Six F-15E Strike Eagles arrived to Incirlik AB, Turkey, on Nov. 12 to begin airstrike operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The jets, which are deployed from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England, joined six F-15C Eagles that deployed last week. The jets are deployed “in coordination with the Turkish government” in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, according to an Air Force release. Twelve A-10s from Moody AFB, Ga., also deployed to Incirlik last month and have been active in airstrikes in Syria. The Strike Eagles will be a driving force behind an expected increase in US airstrikes in northern Syria, including strikes on the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa.
A record investment in research and development by the Department of the Air Force will help the United States win the long-term technology race with China, even while shrinking the fleet size before a possible mid-decade Taiwan contingency, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said May 17. “With the Air Force,…