Direct proof of use
U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles were used by the anti-ISIS coalition during Operation Inherent Resolve. USAFE-AFAFRICA reported that six F-15Es from the 48th Fighter Wing arrived at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, on 12 November 2015 to support OIR and counter-ISIL missions in Iraq and Syria.
The aircraft were also documented in strike operations. U.S. Air Force Public Affairs reported that F-15E Strike Eagles were among the U.S. aircraft used in coalition strikes against ISIL fighters and vehicles near Habbaniyah, Iraq, in late June 2016.
Sources: F-15Es arrive at Incirlik Air Base, CJTF-OIR strike video release
Timeline
By early 2015, F-15E maintenance and weapons crews were supporting Inherent Resolve from an undisclosed Southwest Asia location; Air Forces Central described Strike Eagle crews delivering precision-guided munitions to Iraq and Syria.
In 2016 and 2017, official imagery placed F-15E Strike Eagles over Iraq and in wider OIR missions, including precision-guided close-air-support and flights supporting coalition forces working to liberate ISIS-held territory.
In 2018, DVIDS reported that F-15E Strike Eagles of the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron were working to eliminate ISIS and support stability in the Levant as part of OIR, with 332nd Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron munitions personnel building and loading bombs for those aircraft.
Sources: Striking the heart of the enemy, OIR refueling missions take the fight to Daesh, Fueling fighters from the sky, 332nd EMXS arms up F-15s
Operational role
The documented F-15 family role in the campaign centered on the F-15E Strike Eagle rather than the air-superiority-only F-15C/D branch. Official sources describe Strike Eagles supporting counter-ISIL missions from Incirlik, conducting precision-guided close air support over Iraq, and taking part in interdiction and strike operations against ISIS fighters, vehicles, and positions.
The evidence separates deployment from use: the November 2015 Incirlik arrival documents forward basing and mission assignment, while the 2015 AFCENT maintenance story, 2016 Habbaniyah strike account, and 2017-2018 mission imagery and reporting document operational use in the Iraq-Syria theater.
Sources: F-15Es arrive at Incirlik Air Base, Striking the heart of the enemy, CJTF-OIR strike video release, OIR refueling missions take the fight to Daesh, 332nd EMXS arms up F-15s
