Mountain Home Air Force Base’s Strike Eagles are returning home from their deployment in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Sporting uniquely distinct nicknames and corresponding nose art.
18 F-15E Strike Eagle jets belonging to the 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron are on their way back from OIR (Operation Inherent Resolve). Spilt in multiple flights and supported along the route by KC-135 and KC-10 tankers, the “Bold Tigers” are currently heading to Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, via UK.
Flying as “Mazda 11-16”, the first 6x F-15E jets of the 366th Fighter Wing have landed at RAF Lakenheath on Saturday, Apr. 13, 2019. On Sunday, Apr. 14, six more Strike Eagles have arrived at the British base as “Mazda 21-26”. On Monday Apr. 15, two more jets have arrived. The remaining four will follow the same route in the next days.
Interestingly, all the 18 Strike Eagles (90-0233, 90-0234, 90-0236, 90-0237, 90-0238, 90-0240, 90-0241, 90-0244, 90-0247, 90-0248, 90-0250, 91-0300, 91-0319, 91-0323, 91-0330, 91-0333, 91-0600 and 92-0366) sport unique mission markings, nicknames and nose arts that were given to the 391st jet during the 6-month deployment in the Middle East.
The Aviationist’s contributor Stewart Jack went to RAF Lakenheath on both Apr. 13 and 14 and took the shots of the first 12 F-15E arriving in the UK on their way to CONUS (Continental US). You can see all the nicknames and nose arts here.
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