The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing released bombs from operational F-15EX Eagle II fighters at Mountain Home Air Force Base in early May 2026, marking the first weapons employment by a combat-coded F-15EX unit, the U.S. Air Force disclosed on July 17. The event showed that the aircraft has moved beyond developmental testing and can now support routine strike training through an operational wing. Across ten missions, the unit dropped 36 full-size inert bombs while qualifying aircrews, certifying weapons loaders, and generating armed sorties without safety incidents. The result confirms that the F-15EX can be integrated into frontline maintenance and weapons operations, strengthening its value as a high-payload platform for strike, deterrence, and future force modernization. Read more...
The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing conducts the first bomb drops by an operational F-15EX Eagle II unit, releasing 36 inert 500- and 2,000-pound training bombs during ten missions at Mountain Home Air Force Base in May 2026 (Picture source: U.S. DoW).