The F-15E Strike Eagles flown and maintained by airmen deployed from Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, have had a chilling effect on Taliban forces. Since their arrival in January, the Mountain Home airmen, operating as the 391st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, have unleashed a variety of weapons and even adapted their wing-mounted guns for close air support. One of their key advantages, the Strike Eagles get to the action fast, reports Air Force Magazine’s Marc Schanz from Bagram. (Read more at right in “Tiger Strike on the Taliban.”)
Air Force Eyes New-Build F-16s to Boost Fighter Force
Sept. 16, 2026
The Air Force will consider acquiring new F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to answer capacity shortfalls in its aging fighter fleet, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. These discussions are happening as the Air Force is building its proposed fiscal 2028 budget and the five-year spending plan that goes…


