US Air Force Begins Withdrawing F-15 Fighter Jets From Turkey
Twelve U.S. Air Force F-15 fighters sent to Incirlik airbase only last month to guard Turkish airspace and hit ISIS targets in Syria were suddenly flown back Wednesday to their home base in Britain, U.S. European Command announced........
The F-15s that flew out of Incirlik Wednesday had replaced six F-16s from the 31st Fighter Wing at the Aviano Air Base in Italy, which arrived at Incirlik on Aug. 9 following Turkey's agreement to allow the U.S. to conduct strikes against ISIS from Incirlik, about 70 miles from the Syrian border.
Six F-15Cs landed at Incirlik on Nov. 6 in a pointed signal to Moscow that the U.S. was prepared to assist Turkey in guarding its airspace against Russian incursions. The six F-15E Strike Eagles arrived a week later to much fanfare from the U.S. military about how their presence would allow for more loiter time over ISIS targets in Syria.
The redeployment of the F-15s to their home base with the 48th Fighter Wing at Royal Air Force base Lakenheath in Britain will leave Incirlik with 12 A-10 Thunderbolt attack aircraft and an array of armed drones........