--- title: "This F-15E scored an air-to-air kill by dropping a bomb on an Iraqi helicopter" description: "It was the F-15E's only air-to-air kill during Desert Storm that would become the most memorable. Read how it happened on WATM." date: "2021-04-16" modified: "2021-04-16" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/this-f-15e-scored-an-air-to-air-kill/" categories: - "Air Force" - "Aircraft" - "Gulf War" - "History" - "Tactical" - "War History" --- # This F-15E scored an air-to-air kill by dropping a bomb on an Iraqi helicopter ![]() The first time the F-15 Strike Eagle saw combat was in the skies over the Middle East during Operation Desert Storm. Although the F-15 C and D were incredibly lethal in air-to-air combat, the F-15E was primarily used to take out mobile Scud missiles and surface-to-air missile sites. It was the F-15E's only air-to-air kill during Desert Storm that would become the most memorable. --- On Valentine's Day 1991, the offensive part of the [First Gulf War]() was in full swing. U.S. Air Force Captains Richard "TB" Bennett and Dan "Chewie" Bakke were pilot and weapons system officer, respectively, on a Scud patrol. AWACS ordered their F-15E to hit Mi-24 Hind Gunships that were close to a U.S. Special Forces operation. Bakke told the author of "[Debrief: A Complete History of U.S. Aerial Engagements]()" that the F-15E's radar became "intermittent" when they moved to strike. The pilot couldn't get a missile lock on the targets because one the Hinds began to accelerate so fast. Bakke switched his thinking to a ground attack. Since he could only see the rotors using his LANTIRN pod (the ground targeting system used by the Strike Eagles) Bakke used a laser-guided, 2,000-pound GBU-10 bomb on the helicopter as it began to lift off. The bomb when through the rotors and the cockpit, its fuse delay exploding the munition underneath the Hind, completely disintegrating the helicopter. The other helicopters bolted after that and more U.S. air cover came in to protect the ground force. ![]() After the Special Forces team was extracted, they confirmed the F-15E's kill and sent Bennett and Bakke a "Thank You" via their headquarters based in Riyadh. ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()