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US Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle crews attempted to take down long-range kamikaze drones with a Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (LJDAM) precision-guided bomb after running out of missiles during an Iranian barrage aimed at Israel.
TWZ‘s Howard Altman spoke with Col. Timothy “Diesel” Causey, commander of the 494th Fighter Squadron, and Maj. Benjamin “Irish” Coffey, the unit’s chief of staff, after a panel discussion at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2025 Air, Space, and Cyber Conference.
[Image: 494th interview picture]
The 494th, based at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, deployed to the Middle East just weeks after the unprecedented terrorist attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and returned in May 2024. At that time, Causey was the unit’s director of operations.
The squadron was heavily involved in the defense of Israel from an Iranian barrage on April 13, 2024. Iran launched scores of long-range kamikaze drones, including types nearly identical to the long-range one-way attack drones that Russia regularly launches at Ukraine.
[Image: Shahed-136 drone]
Causey explained that the squadron had conversations about using alternative methods to down drones after running out of missiles. “We knew early on, as we start this process in December [2023] and January [2024], we’re shooting missiles. Sooner or later, somebody might find themselves in a situation where they’ve shot everything, and then what do I want them to do?”
F-15Es can carry AIM-9 Sidewinders and AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM). The Strike Eagles can also carry a wide array of air-to-surface munitions, including various JDAM variants, and have a built-in 20mm M61 Vulcan cannon.
[Video: F-15E in action]
Causey found himself in the position of deciding to try to knock an Iranian drone out of the sky with a precision-guided bomb. “I’ve dropped a lot of JDAMs in my career. … I have dropped a JDAM on a moving vehicle in the past. So now I’m thinking, okay, if I’m out of missiles, what am I going to do?”
The attempt was unsuccessful, but Causey and Coffey both agreed that this could still be a tactic worth attempting in future mass drone attack scenarios. The potential cost benefits of using something like an LJDAM instead of a traditional air-to-air missile were also highlighted.
[Image: F-15E with APKWS II rockets]
The Air Force has since rushed to integrate air-to-air optimized versions of the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II (APKWS II) 70mm laser-guided rocket onto the F-15E. Strike Eagles can now carry up to 42 APKWS II rockets on a single sortie, along with eight traditional air-to-air missiles.
Whether attempting to knock out hostile drones using laser-guided bombs becomes a more standardized tactic remains to be seen. However, it does underscore the ever-growing threat that uncrewed aerial systems present, especially when employed in large volumes to overwhelm defenders.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com