{"id":"comp-211","slug":"f-15-vs-f-16","title":"F-15 Eagle vs F-16 Fighting Falcon","shortAnswer":"The F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine air superiority fighter with an undefeated 104-0 combat record. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a lighter, cheaper, single-engine multirole fighter and the most produced Western fighter jet. F-15 for air dominance, F-16 for versatility and value.","keyDifferences":[{"label":"Top Speed","entityAValue":"Mach 2.5","entityBValue":"Mach 2.0","winner":"a"},{"label":"Engines","entityAValue":"2x F100/F110","entityBValue":"1x F100/F110","winner":"a"},{"label":"Air Combat Record","entityAValue":"104-0","entityBValue":"76-1","winner":"a"},{"label":"Unit Cost","entityAValue":"$30-40M","entityBValue":"$14-18M","winner":"b"},{"label":"Payload","entityAValue":"23,000 lbs","entityBValue":"17,000 lbs","winner":"a"},{"label":"Units Produced","entityAValue":"1,200+","entityBValue":"4,600+","winner":"b"}],"verdict":"The F-15 is the superior air-to-air platform with more power, range, and payload. The F-16 is the better value — cheaper, more versatile, and adequate for most missions. Both remain frontline fighters for the US and Israel.","category":"military","entities":[{"id":"ent-422","slug":"f-15-eagle","name":"F-15 Eagle","shortDesc":"Twin-engine air superiority fighter, 104-0 combat record","imageUrl":null,"entityType":"technology","position":0,"pros":["104-0 air combat record","Twin engines (survivability)","Larger weapons payload","Higher top speed (Mach 2.5)","Longer range"],"cons":["More expensive ($30-40M)","Larger radar signature","Higher operating costs","Heavier"],"bestFor":"Air superiority and deep strike missions"},{"id":"ent-423","slug":"f-16","name":"F-16 Fighting Falcon","shortDesc":"Single-engine multirole fighter, most produced Western jet","imageUrl":null,"entityType":"technology","position":1,"pros":["Lower cost ($14-18M)","Excellent maneuverability (9G capable)","4,600+ produced worldwide","Versatile (air-to-air and ground attack)","Lower operating cost"],"cons":["Single engine (less survivable)","Smaller payload","Shorter range","Less powerful radar"],"bestFor":"Multirole missions and cost-effective air power"}],"attributes":[{"id":"attr-1210","slug":"max-speed","name":"Max Speed","unit":"Mach","category":"Performance","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":true,"values":[{"entityId":"ent-422","valueText":"2.5","valueNumber":2.5,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":true},{"entityId":"ent-423","valueText":"2.0","valueNumber":2,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":false}]},{"id":"attr-1211","slug":"combat-radius","name":"Combat Radius","unit":"km","category":"Range","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":true,"values":[{"entityId":"ent-422","valueText":"1,967","valueNumber":1967,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":true},{"entityId":"ent-423","valueText":"547","valueNumber":547,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":false}]},{"id":"attr-1212","slug":"weapons-payload","name":"Weapons Payload","unit":"lbs","category":"Firepower","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":true,"values":[{"entityId":"ent-422","valueText":"23,000","valueNumber":23000,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":true},{"entityId":"ent-423","valueText":"17,000","valueNumber":17000,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":false}]},{"id":"attr-1213","slug":"unit-cost","name":"Unit Cost","unit":"USD","category":"Cost","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":true,"values":[{"entityId":"ent-422","valueText":"$30-40M","valueNumber":35,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":false},{"entityId":"ent-423","valueText":"$14-18M","valueNumber":16,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":true}]},{"id":"attr-1214","slug":"units-produced","name":"Units Produced","unit":null,"category":"Production","dataType":"number","higherIsBetter":true,"values":[{"entityId":"ent-422","valueText":"1,200+","valueNumber":1200,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":false},{"entityId":"ent-423","valueText":"4,600+","valueNumber":4600,"valueBoolean":null,"winner":true}]}],"faqs":[{"question":"Which does Israel use?","answer":"Israel operates both — F-15I Ra'am for long-range strike and F-16I Sufa for multirole missions. Both are heavily modified with Israeli electronics and weapons systems."},{"question":"Which is better in a dogfight?","answer":"The F-16 is more agile in a turning fight. The F-15 has more energy and can dictate the engagement with its speed and altitude advantage. In BVR (beyond visual range), the F-15's more powerful radar wins."}],"relatedComparisons":[{"slug":"f-16-vs-f-35","title":"F-16 vs F-35","category":"products"},{"slug":"us-military-vs-china-military","title":"US Military vs China Military","category":"military"},{"slug":"usa-vs-china","title":"USA vs China","category":"countries"},{"slug":"ww1-vs-ww2","title":"World War 1 vs World War 2: Causes, Deaths & Key Differences","category":"history"},{"slug":"us-navy-vs-us-army","title":"US Navy vs US Army","category":"military"},{"slug":"marines-vs-army","title":"US Marines vs US Army","category":"military"},{"slug":"air-force-vs-navy","title":"Air Force vs Navy","category":"military"},{"slug":"nato-vs-brics","title":"NATO vs BRICS","category":"military"},{"slug":"officer-vs-enlisted","title":"Officer vs Enlisted","category":"military"},{"slug":"us-military-vs-russia-military","title":"US Military vs Russia Military","category":"military"},{"slug":"india-military-vs-pakistan-military","title":"India Military vs Pakistan Military","category":"military"},{"slug":"aircraft-carrier-vs-submarine","title":"Aircraft Carrier vs Submarine","category":"military"}],"relatedBlogPosts":[],"metadata":{"metaTitle":"F-15 Eagle vs F-16 Fighting Falcon: Complete Comparison (2026) | Comparison","metaDescription":"The F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine air superiority fighter with an undefeated 104-0 combat record. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is a lighter, cheaper, single-engine…","publishedAt":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","updatedAt":"2026-03-21T00:00:00Z","isAutoGenerated":false,"isHumanReviewed":true,"viewCount":389000}}