Latest Update: U.S. Military Buildup in the Middle East — Military Action Appears Imminent if Talks Fail U.S. Air Force • At least 30 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets are now stationed at Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in Jordan. • The number of F-15E Strike Eagles at the same base has decreased to 24, as several have been replaced by F-35As. • 6× EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft have also been deployed to Muwaffaq al-Salti. • Between 8 and 12 A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft are currently operating from Muwaffaq al-Salti AB. • 2× USAF E-3C/B Sentry AWACS aircraft have been deployed to RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom. They are likely preparing for redeployment to the Middle East, possibly to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia or Chania. • 3× USAF E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft are currently deployed at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia. • At least a dozen USAF F-16 fighter jets are also operating from Prince Sultan Air Base and possibly Dhafra AB in the UAE. • Up to 22 aerial refueling aircraft (KC-135 Stratotankers and KC-46 Pegasus tankers) are now deployed in or near the theater, primarily from Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar), Chania, and Diego Garcia. • 1× RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence (SIGINT) aircraft has repositioned from Al Udeid Air Base to Chania after conducting several days of intelligence-gathering operations near Iran with its transponder turned off. • 1× WC-135R Constant Phoenix, known as the “nuke sniffer,” remains deployed to RAF Mildenhall in the UK. The aircraft is designed to detect radioactive particles and atmospheric debris to monitor nuclear activity. • +160 C-17 Globemaster III transport flights, 18 C-5M Super Galaxy heavy-lift flights, and numerous C-130J/H Hercules flights have delivered troops and equipment into the region. Air Defense Deployments • According to @TheIntelFrog assessments, roughly 99 of the C-17 and C-5M airlift flights are confirmed to have transported U.S. air defense systems to the Middle East. • These deployments are likely focused on protecting key U.S. installations in the region, including: • Al Udeid Air Base (Qatar) • Prince Sultan Air Base (Saudi Arabia) • Ali Al Salem Air Base (Kuwait) • Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base (Jordan) U.S. Navy • The U.S. is deploying a second carrier strike group to the region. The Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group, which includes the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and three Arleigh Burke–class destroyers, has left the Caribbean and is en route to the Middle East. It is expected to arrive within ~10 days. • The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, including the aircraft carrier and three Arleigh Burke–class destroyers, continues to operate in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman. • 2× Arleigh Burke–class destroyers are positioned in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf. • Another Arleigh Burke–class destroyer is operating in either the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aqaba, while an additional destroyer remains in the Mediterranean to support Israel and provide air and missile defense coverage. • USS Georgia, an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine capable of carrying more than 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles, is believed to be operating somewhere in the region, possibly in the Mediterranean Sea.
