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  "path": "/2026/05/08/us-warplane-odd-markings-painted-spotted-taking-uk-airbase-28285624/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-08T12:04:01.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
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    "US Air Force",
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    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source"
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  "textContent": "Stewart Jack took the photograph of the F-15E Strike Eagle as it took off from RAF Lakenheath (Picture: SWNS)\n\nA keen plane spotter has captured a striking and rarely seen sight in the skies over Suffolk – a US warplane in a unique camouflage scheme taking off from RAF Lakenheath.\n\nStewart Jack took the photograph on Thursday (May 7), spotting the F-15E Strike Eagle as it set off sporting a customised paint job marking the 40th anniversary of Operation El Dorado Canyon.\n\nInstead of its usual modern grey tones, the jet had been dressed in a retro-style camouflage inspired by the aircraft used during the 1986 operation.\n\nThe F-15E Strike Eagle itself is one of the US Air Force’s most versatile aircraft; a dual-role fighter capable of both air-to-air combat and deep strike missions.\n\nThe anniversary it commemorates marks one of the most significant US military operations of the 1980s.\n\nOperation El Dorado Canyon was launched in April 1986 on the orders of President Ronald Reagan, in response to the bombing of the La Belle nightclub in West Berlin.\n\nThe fighter jet had been given a special paintjob to commemorate the anniversary of Operation El Dorado Canyon (Picture: SWNS)\n\nThe 1986 operation was launched in retaliation for the La Belle discotheque bombing in West Berlin; a nightclub popular with US servicemen (Picture: SWNS)\n\nThe bombing claimed the lives of two US soldiers and injured 229 others (Picture: SWNS)\n\nThe nightclub, popular with US servicemen, was targeted in an attack that killed two American soldiers and a Turkish woman, and injured more than 200 people.\n\nThe strikes on Libya that followed were complex and high-risk.\n\nAircraft were launched from UK bases including RAF Lakenheath and RAF Upper Heyford, with 29 planes involved, among them F-111 strike aircraft and EF-111 electronic warfare jets.\n\nPilots flew long-distance missions overnight, navigating heavily defended airspace to carry out precision strikes.\n\nThe newly painted F-15E pays tribute to those earlier aircraft, adopting the same camouflage pattern that the F-111s would have used at the time.\n\nThe jet was painted with camouflage that the F-15E had been painted with at the time (Picture: SWNS)\n\nThe operation involved aircraft taking off partly from RAF Lakenheath and RAF Upper Heyford (Picture: SWNS)\n\nA US Air Force spokesperson said: ‘a symbol of courage, precision, and the enduring legacy of those who answered the call’ (Picture: SWNS)\n\nThe US Air Force said the design reflects a lasting legacy.\n\nA spokespreson said: ‘A legacy etched in the skies. The 48th Fighter Wing proudly unveils a new F-15E tail flash commemorating Operation El Dorado Canyon – a symbol of courage, precision, and the enduring legacy of those who answered the call.’\n\nThey added: ‘Operation El Dorado Canyon’s success demonstrated the US Air Force’s ability to project airpower lethally, anywhere, anytime.’\n\n## What is the F-15E Strike Eagle?\n\nThe F-15E Strike Eagle is a powerful US fighter jet designed to handle both air combat and ground attacks.\n\nUnlike earlier versions of the F-15, which were built mainly for dogfighting, the Strike Eagle can fly long distances, hit targets on the ground, and defend itself in the air.\n\nThis is what the fighter jets look like without the special camouflage (Picture: Getty)\n\nTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\nIt is flown by a two-person crew: a pilot and a weapons systems officer, who works the targeting and navigation systems.\n\nPacked with advanced radar and navigation tech, the aircraft can operate day or night and in all weather, including flying at very low altitudes to avoid detection.\n\nIts targeting systems allow it to precisely strike ground targets while still keeping an eye out for enemy aircraft, making it one of the most versatile jets in the US Air Force.\n\n_Source: US Air Force_\n\n## What was Operation El Dorado Canyon?\n\nOperation El Dorado Canyon was a US air strike on Libya carried out on April 14-15, 1986.\n\nOrdered by President Ronald Reagan, it was launched in response to a bombing at a Berlin nightclub frequented by US servicemen, which was linked to Libyan agents.\n\nLa Belle nightclub was bombed on April 6, 1986 killing two US soldiers and a Turkish woman (Picture: Alamy)\n\nThe overnight raid involved US Air Force jets flying from bases in the UK alongside Navy aircraft launched from carriers in the Mediterranean.\n\nTheir targets included military sites, training camps and facilities linked to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s support for terrorism.\n\nFlying at low altitude to avoid radar, the aircraft carried out coordinated strikes before returning to base after a complex long-range mission involving multiple mid-air refuelling stops.\n\nThe operation caused significant damage to its targets, though one US aircraft was lost and there was international controversy over the raid.\n\n_Source: US Department of Defense_\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "US warplane with ‘odd markings’ painted on it spotted taking off from UK airbase"
}