US Air Force thinking about retiring the F-15 sooner than planned

The Air Force is still considering retiring many of its fourth-generation F-15 Eagle fighters — and it could happen by the end of the next decade.
Air Force officials said in March 2017 that it was considering retiring its 236 F-15 C and D fighters and replacing them with F-16 Fighting Falcons.
Lt. Gen. Jerry Harris, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, told Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., during a Senate Armed Services air land forces subcommittee hearing Wednesday that the service is still studying its options with the F-15 ― especially as it brings the newest F-35 fighters on board.
defensenews

New Russian surface-to-air missiles in Syria, DoD confirms

U.S. pilots flying over Syria and Turkey will be in range of advanced Russian-made surface-to-air defense systems, Pentagon officials said.
U.S. intelligence shows that Russia is following through on plans to send S-400 missile systems into its military base in Syria, the officials said.
With a reported range of up to 248 miles, those missiles could put at risk most U.S. combat aircraft flying over Syria.
The S-400 Surface to Air Missile System that the Russian military has deployed to Syria has an estimated range of 400 kilometers. That puts most aircraft flying over Syria, as well as the U.S. aircraft at Turkey’s
Incirlik Air Base, at risk.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the S-400 missiles to Syria one day after a Turkish F-16 aircraft shot down a Russian Su-24 jet last Tuesday. Turkish officials said the Russian aircraft veered into Turkish airspace for less than 30 seconds and was fired upon only after repeated verbal warnings.
Russia's installation of the S-400s prompted a rare phone call on Monday between Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his Russian counterpart, the first time in several months the two top military officers have spoken directly.
The U.S. and Russia signed a narrow agreement Oct. 20 outlining safety protocols for sharing the air space over Syria and avoiding mishaps and misunderstandings.
Dunford wanted Russia to " reaffirm its commitment to the memorandum of understanding" for sharing the skies over Syria, Dunford told lawmakers Tuesday.
Defense officials also acknowledged that Russia has begun arming its combat aircraft over Syria with air-to-air missiles.
A Pentagon spokesman expressed concern about the surface-to-air missiles and other aerial targeting weaponry because it suggests the Russians are rejecting a call from American officials to focus on targeting the Islamic State group, also known as ISIL or Daesh.
The U.S. recently sent air-to-air-capable F-15Cs to Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base near the Syrian border. Those aircraft are not slated for combat sorties over Syria but instead are assigned to a mission protecting Turkish airspace, officials say.
Those F-15Cs, deployed to Turkey in early November, so far have been limited to training missions and have not yet flown any combat air patrols.
militarytimes

F-15Es arrive in Turkey to attack Islamic State group

Six F-15Es arrived Thursday at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, to take part in airstrikes against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
The aircraft come from the 48th Fighter Wing based at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in Britain.
The six F-15Es will join U.S., Turkish and other allied aircraft taking part in airstrikes against the Islamic State. Their mission is different from the six F-15Cs that arrived in Turkey on Nov. 6, which are tasked with protecting Turkish airspace.
About 300 airmen are deployed along with the 12 F-15s.
In addition to the F-15s, the U.S. has 12 A-10s with the 75th Fighter Squadron from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, currently deployed to Incirlik. Separately, about 300 airmen, including a Guardian Angel Weapons System, are deployed to Diyarbakir Air Base in Turkey to rescue any U.S. or coalition pilots who go down over Syria or Iraq.
airforcetimes

Lockheed Legion Pod takes flight on F-16

Lockheed Martin has flight tested its new Legion Pod infrared search-and-track system for the first time on its F-16 Fighting Falcon in Fort Worth, Texas, as the US Air Force explores upgrades to make its legacy fighters more competitive against modern airborne threats.
The pod carries the Lockheed IRST21 sensor, which traces its lineage back to the Grumman F-14 Tomcat and is now in operation on the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and international F-15 platforms.
Legion Pod is aimed at a USAF programme to provide the F-15C Eagle with a passive, long-range infrared sensor capability, and the service is also exploring options for its Lockheed F-16s.
flightglobal

US Air Force trying to protect F-15s in Europe

Air Force leaders are crossing their fingers that F-15 fighters will stay at least another year in Europe through the “Europe Reassurance Initiative,” a $1 billion funding plan the White House proposed in June currently in the hands of congressional members.
“As part of that billion dollars, we would propose monies in order to keep those F-15s in Europe for an additional year, ... so we’re hoping Congress will approve that as a good way forward,” Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James told reporters during a joint briefing with Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh Tuesday.
Although the proposal would only be good for one year, James said there could be a secondary proposal depending on the European situation one year from now.
The Air Force proposed in the fiscal 2015 defense budget request in February to retire 51 F-15C Eagles, including 21 based overseas, a majority of which are with the 493rd Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath, England. But the fighter mission is critical to maintaining a forward air presence given the latest developments with Russia’s repeated incursions in Ukraine.
airforcetimes

F-15s needed in Europe to respond to Russia, Lakenheath commander says

This is not the time to talk about reducing the number of F-15 fighter jets in Europe, given the situation in Ukraine, according to the new commander of the 48th Fighter Wing, which flies the only F15s in Europe.
“What an exciting time to be in Europe and an exciting time to be at NATO, what an exciting time to be around this wing,” said Col. Robert Novotny, an F-15 pilot, who has been on the job for less than a week. “You know we have a lot of challenges, we really do.”
U.S. fiscal austerity is squeezing military budgets, and Department of Defense officials are questioning whether Lakenheath should be closed or lose some of its fighter jet inventory. Gen. Philip Breedlove, commander of U.S. European Command and supreme allied commander Europe, revealed in June that the Defense Department was considering pulling some F-15s from Europe, and Lakenheath is the only F-15 base on the continent.
Novotny agreed reducing the F-15C Eagle fleet makes fiscal sense, although he considers it to be “the world’s greatest” fighter at air-to-air combat.
The problem is that the F-15C is a single-purpose plane, which could be replaced by the multirole F-16, F-22 or F-15E, he said.
Lakenheath aircraft have been part of NATO air policing missions over the Baltic states recently. The missions have been ramped up as part of an alliance effort to reassure allies in the east, who fear Russia’s intentions toward states once under Soviet domination. .
stripes

USAF F-15 Fleet in Europe will shrink in the coming years

The size of the F-15 fleet in Europe will shrink in the coming years, according to the head of U.S. forces in Europe.
In Europe, there are 21 F-15Cs assigned to RAF Lakenheath.
In March, Air Force officials said the service wants to retire 51 F-15C Eagles, including 21 overseas, starting in fiscal 2015. The reductions would be made over the next five years, leaving the Air Force with 179 F-15Cs.
The upcoming F-15 cuts are one element of a broader Air Force plan to trim its force structure in the face of budget constraints.
stripes

F-22s land in Malaysia for first Southeast Asian exercise

Six US Air Force (USAF) F-22 Raptor air-superiority fighters arrived in Malaysia at RMAF Butterworth airbase on 6 June to take part in the bilateral Exercise 'Cope Taufan 2014'.
The participation of the F-22 in its first exercise in a Southeast Asian country follows discussions in 2013. The United States is keen to engage with Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Sukhoi Su-30MKMs, which in the past carried out air combat exercises with US Navy carrier-based fighters whenever a carrier transited through Malaysian waters.
The six F-22s are a composite detachment from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and arrived from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. They will be joined by Boeing F-15Cs.
Both types will engage in air-to-air combat exercises with the RMAF's Su-30MKMs,MiG-29s,F/A-18Ds and Hawks.
'Cope Taufan 2014' will also include a number of logistics exercises involving USAF transport C-130s and C-17.
janes

US begins Icelandic Air Policing with F-15C from RAF Lakenheath

USAF will begin Icelandic Air Policing operations at Keflavik International Airport, Iceland, May 16, which will continue until June 5.
Primary mission is to ensure the safety and integrity of Icelandic airspace.
About 200 U.S. Airmen, F-15C Eagles from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, a KC-135 Stratotanker from RAF Mildenhall, and a C-130J Super Hercules from Ramstein Air Base will execute the mission.
The U.S. Air Force began providing protection of Iceland’s airspace in 1951, when a treaty was signed establishing permanent basing there. Though the U.S. has since withdrawn its permanent presence, NATO continues to provide air policing to meet Iceland’s peacetime readiness needs.
In addition to the air policing mission, the Airmen will train on rescue capabilities while in Iceland.
dvidshub

NATO's tripled Baltic Air Policing Mission begins

NATO's first multi-national Baltic Air Policing Mission rotation begins on 1 May, with aircraft from Denmark, Poland, and the United Kingdom taking part.
Typically involving just four aircraft from one nation, with responsibility for conducting air policing in Estonian, Latvian, and Lithuanian airspace, this multi-national rotation involves 12 aircraft.
In total, four RAF Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft and four Polish Air Force MiG-29 fighter aircraft are now actively deployed at Lithuania. In addition 4 Royal Danish Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft are operating out of Estonia. Before the crisis, the current rotation was planned to include just the four Polish MiG-29s, based at Siauliai. As the originally designated nation for this rotation of the Baltic Air Policing Mission, Poland will lead the mission.
The Danish, Polish, and British aircraft replace United States Air Force (USAF) Boeing F-15C Eagle, which had been operating out of Siauliai since 3 January. Originally only comprising four aircraft, the USAF deployment was bolstered in response to the Ukraine crisis in March with the addition of six more F-15Cs and a Boeing KC-135. At this time, the USAF also deployed 12 F-16 fighters to Poland and six F-16s to Romania, while NATO began surveillance flights over Romanian and Polish territory using UK, French, US, and NATO Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft.
In addition to the aircraft formally deployed under the aegis of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Mission, four French Air Force Rafale fighter aircraft were deployed Poland on a dual mission: to conduct training for Polish pilots in air-policing roles and, if requested, to assist in the conducting of the Baltic Air Policing Mission.
Canada, deployed six Boeing CF-18 Hornet to Romania on 29 April in order to conduct training activities in support of immediate reassurance measures to NATO allies in the region. The Czech Republic has also offered to deploy four Saab Gripen fighter aircraft and Germany six Eurofighter Typhoons in support of the Baltic Air Policing Mission.
janes

U.S. Air Force F-15C jets intercept Russian spyplane over the Baltic

According to the Latvia’s Military, the U.S. Air Force F-15C deployed to Lithuania, to provide Air Policing in the Baltics region, intercepted an Il-20 spyplane.
Russian Air Force missions in the area often requires NATO jet fighters to perform Alert Scrambles, to intercept Il-20 spyplanes, Tu-22M Backfire bombers and Su-27 fighter jets. Such close encounters have become a bit more frequent since Russian invasion of Crimea and subsequent international crisis over Ukraine.
On Feb. 24, two F-15Cs taking part to a flyby in Estonia were diverted to intercept a Russian plane before overflying the city of Pärnu.
On Apr. 25, two Tu-95H bombers were intercepted by RAF Typhoons, Dutch and Danish F-16s during a long range patrol around UK.
Via theaviationist

USAF 48th AEG to validate Amari Estonian Air Base as NATO FOB

Airmen from the 48th Air Expeditionary Group recently took a trip to Amari Air Base, Estonia, to engage and certify the aircraft arresting system, taking a critical step toward validating the new NATO Forward Operating Base.
Barrier maintenance Airmen from the 435th Construction and Training Squadron at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, deployed to the 48th Air Expeditionary Group at Siauliai Air Base, Lithuania, travelled to Estonia for the third time to certify the aircraft arresting systems and work alongside fellow Estonian air force counterparts.
Two F-15C Eagles, originally from RAF Lakenheath, U.K., helped conduct the certification.
Fighters staged at each end of the runway took turns engaging the barrier by taxiing at about 130 miles per hour with their tail hook lowered so as to hook onto the cable, which gradually slowed the aircraft to a safe, complete stop.
The Air Force requires barrier engagement tests every 12 months if not engaged by a plane in a one-year time span.
usafe

NATO preps for military exercises in Baltic airspace

The Ministry of Defence presents this scenario: A Lithuanian Air Force C-27J Spartan transport aircraft is flying over the Baltic Sea and suddenly loses radio communication. The Airspace Control Centre of the Kingdom of Sweden immediately allows the Lithuanian aircraft to enter Swedish airspace and raises the Swedish Air Force’s JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets from standby status. Simultaneously, the U.S. Contingent conducting the NATO Air Policing mission in the Baltic States with F-15Cs is activated. As the Swedish aircraft escort the Lithuanian C-27J to the border of international airspace, US fighter jets are waiting to escort it back to the Lithuanian Air Force base in Šiauliai.
This is just one of the training scenarios in a NATO air capability exercise taking place in Baltic airspace from 1-2 April. Other scenarios that will be simulated during the training event include emergency landing and search and rescue operation using the Mi-8 helicopter of the Lithuanian Air Force.
As unrest has escalated in the near vicinity of the Baltic States, NATO has augmented the Baltic Air Policing mission with additional warplanes to further strengthen security.
The air training event will involve an F-15C Eagle of the U.S. Air Force currently deployed on NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, a JAS-39 Gripen aircraft of the Swedish Air Force, C-27J Spartan transport aircraft and an Mi-8 helicopter of the Lithuanian Air Force. NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft based in Germany and U.S. KC-135R air refuelling aircraft are also expected to join the exercise.
The training event will include low-altitude flights over Palanga and Vilnius airports.
During the two-day exercise from 1-2 April, Sweden’s JAS-39 aircraft and the C-27J of the Lithuanian Air Force will train in Palanga at about 11.00 and 11.15 hours, respectively. U.S. F-15C fighter jets will be training in Vilnius at about 15.00 hrs.
lithuaniatribune

USAF wants to retire 51 F-15C

The U.S. Air Force intends to further whittle down the number of fighter aircraft based overseas as part of overall planned cuts to its fleet and wants to retire 51 F-15C Eagles, including 21 overseas, starting in fiscal 2015.
The reductions would be made over the next five years, leaving the Air Force with a total of 179 F-15Cs.
In Europe, 21 F-15Cs are assigned to RAF Lakenheath, England. Ten of those jets are currently in Lithuania to support the Baltic air policing mission. There are 54 F-15Cs based at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.
The other two fighter squadrons at Lakenheath comprise the newer F-15E Strike Eagles.
If the proposed F-15C cuts do indeed come from Europe, it would mark the third significant reduction of USAFE’s fighter fleet since 2010. Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany lost 21 F-16s starting in 2010 as part of an Air Force cost-savings plan. The base last year also said goodbye to 21 A-10s — the last remaining “Warthogs” in Europe — as part of Air Force cutbacks to meet tougher budget limits and a new defense strategy shifting focus away from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region.
The service’s fiscal 2015 force structure adjustments call for the reduction of 24 A-10s overseas. Those are based at Osan Air Base in South Korea.
The plan also calls for cutting two C-20H aircraft from the Air Force’s overseas fleet in fiscal 2015. Those planes, a military modification of the commercial Gulfstream aircraft, are used to transport distinguished military and government officials.
stripes

United States takes over NATO air-policing mission in the Baltic states

The United States took over the NATO air-policing mission in the Baltic states on Friday following at the Air Base of the Lithuanian Air Force in Zokniai, replacing a Belgian air contingent.
The Americans will carry out the mission with four F-15 C Eagle fighter-jets.
The incoming rotation arrived from Royal Air Force (RAF) Station Lakenheath, United Kingdom, its home base, and consists of over 150 members. It will be the fourth time an American contingent is in charge of the mission.
NATO took over the duty of ensuring security of the Baltic airspace after Lithuania’s, Latvia’s and Estonia’s accession to NATO in March 2004. 14 allies have already taken charge of the Baltic air policing tasks since then.
lithuaniatribune

US Fighter Jets to Patrol Baltic Airspace

The US Air Force will patrol the airspace over the Baltic states for four months starting from January.
Four US F-15C Eagle fighter jets will replace the current Belgian F-16AM.
A round-the-clock mission to guard the airspace over Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia has been conducted since 2004 when the ex-Soviet republics joined NATO. The three states do not have their own air assets to ensure safety and security of national and NATO airspace.
Patrols have been carried out on a three- to four-month rotation basis by 14 NATO states. Deployments usually comprise four fighter planes and between 50 and 100 support personnel.
ria.ru

USAF Weighs Scrapping KC-10, F-15C, A-10 Fleets Due to Sequestration

Faced with steep budget cuts and the desire to keep existing procurement initiatives on track, the US Air Force is considering scrapping its entire fleet of KC-10 tankers and A-10 attack jets.
Also on the chopping block are F-15C fighter jets and a planned $6.8 billion purchase of new combat search-and-rescue helicopters.
defensenews

USAF plans to upgrade all 1.018 of its F-16s and 175 F-15C/D Eagles to keep them flying until the F-35A joint strike fighter is fully operational

The Air Force plans to upgrade all 1,018 of its F-16s and 175 F-15C/D Eagles to keep them flying until the F-35A joint strike fighter is fully operational and new weapons systems on the F-22 Raptor are installed, according to the 2014 budget request released April 10. In the fiscal 2014 budget request, the Air Force states the service life extension for all F-16s will add eight to 10 years to each airframe, along with upgrades to the fighter’s radars, cockpit displays and other communications interfaces.
While the F-16s are being upgraded, the service is requesting funding to purchase 19 more F-35As in fiscal 2014 to add to the 11 that have already been delivered. This funding is part of a $15.7 billion request for the “global precision attack” capability, which also includes upgrades to the F-15E, B-1B Lancer, bombs and the continued development of the next-generation long-range strike bomber.

airforcetimes

2 TYPHOON ESPAÑOLES DERRIBAN 8 F-15 DE LA USAF/TYPHOONS GOT THE BETTER OVER USAF F-15C

According KeyAero.com, Eurofighter ha anunciado que durante recientes maniobras de combate aéreo disimilar (DACT), el Typhoon se ha mostrado muy superior a los F-15C de la USAF. Los enfrentamientos tuvieron lugar en la base aérea de Gando, en Gran Canaria, donde se enfrentaron F-15C del 493FS de la 48FW, de la USAFE, y Typhoon del 111 Escuadrón del Ejercito del Aire español.
Según el comandante del 111 Escuadrón, una formación de 8 F-15 fue interceptada por 2Typhoon, "derribando" 7 de ellos.
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Según informa KeyAero.com, Eurofighter claims that during recent Dissimilar Aircraft Combat Training (DACT) exercises, Typhoons got the better of US Air Force F-15Cs.
The mock dogfights were carried out over Gando Air Base in Gran Canaria where the 493rd Fighter Squadron from the 48th Fighter Wing, US Air Forces in Europe matched up against Typhoons from 111 Escuadrón, Ala 11 of the Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire).
Commander of 111 Escuadrón said that a two-ship formation of Typhoons managed to “smash” a formation of eight F-15s with the first Typhoon managing to ‘shoot down’ four F-15s, the second downing three Eagles.