Summary: The F-15 Eagle, a twin-engine all-weather fighter, has achieved over 100 aerial victories without a single loss in combat, primarily by the Israeli Air Force (IAF).

-On June 27, 1979, IAF ace Moshe Melnik made history by scoring the Eagle's first kill, downing a Syrian MiG-21 with a Python 3 missile.

-During the same engagement, IAF pilot Eitan Ben-Eliyahu achieved the F-15's first gun kill. The IAF's Baz continued to prove its prowess, downing numerous Syrian aircraft in subsequent operations over Lebanon.

1979: The F-15 Eagle’s First Combat Kill by IAF Ace Moshe Melnik

The twin-engine all-weather F-15 Eagle is among the most successful modern fighters ever built. It has more than 100 aerial victories, without a single loss in aerial combat to date. The majority of the kills are claimed by the Israeli Air Force, including the Eagle's very first kill.

Meet IAF Ace Moshe Melnik

The F-15 Eagle was developed primarily for use by the U.S. Air Force as an air superiority fighter, but the IAF proved its prowess in combat. IAF ace Moshe Melnik made aviation history nearly 45 years ago. On June 27, 1979, he notched the first kill in a dogfight from an F-15 Eagle as he went up against Syrian fighters.

As We Are The Mighty previously reported, four Israeli F-15s – known as Baz (Hebrew for Falcon) – were flying as part of a mission to hit Palestine Liberation Organization. The F-15s were providing cover. Two flights of four Syrian Air Force MiG-21 interceptors each flew to engage. The IAF pilots were given clearance to fire at the enemy MiG-21s.

It didn't take long for the IAF to show that you don't want to mess with the Baz.

Just 30 seconds into the engagement, Melnik, already an Ace pilot, selected his infrared-guided missile – an Israeli-made Python 3 – and fired at one of the MiG-21s. The Python 3 essentially broke the Soviet-made aircraft in half, and the F-15 had its first kill.

A Second Hero of the Day

Though Melnik made history that day, he wasn't actually considered the greatest hero of the hour. Another IAF pilot, Eitan Ben-Eliyahu, used his F-15's M61 Vulcan Gatling Gun to shoot down another Syrian fighter during the sortie. This was the F-15’s first gun kill, and the third air-to-air kill overall, as another Syrian aircraft was also downed in the encounter. 

These aerial kills in June 1979 would not be the last for the IAF's Baz over the skies of Lebanon. During subsequent raids against Palestinian factions in Lebanon from 1979–1981, F-15s would down more than a dozen Syrian MiG-21s and at least two Syrian MiG-25s. 

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].