A report at 21:03 Jerusalem confirms that more than half of the US refueling aircraft stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia evacuated between July 7 and 10, according to reports. The development deepens the drawdown of American air assets in the region, as The Zioneer reported earlier today.
A report at 21:03 Jerusalem confirms that more than half of the US refueling aircraft previously stationed at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia evacuated between July 7 and 10. The Zioneer first reported the evacuation earlier today at 17:42, based on earlier reports. The new report, from a separate source, corroborates the timeline.
The departure of the refuelers is part of a broader drawdown of US air assets in the region. The Zioneer previously reported on June 25 that 15 US refueling aircraft departed Ben Gurion Airport, and on June 24 that 28 had evacuated. The cumulative reduction has brought US refueling capacity in the Middle East to its lowest level since February.
The reasons for the evacuation have not been officially stated, but the trend reflects a continued reduction in US military posture in the region.
3 developments
- Developing15 US refueling aircraft leave Ben Gurion, transfer to regional bases
- DevelopingOver a third of US aircraft have departed Ben Gurion Airport
- DevelopingUS expected to relocate 20% of refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion; reports do not confirm 32-aircraft withdrawal
- DevelopingUS refueler departs Ben Gurion Airport as fuel crisis persists
Source and signal
- Internal intake