RETRO71 flight of four Saudi Boeing F-15SAs arrived at RAF Lakenheath 18 November 2020
As reported earlier this week, the four Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) F-15SA Saudi Advanced Eagles were expected to make the Atlantic crossing. The fighters left St. Louis Lambert Field (MO) on 17 November 2020, a day late due to weather conditions. Next stop was Bangor (MA) for a nightstop.
GOLD22 (KC-135R 58-0050) and GOLD23 (KC-135T 59-1512) pre-positioned to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ) on 15 November 2020. In the morning of 18 November two tankers were launched (GOLD21 KC-135R 64-14839 from the 108th ARS IL and GOLD23 KC-135T 59-1512 from the 171st ARS MI ANG) and the four F-15SA Eagles joined for the Atlantic crossing.
The two Stratotankers recovered at RAF Mildenhall while the Eagles dropped in RAF Lakenheath for another night stop. They are expected to continue their journey on 19 or 20 November 2020 to their final destination Dhahran Air Base (Saudi Arabia), where they are expected to join the Fighter Weapons School.
These are the last of the 84 F-15SA on order to be delivered to the Royal Saudi Air Force. 12-1002 and 12-1003 are said to remain in the USA for development and trails, or, possible future delivery after all.
Photo credit: Vivek Kaul