12 F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Fighter Squadron, RAF Lakenheath are deployed to the Middle East.
Presumably as part of the built up in the Middle East of US Forces in support of the protesters in Iran, facing a violent crackdown from state authorities, a number of what appear to be additional combat and support aircraft deployments to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility has been noted. 0n Jan. 17, 2026, a total of twelve F-15E Strike Eagles departed from RAF Lakenheath in the UK with tanker support heading towards the Middle East. Their arrival on station was confirmed by the U.S. Air Force on Jan. 18 with an image of a 494th Fighter Squadron (FS) Strike Eagle landing at Muwaffaq Salti air base in Jordan.
Muwaffaq Salti is one of the most frequently used bases in the Middle East for U.S. combat aircraft deployments, having hosted F-15s, F-16s, F-22s and F-35 fighters as well as MQ-9 Reaper drones. Notably, as well as F-15E Strike Eagles, the base also currently hosts a detachment of A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.
The base’s location in Jordan provides an ideal staging point for ongoing missions over Iraq and Syria against Daesh. Alongside the 494th FS aircraft, 12 more Strike Eagles rotated through RAF Lakenheath this month for onward travel to Jordan. These aircraft are from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina. This was presumed to be a rotation, with the intent of relieving Mountain Home AFB Strike Eagles which are already forward deployed with CENTCOM, but no sign of these jets returning. Their deployment has probably been extended in the light of the recent unrest.
