Strike Eagle Down in Libya

A USAF F-15E Strike Eagle fell out of the sky over eastern Libya. The Eagle was assigned to the "Madhatters" of th 492nd Fighter Squadron out of Lakenheath, England.

The aircraft was felled by mechanical failure not enmey action and the Crew is safe. One having been recovered by a USMC TRAP Team using a MV-22 Osprey. The other crewman was found by people on the ground friendly with the push to oust the current regime and he was returned to another Allied CSAR crew.

Here is video of the crash site which shows clearly the aircraft is an F-15. The amazing part is that one of the AIM-120 Air to Air missiles survived the crash and people are standing around it like is was just another part of the aircraft.




Scary.

TRAP: This is what the Marines do that the USAF calls CSAR (Combat Search and Rescue): TRAP is Tactical Recovery of Aircaft and Personnel. My son who was assigned to the 1st Battalion of the 5th Marines was assigned to a TRAP team when he deployed on his MEU several years ago. Story here (My Son was actually part of this training evolution). Back then he performed this action out of either the MH-53 Sea Stallion or the CH-46 Sea Knight flown by the Heavy squadron in his MEU. They use the MV-22 for that now due largely to its impressive speed and range.

I am a fan of regime change in any country that has a history of killing Americans which this regime fall into. I wish the PresBO had handled this differently and was actually putting the U.S. in a Leadership role in this as oppossed to what will be a supporting role. Had we done this three weeks ago I am sure it would be over by now.

BT: Jimmy T sends.