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Two years after the first Eagles returned to the United States, the last F-15C is now ready to leave Kadena Air Base in Japan, where the type was stationed since 1979.
The United States Air Force’s 18th Wing is about to complete the divestment of its F-15C/D Eagle fleet, with the last airframe ready to depart Kadena Air Base. The service just released a small photo gallery on the DVIDS network with the self-explanatory title “The last Eagle,” showing Airmen assigned to the 67th Aircraft Maintenance Unit posing for a group photo in front of an F-15C on Dec. 6, 2024.
The F-15C/D Eagle has been forward deployed to Kadena, on Okinawa in Japan, since 1979, when the 67th Fighter Squadron (then Tactical Fighter Squadron) “Fighting Cocks” became the first fully equipped squadron with F-15C/D Eagle aircraft in Pacific Air Forces. The unit was followed shortly thereafter by the 44th Fighter Squadron “Vampire Bats,” with around 48 aircraft assigned to the base.
The F-15C/D’s withdrawal
“The F-15C Eagle is set to depart Kadena as part of a large-scale divestment plan to modernize the base’s capabilities to better deliver unmatched combat airpower and be a forward-staging base that promotes peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” said the caption accompanying the photos. The phased withdrawal from Kadena was announced in Nov. 2022 and followed the withdrawal of the F-15C/Ds from RAF Lakenheath, UK, in early 2022.
Kadena bid farewell to the first wave of F-15 Eagles that left the 18th Wing on Dec. 1, 2022, reflecting the Air Force’s statement that the withdrawal would take place in waves over two years. Part of the jets were then moved to various Air National Guard units, while others went to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group for storage.
Since the withdrawal’s announcement, the Department of Defense said it will continue to maintain a steady-state fighter presence at Kadena by temporarily deploying newer and more advanced aircraft to backfill the F-15s. Currently, Kadena is hosting F-22s from the 525th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, F-16Cs from the 77th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron out of Shaw AFB, South Carolina, and F-35As from the 34th Fighter Squadron out of Hill AFB, Utah.
The future
On July 3, 2024, the U.S. Department of Defense revealed a “modernization plan” aimed at bolstering its forces in Japan and countering potential threats from China. This plan includes replacing the 48 F-15 Eagles previously stationed with the 18th Wing’s 44th and 67th Fighter Squadrons at Kadena Air Base with 36 of the more advanced F-15EX Eagle II jets.
However, the timing for the arrival of these aircraft remains unclear, as three U.S.-based operational units are also awaiting delivery, suggesting that Kadena might experience a delay or receive its new jets at a slower pace. Recently, an 18th Wing spokesperson noted that “the governments of the U.S. and Japan have not yet agreed on a timeline for when the F-15EX is expected to arrive.”
Noteworthy, the deployment of the F-15EX Eagle II to Kadena will mark the first to a base outside the continental U.S. for the most advanced iteration of the Eagle. Other current and future F-15EX bases planned are Portland ANGB, Oregon; Eglin AFB, Florida; NAS JRB New Orleans, Louisiana; and Fresno ANGB, California. It’s not clear if Kadena might get priority over some of these bases for the delivery of the new aircraft.
The F-15EX
The new F-15EX Eagle II, derived from the advanced F-15QA, has emerged in response to the evolving threats highlighted by the National Defense Strategy, focusing on countering challenges from China and Russia. While the F-15EX shares many similarities with the F-15QA, it incorporates exclusive U.S.-specific features, such as the AN/ALQ-250 Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) and the Open Mission Systems (OMS) architecture, enhancing its electronic warfare and surveillance capabilities.
Last year, the F-15EX completed Phase I of its Integrated Test & Evaluation (IT&E), during which it participated in 19 Large Force Exercise events alongside 5th-generation aircraft, recorded the longest air-to-air missile employment, and validated the use of the longest non-nuclear air-to-ground munition in the Air Force’s inventory.
The new F-15EX Eagle II has recently reached the Initial Operational Capability (IOC) with the U.S. Air Force, a milestone announced by Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, the Air Combat Command’s chief, on Jul. 10, 2024, while delivering remarks on a webinar hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, shortly after the 142nd Wing at Portland Air National Guard Base received its first F-15EX Eagle II.
As reported at the time, the delivery of the first Eagle II to the Oregon ANG represents the first time a new weapon system is delivered to the Air National Guard before serving in the Air Force. So far, six F-15EXs have been delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, where they are supporting developmental and operational tests on the new aircraft, while Portland received the first two operational examples, completing the delivery of Lot 1B which brought the total aircraft in service to eight.
H/T to our friend Ryan Chan for the heads-up!
