make it to their destination.
How to use the F-15I
Using the F-15I in game couldn't be simpler. The name of the game with the Ra'am is using its superior speed to catch enemies off guard and get away before they can do anything. In air realistic battles, going to the far side of the map and appearing behind everybody a couple of minutes into a game can be a great way to get kills, especially when the plane is in its stock configuration and does not get access to many FOX-3 missiles. Climbing to a ridiculous altitude (10km+) can also be a good strategy, as enemy planes and missiles will lose a lot of energy trying to catch up to you, and at that high of an altitude, accelerating to speeds in excess of Mach 2 is a cakewalk. Being this fast means that other planes have no chance of shooting you down if you just go the other direction and max out your engines. In ground battles, you should mainly stay either really close to the ground, under the enemies' radar, or climb to a height above the enemies radar. There, you can drop air-to-ground munitions freely, and also pick off attack drones before they can unload their missiles.
