F-15E Strike Eagles Arrived Home With New Nose Art
Stories of warfighters coming home with a bit of ink on their skin are as old as time, but our friend David Cenciotti of The Aviationist recently shared the news that it isn't the pilots who recently got new ink during a recent Middle Eastern deployment—it was their fighters.
It is part of an ongoing tradition with one particular aircraft.
The F-15E Strike Eagles Have New Nose Art
The first six of a dozen deployed United States Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles from the 492nd Fighter Squadron, 48th Fighter Wing, recently returned from the Middle East to Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenhealth, the unit's home base in Europe.
As the aircraft arrived at the UK base, it became clear the warbirds sported new markings.
"The F-15Es of the 'Maddhatters' deployed to the CENTCOM area of responsibility in November, to replace the Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, which had completed their 'tour' in the sandpit and to beef up the U.S. presence amid growing regional tensions," Cenciotti wrote, adding that when the aircraft landed at Lakenhealth, they were spotted with "interesting bomb markings," indicating recent combat missions.
This isn't the first time the Strike Eagles of the 48th Fighter Wing have returned to their home base at RAF Lekenheath with some interesting nose art.
Photos released in May of this year, after the aircraft returned from another deployment to the Middle East, also showed the aircraft with new bomb and missile markings, highlighting that the Strike Eagles had dropped ordnance on enemy targets or fired missiles in combat.
The Nose Let You Know
Though aircraft "nose art" is less common today—and likely will be truly a thing of the past as fifth-generation fighters utilize stealth capabilities that require subdued markings – the colorful insignia has existed for more than 100 years. It began with fighter pilots during World War I who were truly a unique breed, daring enough to fly those early aircraft.
As "knights of the sky," these aviators personalized their aircraft with nose art.
Moreover, it is also impossible to think of the U.S. Army Air Force's B-17 Flying Fortress and B-24 Liberator bombers and its various fighters of World War II without their colorful pinup girls and other nose art.
The Strike Eagle Tradition
While most modern aircraft don't generally feature nose art, it remains a tradition among Strike Eagle squadrons to show off their recent combat exploits. This is true even in the era of stand-off weapons where most combat is conducted beyond visual range.
"Nose Art dates well into World War I and became more embellished in World War II to help bring the warfighters a taste of home, a memory, place, significant other, or motto," explained Lt. Col. James, then commander of the 389th Fighter Squadron, in March 2020.
As the Air Force stated then, "Nose art allows the aircrew to make the aircraft their own by working together to come up with a name and design idea."
While the nose art of the past also involved skilled "artists" who were good with a brush and paint, the technique is different today. It typically involves a graphic designer, who can work with Adobe InDesign or other software on a computer. The images aren't painted but instead are printed on a vinyl printer.
That makes it easy for the designs to be updated and changed as the situation dictates. But the goal has changed little from more than a century ago.
"It boosts morale because the designs were a collaboration of aircrew and maintainers," added James. "They give the jets a name and you feel attached to the jet you named with your crew chiefs."
Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.
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