An Air Force release late last week confirms that the service has decided its E model F-15s can return to flight, following a 13-hour inspection of hydraulics and structural elements. TSgt. Russell Wicke reports that Air Combat Command chief Gen. John Corley issued the order on Nov. 11. Still grounded after a Nov. 2 crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C are all A, B, C, and D models. The Air Force has a total of around 700 F-15s, including, as of Sept. 30, 2006 data, 223 E models, which are structurally enhanced for their air-to-ground role. Col. Frederick Jones, ACC combat aircraft division chief, said that initial reports from an engineering analysis indicated that “the F-15E is not susceptible to the same potential cause of the Missouri mishap.” However, he added, the inspections of each E model will be “very methodical and thorough, because ACC doesn’t intend to see any of the fighters “rushed” back into service.
Aircraft readiness will suffer if Congress does not approve some $1.5 billion worth of spare parts the Air Force requested in its annual Unfunded Priorities List, sent to Capitol Hill last week, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said.