Washington, D.C. — During today’s Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Senator Ted Budd (R-NC) touted the F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina after the 335th Fighter Squadron helped defend Israel by shooting down dozens of drones and missiles from Iran.
The Air Force is planning to divest 26 F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson next year.
Senator Budd said:
“I’m deeply concerned about what a growing fighter capacity gap could mean for a fight in the Indo-Pacific. But also, as was made clear over the weekend, our fighter aircraft are also playing major roles in other regions, like U.S. Central Command, every day.”
During his questioning of Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Air Force Chief of Staff General David Allvin, Senator Budd highlighted the praise that the F-15E has recently received from top military officials:
- The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General C.Q. Brown has said, “The F-15E Strike Eagle is a very capable platform.”
- The Commander of United States Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, General Gregory Guillot has said, “The F-15E Strike Eagle is a phenomenal aircraft… It’s in many ways unmatched air to ground, and in many ways it’s unmatched air to air. It has a phenomenal radar that can… pick out low, slow moving, and also low radar cross-section, such as drones or other threats like cruise missiles. So the Strike Eagle is a fantastic aircraft.”
- The Supreme Allied Commander of Europe General Christopher Cavoli has said that Strike Eagles “figure heavily in his plans” at European Command.
- The Commander of Indo-Pacific Command Admiral John Aquilino has said that there is a role for Strike Eagles in scenarios in the Indo-Pacific.
He also asked for an update from Secretary Kendall on the congressional-required report on divestment of F-15, to which the secretary confirmed his understanding and that the Air Force planned to comply.
Full video of Senator Budd questioning is HERE.
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