Two US Air Force EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft, designed to jam enemy communications and radar, are heading from the United Kingdom to Crete, according to The Zioneer. The deployment is part of the ongoing US military buildup in the Middle East as tensions with Iran escalate.
The Zioneer reports that two US Air Force L3Harris EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft are now en route from the United Kingdom to Crete, with the Middle East as their ultimate destination. The development, reported today (Friday, 14:27 Jerusalem), extends the previously reported movement of a single aircraft of the same type.
Yesterday (Thursday, 16:32 Jerusalem), The Zioneer reported that a single EA-37B had arrived at RAF Mildenhall in the UK en route to the Middle East, based on a report by Arabic-language security analyst Abu Saleh. That aircraft had last operated in the region in April, departing in June after the signing of a memorandum of understanding. The new report indicates a second aircraft is now heading to Crete, both as part of the significant US force buildup in the region.
The deployment is part of a broader US military buildup, as detailed by the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS) on Thursday at 11:55 Jerusalem, which includes two aircraft carriers, B-1B bombers, F-35 stealth fighters, and numerous support aircraft. The Zioneer also reported on Wednesday (13:38 Jerusalem) that a US Air Force E-11A communications aircraft is en route to the Middle East, and on Friday (11:57 Jerusalem) that dozens of US transport flights have taken off from Europe to the region.
The report is single-sourced; further details on the aircraft's timeline, specific mission, and whether they will operate from Crete or move further east remain unconfirmed.
5 developments
- DevelopingUS Air Force E-11A communications aircraft en route to Middle East, The Zioneer reports
- DevelopingUS fighter jets take off from Cyprus to intercept Iranian drones targeting US bases in Jordan, Arab channels report
- DevelopingCypriot media claim US bombers over Greece, heading toward Iran
- StrongUS E-3 AWACS circles over Saudi airspace between Kuwait, Bahrain after Iranian strikes
Source and signal
- Open-source intake