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As the United States Air Force continues to induct more stealth fighters steadily, the previous generation of fourth-generation air superiority jets continues to be retired or reassigned to ‘second-string’ duties. That goes for the 
Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle stationed in the United Kingdom, as well as others around the world, like Japan and South Korea.
One of the most notable movements has been the repositioning of F-15E fighters from RAF Lakenheath to bases in the Middle East. The Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II has taken its place at bases in the UK, while the majority of the Eagles are sent to the Central Command, rather than returning to the United States. This trend follows the ongoing transition of the USAF to the future ‘high-low’ fleet organization. The fifth-generation fighters (F-35) are the tip of the spear, and the fourth-generation provides supporting roles under this new doctrine.
A New Mission For The Eagle
The National Interest reported in a recent story that at least 24 F-15E fighters have departed from Suffolk, UK, in the past two weeks and landed in Jordan. An additional 15 are supplemented by these aircraft from other bases, with a total of 35 fighters appearing to now be positioned in the area. Public information indicates that the majority of the jets are from the 492nd and 494th Fighter Squadrons.
While the F-35 has become the premier tactical fighter of the United States and its allies, it does not rival the pure performance or payload of the Strike Eagle. The F-15E was instrumental in 2024 in defending Israel, intercepting more than 80 Iranian drones during a major barrage against Israel. Its radar and weapons systems are highly effective at detecting and destroying low-flying unmanned systems.
General James Hecker, US Air Forces in Europe, presented airmen from the 494th Fighter Squadron with two silver stars and 14 distinguished flying crosses, as well as two bronze stars and 14 achievement medals for their defense of Israel against the Iranian drone swarm attacks. He commented with the following remarks:
“Our airmen stood firm alongside our coalition partners to protect Israel from a barrage of one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicles and missiles. The success of our airmen demonstrates how the US Air Force is ready to respond to, and defeat, evolving threats.”
The F-15 remains an extremely effective platform against enemies with less complex air defenses that do not require a stealth platform in order to achieve air superiority and deliver close air support to frontline units. It also remains exceptionally capable of interception in permissive environments, or areas where the United States and its allies have air superiority.
The Right Fighter For The Job
Positioning at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan offers access to Iraq, Syria, and the wider area while remaining insulated from certain chokepoints and missile threats. Instead of the lengthy process of reassigning aircraft to Air National Guard units, which would require new training and domestic infrastructure shifts, the 494th Fighter Squadron was already forward-deployed and mission-ready for a direct transition into the CENTCOM theater.
Unlike the specialized F-35, the Strike Eagle is a ‘bomb truck’ optimized for both air superiority and deep-strike missions. The F-15E remains the fastest fighter jet in the US inventory and can carry over 23,000 pounds of ordnance, which is also the highest payload of any US fighter jet, except for its successor, the F-15EX Eagle II. Its massive center pylon can carry a single weapon up to 22 feet long and weighing 7,000 pounds.
The F-15 may not have stealth, but it does have very powerful sensors as well as compatibility with other, more advanced aircraft in order to make maximum use of the data network. In an environment where surface-to-air missiles (SAM) or other enemy fighters do not pose as great a risk, the F-15’s deep arsenal makes it a powerful tool on the battlefield. This makes it ideal for a region where the US needs to deter adversaries while maintaining a heavy ground-attack presence.
Muwaffaq Salti Air Base
This airfield is a Royal Jordanian Air Force base located in Azraq, Zarqa Governorate, Jordan. The base serves as a critical hub for US and coalition forces in the region. It is one of the primary staging points for the USAF Central Command’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, which conducts operations and training missions across the Levant, including in Syria and Iraq. Located about 60 miles northeast of the capital Amman, MSAB sits just over 500 miles from the Iranian border.
An alternative to aircraft carrier operations, which may be vulnerable to host-nation sensitivities in the Gulf states, is its land-based location. Because of its distance from Iran, its security is increased because Iran’s shorter-range tactical ballistic missiles cannot reach it, necessitating a medium-range missile capability in case of an attack.
With major expansion efforts starting in 2019 and continuing through 2021, the US has been converting the base from an expeditionary site to a more permanent operating location. Significant upgrades, such as new aircraft aprons, taxiways, and a cargo marshaling yard that can accommodate big transport aircraft like the C-17 Globemaster III and C-5 Galaxy, have been overseen by the US Army Corps of Engineers.
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American Air Power In The Gulf
Other Gulf allies, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which normally host Air Force operations in the region, have become increasingly reluctant or have outright refused in response to the escalating tension between the United States and Iran. The MSAB in Jordan has become an increasingly important installation to provide unrestricted freedom of action against Iran, as the United States is subject to restrictions on the use of these bases.
Several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members prohibited American aircraft from using their airfields or airspace during operations aimed at Iran in April 2025. Then, in June of last year, the United States initiated Operation Midnight Hammer, a massive attack on Iranian nuclear facilities backed by Gulf-based stealth fighters and long-range B-2 stealth bombers.
The US has responded by deploying Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems to MSAB to protect the growing fleet of Strike Eagles and support personnel. MSAB now hosts at least 39 F-15E fighters. The deployment includes KC-135 Stratotankers that create an air bridge between Jordan and the Gulf.
How Many F-15 Eagles Are Still In Service?
An overview of the F-15 Eagles still in-service
Tehran In The Crosshairs
Since Donald Trump’s re-election, tensions between the United States and Iran have risen substantially, with the focus changing from economic pressure to outright military confrontation and unprecedented diplomatic isolation. Operation Midnight Hammer saw the first combat use of the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 30,000-pound ‘bunker buster’ designed to destroy deeply buried targets.
Seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers and a US Navy submarine targeted three facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The Pentagon thinks that the attacks will set back Iran’s nuclear development by one to two years. Iran replied with missile assaults on Qatar’s Al Udeid air base.
In January 2026, the Trump administration imposed a 25% secondary tariff on any country doing business with Iran, further isolating the regime and increasing the risk of a desperate military provocation from Tehran. This forces major trading partners like China and the UAE to choose between the Iranian market and the much larger US market.
As of late January 2026, a massive US naval force, frequently referred to by Trump as a ‘beautiful armada,’ has moved into the Middle East. Led by the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) carrier strike group, it includes squadrons of F-35s and several guided-missile destroyers. The deployment is said to be intended as a deterrent to ensure Iran does not attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz or reconstitute its nuclear sites.
What US Air Force Bases Have F-35s?
Ten air force bases are listed as bases for the USAF F-35A, although they can operate from many more bases.
Peace Through Superior Firepower
The fighter squadrons stationed at MSAB are readily available to coordinate in joint force operations with the US naval forces in the Gulf to deliver complex strikes against the Iranian security forces. One of the ships in the fleet that makes this possible is the USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20), which acts as a floating command center, utilizing Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) to synchronize Air Force and Navy assets.
The Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye surveillance aircraft can ‘paint’ targets deep inside Iran and transmit that data directly to the F-15E cockpits in Jordan via Link-16 data links. This allows F-15Es to launch from Jordan and receive mission updates mid-flight based on what Navy ships are seeing in the Persian Gulf. Because they are land-based, the F-15Es can carry larger bunker-buster munitions that are too heavy for carrier-based jets to take off with.
F-15Es can meet tankers over Iraq or Saudi Arabia, allowing them to wait for the Navy’s signal to strike. With the ‘door’ opened by the Navy, F-15Es from MSAB enter Iranian airspace from the west. EA-18G Growlers from the USS Abraham Lincoln launch first to jam Iranian radar and air defenses. Simultaneously, Navy destroyers launch Tomahawk cruise missiles to saturate coastal defenses.
Air Force tankers can refuel Navy F/A-18 Super Hornets, and Navy tankers can support Air Force jets, ensuring neither force has to retreat due to fuel bingo during a strike. If the Navy is forced to pull its carriers further back into the Arabian Sea to avoid missile swarms, the land-based F-15Es in Jordan remain within striking distance.
