The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that US Air Force aerial refueling aircraft will be stationed at Israeli Air Force bases, according to an IDF statement. The confirmation follows earlier reports that the US was deploying additional tanker aircraft to Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces confirmed Saturday morning that US Air Force aerial refueling aircraft will be stationed at Israeli Air Force bases, providing official backing after a rapid sequence of reports earlier today. The statement, issued around 11:37 Jerusalem, follows a series of reports that began at 10:23 Jerusalem.
At 10:23 Jerusalem, The Zioneer published multiple reports: Noam Amir (Channel 14) reported that the first US tankers were expected to land at an IDF base in southern Israel within hours. A military source then confirmed that additional refueling tankers would land at Air Force bases rather than Ben Gurion Airport to reduce disruption to civilian air traffic. The IDF subsequently confirmed that arrangement. The military censor failed to block the publication of the details. Nir Dvori (N12) also reported at that time that the US had decided to station additional tankers at IAF bases. At 11:22 Jerusalem, a further bulletin from The Zioneer reiterated Dvori's report.
The deployment is part of a broader US military presence in the region. As The Zioneer reported on July 14, approximately six additional refueling aircraft were deployed across Israel overnight. On July 7, the US was expected to relocate about 20% of its refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport to ease congestion, and on June 16, a similar relocation was reported ahead of a potential Iran deal. Earlier on Saturday, at 11:21 Jerusalem, a report indicated that 23 US tankers were expected to deploy to Jordan, Israel, and Saudi Arabia within hours, though that report was from a single source.
The exact number of aircraft and the timeline for their deployment to Israeli bases remain unspecified. The mission of the tankers has not been disclosed, and earlier reports varied on the scale of the deployment. The IDF statement did not address whether the aircraft are part of a temporary or permanent arrangement.
4 developments
- DevelopingUS military deployed ~6 additional refueling aircraft across Israel overnight
- DevelopingUS transfers six refueling tankers to UAE base amid Israel-Iran tensions
- DevelopingUS refueling aircraft take off from Israel, security analyst reports
- DevelopingSenior Israeli military official: US demand on refueling aircraft 'justified, integral to joint Iran deployment'
Source and signal
- Internal intake