Eleven US Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II aircraft returned to RAF Lakenheath in the UK bearing markings indicating they participated in operations against Iran during the recent campaign. Munitions shown include precision-guided bombs, Maverick missiles, Hydra rockets, and Miniature Air-Launched Decoys, alongside markings on two aircraft recording strikes on Iranian watercraft and a pickup truck.
Eleven U.S. Air Force A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, part of the 75th Fighter Squadron, returned to RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom bearing markings from their deployment during the Iran campaign, according to imagery and reporting. Nine of the aircraft are pictured. The munitions documented alongside the aircraft include GBU-31(V) and GBU-38 precision-guided munitions, AGM-58 Maverick missiles, Hydra 70 rockets, 30 mm ammunition, and notably the AGM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy (MALD), a radar-jamming and deception munition typically associated with penetrating defended airspace rather than close air support.
The markings on two of the aircraft show mission-specific target records: one jet displays silhouettes of two Iranian watercraft, while another shows a pickup truck, indicating the types of targets struck during the campaign. The return of the aircraft to a UK base underscores the continued presence of U.S. expeditionary air power in the European theater as part of operations against Iran, including the previously reported intensive training from RAF Fairford. The specific timeline of their return and any future operations from Lakenheath have not been disclosed.
2 developments
- DevelopingReport: US A-10 fighter jets attack IRGC speedboats near Larak Island
- DevelopingLoss of A-10C over Iran during rescue operation for downed F-15E crew, per unverified report
- StrongEight US strategic bombers land in Middle East from UK and Germany bases overnight
- DevelopingIRGC claims it fired SAM at US F-16 over Persian Gulf, forcing it to withdraw
Source and signal
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