Oregon Air National Guard F-15EX conducts first operational bomb drops

Published Jul 23, 07:01 PM UTC

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.