US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles, with the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, deployed to Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, have been deployed to a new base, along with the 378th Expeditionary Operations Group, Prince Sultan Air Force Base, in Saudi Arabia.
These F-15Es, known as “Mighty Black Panthers”, are capable of executing strategic strikes, interdictions, and air combat missions in of t and coalition combat operations.
“The Panthers are honored to the staff at Prince Sultan Air Base and partner with the Royal Saudi Air Force.,” said Lieutenant Colonel Jaina Donberg, 494th commanding officer of the EFS. “We look forward to sharpening our collective claws as we work together to provide stability to the region.”
As one of the most powerful fighter aircraft today, the Strike Eagle already performs many missions within the US Air Forces Central Command's area of responsibility.
“As an F-16 pilot, I trained and fought alongside F-15Es throughout my career”, said Colonel Robert Raymond, 378th EOG commander. "It's an extremely capable and versatile fighter that can carry out any fighter mission required."
The 378th Air Expeditionary Wing grows daily. Its airmen continue to ensure that the PSAB is a premier base, ing allies and preventing aggression in the region.
“It's amazing that we can show up in a new location where there hasn't been a lasting presence in the US for the past 16 years and build a foundation from scratch”, said Raymond. “We turned what was just a stretch of desert into a full operational site, ready to receive fighter planes and generate combat air power.”
Source: US Airforce
