A watan Maris na 1981, USAF ta sanar da shirin Enhanced Tactical Fighter don neman maye gurbin F-111. Daga baya aka sake masa suna Dual-Role Fighter (DRF) gasar. Manufar ta hango wani jirgin sama mai iya kaddamar da ayyukan hana iska mai zurfi ba tare da buƙatar ƙarin tallafi ta hanyar rakiyar jirgin sama ba. General Dynamics ya gabatar da F-16XL, yayin da McDonnell Douglas ya gabatar da F-15E. Panavia Tornado ya kasance dan takara, amma tun da jirgin sama ba shi da kwarewar jirgin sama mai karfin gaske, haɗe da gaskiyar cewa ba a yi shi a Amurka ba, ba a yi la'akari da shi da gaske. Tambaya: Menene Douglas ya gabatar?
da F-15E