A demilitarization process sets the point for a aircraft that has previously served as a maintenance training platform in England.
On Raf Lakenheath i England ble et F-15B Eagle-jagerfly from US Air Force Officially taken out of service and destroyed in a process that makes the plane permanently useless.
Last month, a contractor performed demilitarization on behalf of 48th Maintenance Groupby using heavy equipment to crush and dismantle the hull. The aircraft had been used as a ground -based training platform, which enabled technicians to practice procedures without the risk and cost of working on operational aircraft.
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With the training role ended, it was decided to dismantle the aircraft instead of sending it to long -term storage. The process involves destruction of hulls and key components to prevent the aircraft from ever flying again, contrary to the traditional method of sending retired aircraft to so -called “flight cemetery”, where many are preserved for spare parts or possible reactivation.
F-15B Eaglea Tomotors fighter jet developed by McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing), has been an icon within fighter aircraft since the 1970s, and has earned both in USAF And in allied air forces. Despite gradual replacement with more modern variants, the model is still in active service in some countries.
According to the 48th Maintenance Group, the demilitarization of the base follows strict protocols to ensure removal or destruction of all sensitive systems, while recyclable materials are recycled when possible.
The dismantling of the F-15B marks the end of its support function in RAF Lakenheath’s training assignment. The base, which is home to 48th Fighter Wingcontinue to operate state -of -the -art aircraft as F-15E Strike Eagle and the latest F-35A Lightning IIwhile older platforms like the F-15B are completely phased out.
Source and pictures: Defence Blog | X @defence_ida | X @strixphotos. This content was created with the help of KI and reviewed by the editorial staff.
A LN Tail marked F15-B (Pictured, 76-124) and F15-C 84-001, both remain at RAF Lakenheath and have been used as Instructional airframes. As far as I know, mainly as training aircraft exclusive for technicians/MX.
They have been used for other training scenarios too 👇 pic.twitter.com/K2kfCvt65L
— Strix Photos (@StrixPhotos) June 25, 2025
