December 25, 2020
Drop the Load: Why a U.S. F-15 Dropped Millions in Missiles into the Ocean
Whoops.
by Jeff Schogol
Here's What You Need to Remember: That the F-15 fired its missile rather than simply dropping them is itself a rare occurrence, per the War Zone, but ditching the missiles was an expensive choice: the F-15's standard alert loudout of four AIM-120C AMRAAMs and a pair of AIM-9X Sidewinders likely cost the Pentagon $4.5 million — at least.
An Oregon Air National Guard F-15C Eagle that made an emergency landing ditched its entire arsenal of live air-to-air missiles before touching down at Portland International Airport, The War Zone reports back in 2019.
The aircraft, assigned to the 142nd Fighter Wing out of Portland Air National Guard Base, was conducting an alert training mission on the morning Feb. 21 when it experienced a malfunction "centered around its landing gear," according to CBS News affiliate KOIN.
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/reboot/drop-load-why-us-f-15-dropped-millions-missiles-ocean-175223
