Air Force to transfer F-15E Strike Eagles to Whiteman, saving historic 442d Fighter Wing from Biden-era divestment

A Missouri Air Force base will soon receive a new fleet of Strike Eagles to replace its aging aircraft, preventing a historic fighter wing from being shut down.

Following heavy lobbying from Missouri’s Sen. Eric Schmitt and Rep. Mark Alford, it was announced the Air Force is transferring F-15E Strike Eagles to the 442d Fighter Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base.

The move, which named Whiteman the sole candidate location for the jets, ensures the base retains its highly experienced personnel as the aging A-10 Thunderbolt II fleet phases out.

“We were in jeopardy, I think, of losing a large part of the workforce that really supports that platform and possibly moving out of state,” Alford told Missourinet.

Schmitt, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, heavily lobbied defense officials for a follow-on mission since taking office in 2023.

“Whiteman is first class with great maintainers, great pilots and a great community,” Schmitt said. “It deserves a follow-on mission.”

The decision saves jobs at the base and combat expertise of hundreds of Missouri airmen threatened by the A-10 fleet’s retirement.

Schmitt targeted the Biden administration’s “Divest to Invest” strategy for endangering ready-to-fight units without a clear replacement plan, ultimately urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to implement the stopgap measures that saved the historic unit.

“We’ve been advocating for the F-15E, which is still very important for our posture and for our military, and so we’ve been lobbying for this with the secretary,” Schmitt told Heartlander News. “We’ve been lobbying this with the Air Force for years since I got to the Senate in 2023, and so it was announced this week that in fact Whiteman will get those F-15Es, which is a big win, not just for Whiteman and for Missouri, but for our country and for our readiness.”

The 442d Fighter Wing is one of the military’s most highly decorated reserve units. It has performed critical counter-terrorism missions and integrated closely with elite special operations.

Whiteman is also hosting the next-generation B-21 Raider stealth bomber that will eventually replace the aging B-2 fleet used during Operation Midnight Hammer.

Schmitt says Missouri remains critical and valid for deterring foreign threats with its Rosecrans Air National Guard Base in St. Joseph, Fort Leonard Wood and Whiteman. He says the combination of the B-21 and the F-15E secures Whiteman as one of the most important bases.