Over Three Hundred US Army Aircraft Deployed to Mideast

(MENAFN) Open-source intelligence indicates that over 300 US military aircraft have been deployed to the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate. The aircraft are primarily stationed at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, and Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Carrier air wings 8 and 9 aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford are also contributing to the buildup.

Since early January, around 270 logistics flights using C-17 and C-5 transport planes have supported the deployment, along with Patriot and THAAD missile defense systems. Currently, an estimated 75 KC-46 and KC-135 aerial refueling and transport aircraft are either stationed in the region or en route.

The air fleet includes a mix of fighter, support, and specialized aircraft. Roughly 84 F-18E/F, 36 F-15E, 48 F-16C/CJ/CM, and 42 F-35A/C jets make up about 70% of the total, while the remaining 30% includes 18 EA-18G “Growler” electronic warfare planes, 12 A-10C “Thunderbolt” close air support jets, 5 E-11A BACN communications aircraft, and 6 E-3 “Sentry” AWACS planes.

No movements of B-2 stealth bombers—previously used in Operation Midnight Hammer last June—have been reported. This deployment highlights the US’s ongoing strategic air presence in the region amid heightened geopolitical tensions.

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