First National Guard F-15EXs Arrive on the Job
The Redhawks of the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing are the first in the country to receive the new AN/APG-82-equipped F-15EX Eagle II and they were unveiled to the public last week.
An F-15EX Eagle II, assigned to the 142nd Wing, takes off during the official Unveiling Ceremony for the new fighter jet at the Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon on July 12, 2024. The 142nd Wing will be replacing the F-15 C/D model Eagles with the new F-15EX Eagle II models. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)
The all-weather multirole strike fighter, developed from the circa 2013 F-15 Advanced Eagle which led to the very sophisticated F-15SA and F-15QA for the Saudis and Qataris, is intended to replace the venerable F-15C/D, which in many cases is pushing 50 years old.
With the USAF slated to receive 104 new F-15EXs, the 142nd will get 18 airframes as will fellow Air National Guard ADF units: the 144th Fighter Wing at Fresno Air National Guard Base, California, and the 159th Fighter Wing at New Orleans.
On the active side of things, the Okinawa (Kadena AB)-based 18th Wing will fly F-15Exs in its 44th FS and 67th FS.
So far, Boeing has only delivered 8 F-15EXs, with the first six going to training units. The 142nd is getting the first Lot 1 combat-ready models, including EX7 and EX8, which left the factory in the unit’s markings earlier this month.
The Oregon Air Guard has been “Eagle Drivers” for 35 years. As noted by the service:
The history of the F-15 Eagle fighter jet at the Portland Air National Guard Base began on May 24, 1989, as the replacement for the F-4 Phantom II. Most of the early planes came from the 318th Fighter Interceptor Group at McChord Air Force Base, Washington, which was being disbanded. For the next 20 years, the 142nd flew the F-15 A/B models, including the last ‘A model’ in the U.S. Air Force inventory, which was retired on Sept. 16, 2009, while phasing in upgraded C and D models in late 2007.
An F-15EX Eagle II, assigned to the 142nd Wing, taxis on the flight line before take-off during the official Unveiling Ceremony for the new fighter jet at the Portland Air National Guard Base, Oregon on July 12, 2024. The 142nd Wing will be replacing the F-15 C/D model Eagles with the new F-15EX Eagle II models. (National Guard photo by John Hughel, Oregon Military Department Public Affairs)