Direct proof of use
The F-15 family is directly documented in the Syrian Civil War through U.S. strikes in eastern Syria. On Feb. 25, 2021, two U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles dropped seven precision-guided munitions against infrastructure used by Iranian-backed militia groups near Abu Kamal, close to the Syria-Iraq border.
The Department of Defense later documented another eastern Syria strike on Nov. 8, 2023, when two U.S. F-15 aircraft hit a weapons storage facility used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups.
Sources: DoD F-15E Syria Strike Briefing, Austin Eastern Syria Strike Statement
Timeline
The documented F-15 record in this conflict is tied to U.S. self-defense strikes rather than Syrian government, opposition, or Islamic State air operations. The first sourced event here is the February 2021 Abu Kamal-area strike by two F-15E Strike Eagles.
The November 2023 event extended the documented pattern to another eastern Syria strike, with the Defense Department identifying two U.S. F-15s as the aircraft used against an IRGC-linked weapons storage depot.
Sources: DoD F-15E Syria Strike Briefing, DoD Weapons Storage Facility Story
Operational role
In both documented cases, F-15-family aircraft were used for precision strike missions against militia-linked infrastructure in eastern Syria. The February 2021 strike targeted facilities described by the Pentagon as being used to support attacks on U.S. and coalition personnel, while the November 2023 strike targeted a weapons storage facility after attacks on U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria.
The sources support U.S. operation of the aircraft in the conflict and identify the role as long-range or theater strike activity. They do not support Syrian ownership of F-15s, transfer of F-15s to a Syrian party, or routine F-15 basing inside Syria.
Sources: DoD F-15E Syria Strike Briefing, Austin Eastern Syria Strike Statement, DoD Weapons Storage Facility Story
Coalition context
The F-15 use occurred within the wider U.S. and coalition military presence in Syria. The Lead Inspector General report for Operation Inherent Resolve described the continuing coalition mission as advising, assisting, and enabling partner forces against ISIS in Iraq and designated areas of Syria, while also noting a degraded operating environment caused by Iran-aligned militia attacks on U.S. personnel and facilities.
Sources: Lead IG OIR Q1 FY2024 Report
