Eight jets leave 173rd FW at Kingsley Field as part of the first active ramp-to-ramp transfer of aircraft to Israel. Credit: U.S. Air National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Penney Snoozy.

The US Air Force (USAF) has announced the stand down of F-15C Eagle fighter aircraft fleet after five decades of vigilance.

Since 1998, the F-15C fleet is being operated by the Oregon Air National Guard’s (ANG) 173rd Fighter Wing (FW).

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Based at Kingsley Field ANG Base in Klamath Falls, Oregon, the 173rd FW has flown both A/B and C/D models of the F-15 aircraft, which are now due for retirement.

A total of 11 aircraft assigned under the 173rd FW have already retired this year.

During their deployment under 173rd FW, the aircraft have carried out numerous training operations to support the USAF.

Detachment commander lieutenant colonel Matthew Thomas said: “Several of our jets were scheduled for retirement and they were going to be taken to the Boneyard; one of the options that came up was Foreign Military Sales (FMS).”

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Following the official retirement, the F-15 aircraft are transferred to several locations, such as the National Museum of the USAF, from where the fighter jets can be loaned to different communities across the nation for public display.

In 2016, the USAF transferred its eight Kingsley Field F-15s to the Israeli Air Force, as part of the first active ramp-to-ramp transfer of aircraft. The aircraft are still in service with Israeli forces.

Additionally, another F-15C Eagle was transferred to NASA to support their chase plane programme for gathering research data for their airborne platforms.

Other retired fighter aircraft are sent to Arizona desert, which is the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group.

The F-15 fighter aircraft fleet has been designed to undertake various air-to-air and air-to-ground missions in all the weather conditions, during day and at night.