Air Force suspends some F-15 operations Published Nov. 5, 2007 SAF/PA WASHINGTON -- The Air Force suspended non-mission critical F-15 flight operations on Nov. 3 following the crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C aircraft Nov. 2. The cause of that accident is still under investigation, however, preliminary findings indicate that a possible structural failure of the aircraft may have occurred. The suspension of flight operations is a precautionary measure. The Air Force will ensure mission requirements are met for worldwide operations normally accomplished by the F-15. Current F-15 flying locations include bases in the continental United States, Alaska, England, Hawaii, Japan and the Middle East. There are more than 700 F-15s in the Air Force inventory including F-15 Eagles and F-15E Strike Eagles. The F-15 reached initial operational capability for the Air Force in September 1975. The Missouri Air National Guard F-15C that crashed on Friday was built in 1980. While the F-15 continues to prove highly effective in the ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Air Force is on a course to eventually replace the aging fleet with the stealthy F-22 Raptor. The F-15 Eagle is an all-weather, extremely maneuverable, tactical fighter designed to permit the Air Force to gain and maintain air supremacy over the battlefield. The F-15C, D and E models were deployed to the Persian Gulf in 1991 in support of Operation Desert Storm where they proved their superior combat capability. F-15C fighters accounted for 34 of the 37 Air Force air-to-air victories. The F-15Es were operated mainly at night, hunting SCUD missile launchers and artillery sites using the LANTIRN system. They have since been deployed for air expeditionary force deployments and Operations Southern Watch -- the no-fly zone in Southern Iraq, Provide Comfort in Turkey, Allied Force in Bosnia, Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Iraqi Freedom in Iraq.