U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles have taken on a counter-drone role against Iranian unmanned aircraft in the Middle East, using low-cost APKWS II 70 mm laser-guided rockets alongside their usual air-to-air weapons. The shift gives aircraft in Operation Epic Fury a cheaper way to engage Shahed-type threats while preserving higher-value missiles for more demanding targets.
Returning aircraft from the 4th Fighter Wing carried Shahed drone kill markings and visible APKWS II weapon markings, underscoring the fighter’s combat use in the counter-UAS mission. The rocket system turns standard 70 mm rounds into precision-guided munitions and can be carried in far greater numbers than conventional air-to-air missiles, improving magazine depth for sustained patrols.
The F-15E has long served as a strike platform, but the current campaign has pushed it into a more flexible air-defence role as well. Reports describe a loadout of up to six LAU-131 launchers and 42 rockets, a configuration that offers a lower-cost response to one-way attack drones and reduces reliance on AIM-9X and AIM-120 missiles for slower aerial targets.