US and Turkish officials are still finalizing plans for 12 F-15s to deploy to Incirlik AB, Turkey, in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, said Pentagon spokesman Navy Capt. Jeff Davis on Monday. The Defense Department announced last week the jets, a mix of C and E models, would deploy to Incirlik to join 12 A-10s already at the base, but Davis said a solid timeline for the deployment has not been established. The F-15Cs, which specialize in air superiority, will support a program to protect Turkey’s airspace, which was established in 2012. Air Combat Command boss Gen. Hawk Carlisle visited Incirlik on Oct. 22 in advance of the announcement and spoke with both American and Turkish airmen.
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,…