On occasion of Operation El Dorado Canyon’s 40th anniversary, the 48th Fighter Wing unveiled a special color F-15E Strike Eagle with the same camo once used by the F-111 Aardvark.
During a ceremony at RAF Lakenheath, UK, the 48th Fighter Wing has unveiled a new special color F-15E Strike Eagle, dedicated to the 40th anniversary of Operation El Dorado Canyon. The operation, conducted on Apr. 14, 1986, saw 24 F-111F Aardvark of the 48th Tactical Fighter Wing taking off from Lakenheath for a long-range strike against targets in Libya.
The special color
The F-15E Strike Eagle, serial 91-0311, has been painted with the same camouflage of the F-111s once operated by the 48th TFW. The camo features a shade of tan and two shades of green, while the nose radome was left with the standard grey paint.
On the tail, different markings can be seen based on the surface. As usual, on the tail’s outer surface the “LN” tail flash and the serial can be seen, together with the older 494th Tactical Fighter Squadron marking.
Additionally, on the top, there are both the 494th TFS’s red band and the markings “40 years Eldorado Canyon.” Starting from the bottom and extending toward the top, the 48th FW’s Statue of Liberty insignia is visible. On the inner surface of the vertical twin tails, the shape of an F-111 and a Panther, the 494th FS’ emblem have been painted.
Moving to the nose, another F-111 shape can be seen, together with a red inscription “Karma 52.” This is a dedication to the only aircraft lost during the operation in Libya, an F-111 with the callsign Karma 52 which was flown by pilot Capt. Fernando Ribas-Dominicci, and weapons system officer Capt. Paul Lorence.
El Dorado Canyon
In April 1986, U.S. President Ronald Reagan ordered strikes against Libya, after accusing the country of being behind the attack to a West Berlin discotheque where two Americans were killed. The attack was conducted by assets of both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force.
On Apr. 14, 24 F-111Fs took off from RAF Lakenheath and were joined by five EF-111A Ravens from the 42nd Electronic Combat Squadron which took off from RAF Upper Heyford. After a first aerial refueling, six F-111s and one EF-111 airborne spares turned back and returned to their bases.
The remaining aircraft flew over the Atlantic Ocean and reached the Strait of Gibraltar, entering the Mediterranean Sea. At approximately 2 a.m. on April 15, the F-111s completed their final refueling and began the attack.
The Air Force jets were joined by 27 Navy aircraft, including A-6E Intruders, A-7 Corsair IIs and F/A-18A Hornets. The aircraft were launched from the carriers USS America (CV-66) and USS Coral Sea (CV-43).
During planning, five targets were chosen across Libya. The Air Force hit a terrorist training camp, command and control facilities, and an airfield near Tripoli, while the Navy struck another training camp and an airfield near Benghazi, explains the Air Force in a recent feature released before the anniversary.
Only eleven F-111s out of 18 dropped their bombs, due to malfunctions and strict rules of engagement, but they nonetheless struck their assigned targets. The service explained that some aircraft used GBU-10 laser-guided bombs on ground facilities, while others dropped parachute-delayed bombs on Il-76 transport planes at the Tripoli airport.
In the days following the attack, the U.S. military conducted battle damage assessment (BDA) on the targets. For these missions, the SR-71 Blackbird became an obvious choice, as the Libyan airspace was heavily defended.