WASHINGTON ( CNN ) -- The Air Force is returning F-15E Strike Eagle jets to service over Iraq and Afghanistan after grounding other F-15s , the Air Force said Wednesday . The Air Force grounded models of its F-15 fleet after the crash of an older model F-15C this month . The F-15s were grounded after a crash earlier this month in Missouri of an older model that disintegrated in flight . Each F-15E must pass an inspection of critical parts on the airframe before returning to flying missions , Air Force officials said . All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection of hydraulic system lines , the Air Force statement said . The longerons -- molded , metal strips of the aircraft fuselage that run from front to rear -- will also be inspected , according to the Air Force . The straps and skin panels in and around the environmental control system bay will also be examined , officials said . The Air Force would not say whether the parts being inspected were part of the problem on the aircraft that crashed . The investigation into why that plane fell apart in flight is still ongoing and Air Force officials will not say what happened until the investigation is complete , an Air Force spokesperson said . Air Force officials said the rest of the almost 500 F-15s -- older airframes than the F-15Es -- will remain grounded until the investigation offers a solution to what happened . The E-model aircraft , the youngest and most sophisticated in the F-15 inventory , is heavily used by Central Command for ground support in the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . It is also used for the homeland security mission over the United States known as Operation Noble Eagle . On November 3 , the Air Force grounded all of its F-15s in response to a November 1 crash of a Missouri Air National Guard F-15C in Boss , Missouri . The grounding forced Central Command to use other Air Force , Navy and French fighters to fill the gaps , though Strike Eagles did fly to support troops in battle in Afghanistan as an emergency measure while they were still under grounding orders , according to Central Command reports . The plane that crashed , built in 1980 , was one of the older F-15s in the fleet . The F-15E Strike Eagle is an air-to-ground and air-to-air fighter , making it more versatile than other F-15 models , which are used for only air-to-air missions . The Strike Eagle is used in Afghanistan and Iraq in its air-to-ground role , using its advanced sensors to drop bombs on targets . E-mail to a friend .
F-15s grounded after a November 1 crash in Missouri . F-15 is used for ground support in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan . All U.S. Air Force 224 E-model aircraft will undergo a one-time inspection .