End of an Era: Kadena Conducts Last Operational F-15 Eagle Flight
After 45 years of operations, the 18th Wing carried out its final F-15C Eagle sortie, which additionally represents the kind’s final U.S. Air Power active-duty flight.
Kadena’s closing F-15C/D Eagle flight
The U.S. Air Power’s (USAF) 18th Wing carried out the ultimate operational flight of the F-15C Eagle on Jan. 24, 2025, after 45 years of flight operations at Kadena Air Base, Japan. This flight, to not be confused with the ceremonial closing flight of the Wing’s Eagles, which passed off on Aug.15, 2024, additionally marked the USAF’s final active-duty legacy Eagle flight.
F-15Cイーグル戦闘機が最後の現役飛行を終え、嘉手納基地から撤退しました。 pic.twitter.com/xVvfwcK9Br
— 在沖米空軍嘉手納基地 (@KadenaAirBase_J) March 27, 2025
The flight additionally occurred throughout an enormous shift in organizational construction on the Wing: the 67th FGS (Fighter Era Squadron) was in truth activated to assist the eventual arrival of the following fighters, the F-15EX, whereas the 18th AMXS (Plane Upkeep Squadron) was deactivated. The commander of the 18th AMXS, Maj. Eric Boehm, assumed command of the 67th FGS.
“Kadena-based F-15C/D Eagles have ensured air superiority for many years to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific,” mentioned USAF Gen. Ken Wilsbach, the present commander of ACC (Air Fight Command), who was additionally the commander of Kadena from 2009 by 2011. “We owe the various women and men, previous and current, who’ve flown, maintained and supported the F-15 for his or her invaluable contributions towards peace and security within the area.”
The jets that took half within the final flight acquired a ceremonial salute following the flight, and shall be transformed right into a upkeep coaching plane. “We’re utilizing them to proceed to coach our weapons loaders and our maintainers, as a result of there’s quite a lot of commonality between the F-15EX and the F-15C,” mentioned the 18th Wing’s commander, Brig. Gen Nicholas Evans.
Changing the Legacy Eagles
Though its final flight solely occurred on Jan. 24, the 18th Wing has already divested most of its F-15C/Ds steadily, starting in Nov. 2022. Because the F-15EXs, that are slated to interchange the older Eagles at Kadena, haven’t but been produced in giant sufficient numbers to interchange the older airframes instantly, an intermediate resolution is at the moment used to make sure a continuing fighter presence on the large PACAF (PACific Air Forces) base.
Actually, to make sure no gaps in forward-deployed fighter capabilities, a steady-state presence shall be maintained at Kadena by deploying fourth- and fifth-generation fighter models from throughout the USAF and ANG (Air Nationwide Guard) till the arrival of the F-15EXs. As such, Kadena is now probably the most numerous bases within the USAF the place many various fighter varieties, just like the F-15, F-16, F-22, and F-35, all fly out of it to assist the F-15C/D retirement.
The deployments, which see round 12 to 14 plane from every squadron, will proceed all through the transition from the legacy platform to the extra superior F-15EX, however because the EXs begin to arrive, the rotational squadrons will lower in timing and tempo, mentioned Evans.
The models at the moment deployed to Kadena embrace F-35As from the 158th Fighter Wing, Vermont ANG, and the 354th Fighter Wing, primarily based in Alaska; F-16CMs from the twentieth Fighter Wing, South Carolina; and F-22As from the 354th Fighter Wing. Beforehand, different models have deployed, together with the 159th Fighter Wing, who additionally operates the F-15C.
The PACAF fighters in Japan are at the moment present process a large change in tools: moreover the legacy F-15s being retired and changed, the thirty fifth Fighter Wing at Misawa Air Base can also be set to begin divesting its F-16CM/DM fighters for F-35As. This transition will even make Misawa’s jets all F-35s: the JASDF (Japan Air Self Protection Power) additionally operates two squadrons of F-35As from the joint base.
The F-15EX Eagle II
The Air Power introduced on Jul. 4, 2024, that the substitute for the 48 F-15C/Ds stationed at Kadena would be the F-15EX, however no definitive time for the primary of them to reach on the base was given on the time.
In keeping with Evans, the primary of the brand new multirole fighters are actually anticipated to reach between Mar. and Jun. 2026. He added {that a} particular arrival date shall be decided between the USAF and Boeing because the manufacturing for the jet ramps up. “As quickly as the primary EX arrives right here, we’ll convey out the mayors and the town councils and allow them to see the plane firsthand,” Evans additionally advised reporters.
As talked about, as a result of large commonality between the F-15C and the F-15EX, upkeep coaching utilizing the legacy platforms could be very a lot attainable. Nevertheless, for optimum effectivity, some crews with the 67th FGS have been despatched to Portland ANG base to coach with the bottom’s new F-15EXs.
Though the F-15EX doesn’t use stealth and thus should not thought-about fifth-generation plane, they function next-generation avionics and networking capabilities, in addition to a considerably bigger payload and vary than the legacy platform. The USAF initially deliberate to purchase as much as 144 of the plane, nevertheless its fiscal 12 months 2025 finances proposal instructed a discount to 98. It’s nonetheless unclear what number of models the service will find yourself shopping for.
