Direct proof of use
The F-15E Strike Eagle is directly documented in the 2014 War Against the Islamic State through U.S. Air Force and AFCENT records for Operation Inherent Resolve. U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa reported that six F-15Es from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath arrived at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, on November 12, 2015, to join U.S., Turkish, and coalition aircraft supporting OIR and counter-ISIL missions in Iraq and Syria.
A separate U.S. Air Force photo page from the same deployment identifies an F-15E from the 48th Fighter Wing landing at Incirlik on November 12, 2015, and states that the six aircraft deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve and counter-ISIL missions in Iraq and Syria. AFCENT imagery later documented F-15Es from Al Dhafra Air Base conducting a coalition and Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service airstrike in Salah ad Din Province, Iraq, on September 10, 2019, in support of Iraqi ground-force clearing operations.
Sources: F-15Es Arrive at Incirlik, Incirlik Receives F-15s, ADAB Kinetic Strikes
Timeline
On November 12, 2015, six F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath deployed to Incirlik Air Base, placing the aircraft inside the coalition's Turkey-based air package for counter-ISIL operations over Iraq and Syria.
On September 10, 2019, AFCENT imagery recorded F-15Es at Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, tied to a coalition and Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service strike in Salah ad Din Province, Iraq. The same image set documents weapons loading for that strike, including GBU-31s inspected on an F-15E the day before the operation.
Sources: F-15Es Arrive at Incirlik, Incirlik Receives F-15s, ADAB Kinetic Strikes
Operational role
The documented F-15E role in this conflict was coalition strike and interdiction against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The Incirlik deployment placed the aircraft with U.S., Turkish, and other coalition aircraft supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, while the 2019 AFCENT material ties F-15E sorties to Iraqi ground-force clearing operations against an ISIS stronghold in Salah ad Din Province.
The aircraft's broader suitability for this role matches U.S. Air Force background material, which describes the F-15E as a two-seat dual-role fighter designed for air-to-air and air-to-ground missions and able to fight at low altitude, day or night, and in all weather. The usage evidence for this page is limited to documented deployment, mission support, and specific strike imagery; it does not establish a complete sortie count or identify every target attacked by F-15Es during the campaign.
Sources: F-15Es Arrive at Incirlik, ADAB Kinetic Strikes, F-15E Strike Eagle Fact Sheet
