The first flight of the F-15A took place on July 27th, 1972. The USAF selected the McDonnell Douglas F-15 in December 1969 to meet its requirement for a new all weather tactical aircraft. It was designed to gain and maintain air superiority in aerial combat and to outperform and outfight any current or projected enemy aircraft. It was the first USAF fighter designed with an advanced guidance system that displayed steering and weapon system information on a computer screen for the pilot. It was the first U.S. operational aircraft whose engines' thrust power exceeded the aircraft's loaded weight, permitting it to accelerate while in a vertical climb. During Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991 and in Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, the F-15A provided a defensive umbrella that permitted the deployment of air, land and sea assets into Iraq and accounted for the majority of the air-to-air kills of Iraqi aircraft.