French providing Afghan close-air support

An F-15E Strike Eagle assigned to the 492nd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron takes off from Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan. The Air Force has indefinitely grounded all F-15s, including those at Bagram, after an F-15C flown by the Missouri Air National Guard crashed Nov. 2.


French providing Afghan close-air support
Staff writer - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Nov 6, 2007 18:36:06 EST

With Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles restricted to standby status in Afghanistan, B-1B Lancer bombers and French air force fighters are providing close-air support for ground forces there.

Because of the Nov. 2 crash of a 1980-vintage F-15C Eagle in Missouri, the Air Force restricted flights of F-15Es and F-15 Eagles to “mission-critical” sorties only. Training, test and most combat missions are grounded until Air Force officials clear the jets to fly.

In Afghanistan, where F-15Es take off from Bagram Air Base, the restriction means that F-15Es sit on combat alert status but are not assigned to pre-planned or on-call missions, according to Central Air Forces.

The restriction arrived at a bad time.

During the summer, A-10 Thunderbolts had been based at Bagram, but airmen brought them home in mid-October, so the F-15Es are the only U.S. fighters on the Bagram ramp.

On Monday French Mirage 2000 and F-1 CR fighters were summoned for two air strikes and more shows of force above enemy positions. Also, an American B-1B Lancer bomber struck a target.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/11/airforce_f15s_grounded_071106w/