Six F-15E Strike Eagles arrived to Incirlik AB, Turkey, on Nov. 12 to begin airstrike operations against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. The jets, which are deployed from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, England, joined six F-15C Eagles that deployed last week. The jets are deployed “in coordination with the Turkish government” in support of Operation Inherent Resolve, according to an Air Force release. Twelve A-10s from Moody AFB, Ga., also deployed to Incirlik last month and have been active in airstrikes in Syria. The Strike Eagles will be a driving force behind an expected increase in US airstrikes in northern Syria, including strikes on the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa.
A-10 Thunderbolt II attack planes in the Middle East are flying with fresh modifications as the Air Force looks to make the plane more versatile amid America’s ongoing blockade of Iranian ports and a tenuous ceasefire in the U.S. air war against Iran.