Eagles fly from Japan to Portland
Written by Montana News   
May 10, 2007
EAGLES FLY FROM JAPAN TO PORTLAND --F-15C AND D MODELS TO ENTER 142 FIGHTER WING INVENTORY
by MONTANA NEWS ASSOCIATION

Portland Or., May 7, 2007--/mna press/--The 142nd Fighter Wing has defended the skies of the Pacific Northwest for decades, and the workhorse for many of those years has been the A and B variants of the F-15. These venerable yet venerated airframes, however, will yield their command of the skies to F-15 C and D models starting this month.

Colonel Steve Gregg, the 142nd FW Commander, will bring the first of two F-15 Cs from Kadena Air Base, Japan to the Portland Air National Guard Base on May 5. Additional aircraft will follow on from Kadena as well as other Air Force Bases in the U.S. The conversion to the F-15 C and D models will take approximately 18 months.

"We are excited to receive these newer F-15s and look forward to bringing them up to Redhawk standards. This is a significant event for our unit and postures us for continued future mission success," said Col John Kent, 142nd Maintenance Group commander.

Maintenance crews from the 142nd FW went to Kadena and inspected the inbound F-15s which complete their trans-Pacific flight Saturday evening. These aircraft will eventually replace all of the Wing's current A and B models, which are some of the oldest F-15's in the Air Force inventory.

Although the airframes are older, it's not their age that's bringing about their retirement; in fact, the aircraft maintainers from the 142nd FW have earned accolades at the world's premier air-to-air competition, William Tell, held at Tyndall AFB, Fla. The C and D models have upgrades and capabilities that put them even further ahead of current threats than the A and B models are.

Enhanced capabilities include an extended flight range and upgrades that allow for the latest radar and avionics packages. These newer jets will enable the 142nd FW to carry out the Air Sovereignty Alert mission over the Pacific Northwest in support of national objectives.
About the Press Release
The 142nd Fighter Wing has defended the skies of the Pacific Northwest for decades, and the workhorse for many of those years has been the A and B variants of the F-15. These venerable yet venerated airframes, however, will yield their command of the skies to F-15 C and D models starting this month.


 
< Prev   Next >