photos by Senior Airman Jessica Blair / Capt. Andrew Layton
U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles from the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, have completed the first forward dispersal of operation Castle Forge.
The official logo for Operation Castle Forge,
During phase one, the Strike Eagles conducted local training alongside the Hellenic Air Force at Larissa Air Base, Greece, from Oct. 11-17. Then, subsets of the unit forward deployed to Graf Ignatievo AB, Bulgaria, and Borcea AB, Romania, to exercise Agile Combat Employment and conduct vital training alongside the Bulgarian and Romanian air forces. The F-15Es returned to Larissa AB, Greece, following the training.
U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles from the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, taxi alongside Romanian F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft during week two of operation Castle Forge at Borcea Air Base, Romania, Oct. 20, 2021.U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Andrew Layton).
“Castle Forge is about testing and proving critical concepts for our teams and their readiness,” said Gen. Jeff Harrigian, NATO Allied Air Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa commander. “By leveraging the flexibility of our forces and the rapid integration of allied assets, we all achieve a competitive edge in the Black Sea region.”
Castle Forge will continue for the next several weeks, providing a dynamic, partnership-focused environment that raises U.S. commitment to collective defense and interoperability among NATO allies in the Black Sea region
Romanian F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft taxi alongside U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles from the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, during week two of operation Castle Forge at Borcea Air Base, Romania, Oct. 20, 2021 (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Andrew Layton).
U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles from the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, taxi alongside Romanian F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft during week two of operation Castle Forge at Borcea Air Base, Romania, Oct. 20, 2021. Castle Forge’s central objective is to provide a partnership-focused environment and affirm U.S. commitment to NATO allies in the Black Sea region (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Andrew Layton).
A U.S. F-15E Strike Eagle from the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, taxis at Borcea Air Base, Romania, Oct. 20, 2021(U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Andrew Layton).
U.S. Air Force aircrew assigned to the 336th Fighter Squadron, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, step to their F-15E Strike Eagle before their sortie during week two of Castle Forge, at Borcea Air Base, Romania, Oct. 20, 2021. Castle Forge prepares allies and partners for potential operations in support of NATO and other multinational coalitions around the world (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jessica Blair).
U.S. Airmen from the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, prepare their F-15E Strike Eagles for a series of integrated training sorties during operation Castle Forge alongside F-16 aircraft from the Romanian Air Force’s 53rd Fighter Squadron, Borcea 86th Air Base, Romania, Oct. 22, 2021.
Castle Forge is a U.S. Air Forces Europe-Air Forces Africa-led, joint, multi-national operation. It provides a dynamic, partnership-focused training environment that raises the U.S. commitment to collective defense in the Black Sea region while enhancing interoperability alongside NATO allies (U.S. Air Force photo by Capt. Andrew Layton).
U.S. Air Force Maj. John Tilton, an F-15E pilot assigned to the 336th
Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base,
North Carolina, poses for a photo before a cross-country flight from
Romania to Greece during operation Castle Forge, Oct. 22, 2021. Castle
Forge builds upon nations’ joint capabilities, ensuring a stronger
partnership and enhanced interoperability (U.S. Air Force photo by
Senior Airman Jessica Blair).
