{"id":65066,"date":"2026-05-18T23:13:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-18T21:13:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/?p=65066"},"modified":"2026-05-24T22:19:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T20:19:15","slug":"an-f-15e-strike-eagle-in-f-111-camouflage-and-the-nostalgia-for-the-pre-gray-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.outono.net\/elentir\/2026\/05\/18\/an-f-15e-strike-eagle-in-f-111-camouflage-and-the-nostalgia-for-the-pre-gray-era\/","title":{"rendered":"An F-15E Strike Eagle in F-111 camouflage, and the nostalgia for the pre-gray era"},"content":{"rendered":"

April 15 marked the 40th anniversary of Operation El Dorado Canyon, a military operation against the dictatorship of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya.<\/p>\n

Israel releases photos of its nuclear-capable F-15I Ra\u2019am fighter jets after Iranian attack<\/a><\/rel>
\nJapan imitates the Super Hornet from 'Top Gun Maverick' with one of its F-15 Eagle fighters<\/a><\/rel><\/p>\n

The Libyan dictatorship was supporting far-left terrorist groups in several European countries. On April 5, 1986, Libyan agents carried out a terrorist attack against the La Belle nightclub in West Berlin.<\/strong> Three people were killed in the attack, including two U.S. service members. In addition, 229 people were injured, 79 of whom were members of the U.S. Armed Forces.<\/p>\n

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In response to that attack, then-President Ronald Reagan ordered a counter-operation<\/strong>, codenamed Operation El Dorado Canyon. The United States Armed Forces attacked several military targets in Tripoli, Benghazi, Benina, and Mitiga. The United States Air Force launched 48 missiles<\/strong> (mostly AGM-88 HARM anti-radar missiles) and 300 bombs<\/strong>, mostly conventional Mk-82 bombs, against Libya.<\/p>\n

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One of the units that participated in that attack was the 494th Fighter Squadron (494th FS) \"Panthers\" of the U.S. Air Force (USAF)<\/strong>, based at RAF Lakenheath, England, and equipped at that time with the famous General Dynamics F-111F Aardvark<\/strong> fighter-bombers (above, we can see two photos of them, the first from 1980 and the second from October 1986), with variable-sweep wings. This model remained in service with that unit until the arrival in 1992 of the new McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle fighter-bombers<\/strong>, a variant of the F-15 Eagle.<\/p>\n

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Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of that operation<\/strong>, the 494th FS has decorated one of its F-15E Strike Eagles with a camouflage scheme<\/a>, reminiscent of the livery of its former F-111Fs.<\/p>\n

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The F-111Fs of the 494th FS wore the camouflage pattern known as Southeast Asia (SEA) Tactical Camouflage<\/strong>, also often called SEA Vietnam Camouflage, as it was the scheme used by the USAF during the Vietnam War. This camouflage scheme consisted of three colors:<\/strong> dark forest green (FS 34079), medium green (FS 34102), and dark tan (FS 30219).<\/p>\n

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The SEA Vietnam Camouflage was a very attractive camouflage scheme, and this F-15E looks great in it.<\/strong> For years, the standard livery for combat aircraft, both interceptors and attack aircraft, has been gray, either in different shades or a uniform color. The purpose of the current gray livery is to make aircraft less visible in the air<\/strong>, both to ground-based air defenses and to enemy aircraft.<\/p>\n

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Honestly, seeing these images makes one nostalgic for the days of camouflaged aircraft<\/strong>, a feeling that often comes when seeing, for example the F-15 fighter jets of the Israeli Air Force<\/a>, which still today fly with a camouflage scheme known as the Desert Camouflage Scheme, made up of three colors: dark tan or dark brown (FS 30219), green (FS 34424) and sand (FS 33531).<\/p>\n

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If we're talking about naval fighters, the nostalgia intensifies.<\/strong> In the 1960s and 70s, the US Navy's carrier-based aircraft resembled a flying circus, with flamboyant liveries that emphasized each squadron's colors more than the actual US insignia. They were a sight to behold. The new low-visibility liveries are so bland...<\/p>\n

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I encourage you to share your opinion in the comments on this topic:<\/strong> Do you prefer aircraft painted in gray or with the old camouflage or high-visibility naval paint schemes? If you'd like to compare, yesterday Elwyn R<\/a> posted a video recorded at the Welsh Mach Loop<\/a> in which we can see that F-15E with the SEA Vietnam Camouflage and another F-15E from the 494th FS with its usual gray scheme:<\/p>\n