Lt. Gen. Gary L. North, U.S. Central Command's Combined Forces Air Component commander is maintaining assigned F-15E Strike Eagles on ground alert and will accomplish all assigned missions with a variety of fighter, attack and bomber aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles, under his command and control during this period.
"We will continue to maintain the 24/7 Air Tasking Order profile that allows me, as the CFACC, to synchronize and integrate air and space assets into the International Security Assistance Force and Combined Joint Task Force - 82 operational scheme of maneuver," he said. "This is our continual task: to have airpower overhead; persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; close precision strike capability; and air refueling, airlift, airdrop and aerial medical evacuation when needed."
The grounding of the F-15 fleet is a strong message that the U.S. Air Force takes the safety of its aircrews flying in harm's way very seriously, General North said.
"I worry about the health of our aging fleet and how sometimes it is not well understood by those our Airmen protect," said the general. "The investigation will get to the cause of the accident. In the meantime, we'll continue to provide air supremacy for the Afghan National Army and the collective NATO, coalition and U.S. forces on the ground."
The Air Force grounded its F-15 fleet on Nov. 3 following the crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C Eagle Nov. 2. F-15s assigned North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Central Command Air Forces will be on ground alert and fly missions if required.
The cause of that accident is still under investigation; however, preliminary findings indicate that a possible structural failure of the aircraft may have occurred. The grounding of aircraft is a precautionary measure.
The Air Force will ensure mission requirements are met for worldwide operations normally accomplished by the F-15. Current F-15 flying locations include bases in the continental United States, Alaska, England, Hawaii, Japan and the Middle East.
There are approximately 670 F-15s in the Air Force inventory including F-15 Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles. The F-15 reached initial operational capability for the Air Force in September 1975. The Missouri Air National Guard F-15C that crashed was built in 1980.
While the F-15 continues to prove highly effective in the ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Air Force is on a course to eventually replace the aging fleet with the stealthy F-22 Raptor.
The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to permit the Air Force to gain and maintain air supremacy over the battlefield.
The F-15C, D and E models were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm where they proved their superior combat capability. F-15C fighters accounted for 34 of the 37 Air Force air-to-air victories. The F-15Es were operated mainly at night, hunting SCUD missile launchers and artillery sites using the LANTIRN system.
They have since been deployed for air expeditionary force deployments and operations Southern Watch, the no-fly zone in Southern Iraq; Provide Comfort in Turkey; Allied Force in Bosnia; Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan; and Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.
