the power and precision of usaf’s f-15e strike eagles ......f-15e “schoolhouse,” where strike...

AIR FORCE Magazine / June 200448

The power and precision of USAF’s F-15E Strike Eagles startswith the Fourth Fighter Wing.

The Outer Banks of North Carolina blur beneath an F-15E of the 335th FighterSquadron as it heads out over the Atlantic on a training sortie.


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AIR FORCE Magazine / June 2004 49

Photography by Guy Aceto, Art Director and Paul Kennedy


Eagles Strike


he 4th Fighter Wing originatedwith three “Eagle Squadrons”—American volunteers who flew in

Britain’s Royal Air Force before US entryinto World War II. They were among thefirst to face the German Luftwaffe andnumbered some of the first Americanaces in that war. They also destroyedmore enemy aircraft than any otherAmerican unit. Since they led the way,the wing’s motto, “Fourth but First,”seemed a natural.

Based at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.,the unit was also first to fly the F-15EStrike Eagle operationally and the first totake it to war in Desert Storm in 1991.

The 4th FW today has nearly 90 fightersin four squadrons: the 333rd, 334th,335th, and 336th. It is one of the largestfighter wings in the Air Force. Above, areturning Strike Eagle taxis past a longrow of F-15Es.

Left and below, last-minute checks areperformed before takeoff on an afternoonmission.

In addition to supporting operationalmissions, Seymour Johnson hosts theF-15E “schoolhouse,” where StrikeEagle crews learn their trade. The 4thTraining Squadron handles the academ-ics, while the 333rd and 334th providethe flying training. Every F-15E crewstarts here before being assigned to oneof six Strike Eagle squadrons in USAF.

At right, a pair of F-15Es prepare to lightthe burners for takeoff while two moremove into position on a busy day offlying.

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An F-15E pulls a hard right turn, showingoff its capacity to carry a wide array ofstores. Just behind the air intakes are thetwo LANTIRN (Low Altitude Navigation andTargeting Infrared for Night) pods.

Frequent deployments and constanttraining keep the Strike Eagle crews sharp.Their mission—long-range, precisionattack—is in high demand.

The targeting and navigation system,together with a data link that brings up-to-the-minute target data right into thecockpit, ensure the Strike Eagle can hitthe objective precisely, in any weather.

Although optimized for ground attack, theF-15E retains all the dogfighting power ofthe F-15C from which it was derived.


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The F-15E is a formidable combination ofheavy weapons load and precision,provided by LANTIRN and a terrain-mapping radar. Wing technicians testLANTIRN pods on exactly the sameequipment they use when deployed.

At right, SSgt Doug Miller (left) and SrA.Kari Allen work with a wide array of testgear to check and recheck the systemsthat bring steel precisely down on target.LANTIRN has been improved since itsintroduction, and, now, next generationpods like the Litening system provideeven more precise target information.

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Today’s fighters don’t just drop muni-tions, they also feed them crucial data enroute to the target. At left, maintenancecrews monitor software that allows theStrike Eagle to “talk” to its weapons.

The addition of the Joint Direct AttackMunition to the Strike Eagle’s repertoirehas expanded its capability and versatil-ity. Data links allowing ground units topass targeting information right to thecockpit have greatly enhanced the abilityof the Strike Eagle to perform close airsupport.

If things go wrong, the pilot needs to beable to count on the aircraft’s escapesystems. These technicians, hereupdating an ACES II ejection seat, workto make sure that these last-chancesystems work as advertised. With ashooting war on, motivation is high.


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Periodic teardown inspections givemaintainers good insight into the healthof their aircraft. These technicians go theextra mile to make sure everything isperfect. Nearly 90 airplanes operate fromthe base, so this shop is tightly sched-uled and work continues 24 hours a day.

The F-15’s basic design is more than 35years old, but F-15Es are newer. Moreare still being produced for the exportmarket.

At left, A1C Shawn Krath is up to hisneck in afterburner maintenance, helpedby SrA Chris Reams.


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Above, A1C Catherine Powers adjuststhe fuze on a bomb while SSgt. David E.Vancamp instructs. Powers and the restof the load crew undergo quarterlytraining on every weapon the F-15E cancarry. The 5,000-pound, laser guidedGBU-28 “bunker buster” is carriedexclusively by the F-15E.

At right, A1C Edmund Nourrie positionsa 2,000-pound bomb on the F-15E. Hedrives a special bomb loading vehiclenicknamed the “Jammer.” In theforeground is a 500-pound bomb. Onceloaded, the bombs receive their laserseekers, turning them into laser guidedbombs (LGBs). The 500-pound LGBswere a preferred weapon in Iraqbecause of their precision and limitedblast radius. Both of these weapons areinert training rounds, a fact indicated bythe blue bands around their necks.

The 4th Fighter Wing stores its externalfuel tanks in a novel system that lookslike racks at a dry cleaner. One of thesesystems can hold 100 fuel tanks, anyone of which can be called up afterdraining and checks. In combat, the unituses disposable tanks, assembled in-theater, that can be jettisoned if a StrikeEagle needs to make a quick getaway.


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The 4th FW flew missions over Afghani-stan from Al Jaber AB, Kuwait, settingrecords for some of the longest fightermissions in history. By the end ofOperation Enduring Freedom, crews ofthe 335th Fighter Squadron had gar-nered four Silver Stars and sevenDistinguished Flying Crosses.

The 335th was replaced at Al Jaber bythe 336th, which went to war in Iraq. The335th was later summoned to join itssister squadron in Operation IraqiFreedom. Despite losing an aircraft andbeing shorthanded, the 4th Fighter Wingnever lowered the pace of its operations.

In one 11-day sortie surge during OIF,F-15Es from the 4th Fighter Wingcarried 3.4 million pounds of munitions.

At top, an F-15E crew trains hard in themilitary operating area off the Carolinacoast. Above, a 335th pilot performs hiswalkaround and gives the thumbs up atleft. The F-15E is a powerful machinethat provides unsurpassed capability tothe Air Force, but the 4th Fighter Winghas it under control.

the power and precision of usaf’s f-15e strike eagles ......f-15e “schoolhouse,” where strike...

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