Oregon Air Guard F-15EX Conducts First Operational Bomb Drops
In early May 2026, the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing achieved a milestone by dropping 36 concrete-filled practice bombs from an F-15EX Eagle II at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho—the first such air-to-ground employment by an operational unit. Previously only test crews had dropped bombs from the F-15EX. This training supports the wing’s transition from the air-to-air F-15C to the multi-role F-15EX, with live bomb training planned at Nellis AFB in late August.
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F-15EX drops bombs from an operational unit for the first time
In early May 2026, the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing conducted the first-ever operational bomb drops from an F-15EX Eagle II at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The unit dropped 36 concrete-filled practice bombs (24 BDU-50 500-pounders and 12 BDU-56 2,000-pounders) over 10 missions, achieving satisfactory scores with no safety incidents. While test crews at Eglin AFB had previously dropped bombs from the F-15EX, this marked the first time an operational squadron employed the aircraft's air-to-ground capabilities. The training supports the 142nd Wing's transition from air-to-air F-15C Eagles to multi-role F-15EXs, having received the Air Force's first combat-ready Eagle II in June 2024. Three pilots with prior air-to-ground experience developed a condensed training program for the rest of the wing. The unit plans to train with live bombs at Nellis AFB in late August 2026.
F-15EX drops bombs from an operational unit for the first time
In early May 2026, the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing conducted the first-ever operational bomb drops from an F-15EX Eagle II at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The wing dropped 36 concrete-filled practice bombs (24 BDU-50 500-pounders and 12 BDU-56 2,000-pounders) over 10 missions, achieving satisfactory scores with zero safety incidents. While test crews from the 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base had previously dropped bombs from the F-15EX, this marked the first time an operational squadron employed the aircraft's air-to-ground capabilities. The training supports the 142nd Wing's transition from air-to-air F-15C Eagles to multi-role F-15EXs, with the wing having received its first combat-ready Eagle II in June 2024 and slated to receive 17 more. Three pilots with prior air-to-ground experience developed a condensed bombing course to train the rest of the wing. The wing plans to train with live bombs at Nellis Air Force Base in late August.
F-15EX drops bombs from an operational unit for the first time
In early May 2026, the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing conducted the first-ever air-to-ground bombing by an operational F-15EX unit at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. Over 10 missions, crews dropped 36 concrete-filled practice bombs (24 BDU-50s and 12 BDU-56s) with satisfactory scores and no safety incidents. Previously, only test crews at Eglin Air Force Base had dropped bombs from the F-15EX. The training marks a key step as the 142nd Wing transitions from the air-to-air-only F-15C to the multi-role F-15EX, having received its first combat-ready Eagle II in June 2024. Three pilots with prior air-to-ground experience developed a condensed training course for the wing. The unit plans to train with live bombs at Nellis Air Force Base in late August.
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F-15EX drops bombs from an operational unit for the first time
The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing achieved a historic milestone in early May 2026 by dropping practice bombs from its F-15EX Eagle II aircraft for the first time in an operational unit. Conducted at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, the training involved 10 missions where crews dropped 36 concrete-filled practice bombs (24 BDU-50s and 12 BDU-56s) with satisfactory scores and zero safety incidents. While test crews at Eglin Air Force Base had previously dropped bombs from the F-15EX, this marked the first time an operational squadron performed the air-to-ground employment. The 142nd Wing is transitioning from the air-to-air-only F-15C to the multi-role F-15EX, having received its first combat-ready Eagle II in June 2024. Three pilots with prior air-to-ground experience developed a condensed training course for the wing. The unit plans to train with live bombs at Nellis Air Force Base in late August 2026.
F-15EX drops bombs from an operational unit for the first time
The Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing achieved a historic milestone in early May 2026 by dropping practice bombs from its F-15EX Eagle II aircraft for the first time as an operational unit. Conducted at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho, the training involved 36 concrete-filled BDU-50 and BDU-56 practice bombs over 10 missions, with zero safety incidents. Previously, only test crews at Eglin Air Force Base had performed bomb drops. The 142nd Wing is transitioning from the air-to-air F-15C to the multi-role F-15EX, having received its first combat-ready Eagle II in June 2024. Three pilots with prior air-to-ground experience developed a condensed training course for the wing. The Air Force plans for the F-15EX fleet to eventually replace aging F-15E Strike Eagles. The wing will train with live bombs at Nellis Air Force Base in late August.
F-15EX drops bombs from an operational unit for the first time
In early May 2026, the Oregon Air National Guard's 142nd Wing conducted the first-ever operational bomb drops from an F-15EX Eagle II at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. The unit dropped 36 concrete-filled practice bombs (24 BDU-50 500-pounders and 12 BDU-56 2,000-pounders) over 10 missions, achieving satisfactory scores with no safety incidents. While test crews at Eglin Air Force Base had previously dropped bombs from an F-15EX, this marked the first time an operational squadron employed the aircraft's air-to-ground capabilities. The training supports the 142nd Wing's transition from air-to-air F-15C Eagles to multi-role F-15EXs, having received the Air Force's first combat-ready Eagle II in June 2024. Three pilots with prior air-to-ground experience developed a condensed bombing course to train the rest of the wing. The unit plans to train with live bombs at Nellis Air Force Base in late August 2026.