Senior US officials told CNN that the United States is expected to send several additional squadrons of F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, along with aerial refueling aircraft, to the Middle East in the coming hours, as part of an ongoing reinforcement. In a related development, an emergency situation assessment is underway at Ben Gurion Airport regarding the arrival of the US refueling aircraft and the status of summer flight tickets.
CNN reported late Monday afternoon, citing senior US officials, that additional squadrons of F-16 and F-35 fighter jets, along with aerial refueling aircraft, are heading to the Middle East and are expected to arrive within hours. The report follows an extensive US military buildup over the past 24 hours: as The Zioneer reported on Sunday, the US deployed F-35 and F-16 fighter jets from European bases, including F-16CJ Wild Weasel aircraft from Germany and F-35s from the UK, with multiple outlets citing a total of 51 fighter jets dispatched from bases in the UK, Italy, and Germany. Earlier reports had also noted the deployment of tanker aircraft and the transfer of jets to Jordan and Israel.
In Israel, the anticipated arrival of the refueling aircraft prompted an emergency situation assessment at Ben Gurion Airport on Monday evening. The assessment, reported by N12, is examining the implications for the airport's operations and summer flight schedules. The scale of the US logistical effort has been described as unusually large: The Zioneer reported on Sunday that the US plans to station roughly 100 aerial refueling aircraft in Israel, with dozens already arriving over the weekend. Separately, a security analyst reported that the rate of US tanker arrivals is expected to reach 5–8 per day, an unusual volume.
The exact number of aircraft in the latest deployment and their final destinations remain unconfirmed. The US has not issued an official statement on the CNN report, which cites unnamed officials but provides the most specific timeline for the reinforcements yet.
13 developments
- ConfirmedUS plans to deploy roughly 100 aerial refueling aircraft to Israel, security source says
- DevelopingF-16 fighter squadron with 5 refueling aircraft heads to Middle East, report says
- StrongWSJ: US F-35s from UK base, aerial tankers en route to Middle East
- DevelopingUS Central Command releases photo of KC-135 refueling F-16s over Middle East
Source and signal
- Internal intake