The US has informed Israel it will send dozens of additional aerial refueling aircraft, according to Israeli officials. The US military reportedly prefers to operate the planes from Ben-Gurion Airport, citing lower exposure to Iranian attacks compared to other regional bases. The report follows and appears to contradict an earlier report that the planes would not be parked at Ben-Gurion.
The US has informed Israel it will send dozens of additional refueling aircraft, and the US military now prefers to base them at Ben-Gurion Airport, citing lower exposure to Iranian attacks, Israeli officials said Friday evening. The preference marks a shift from an earlier single-sourced report at 20:56 Jerusalem on Friday that said the incoming planes would not be parked at Ben-Gurion.
Friday’s reports on the deployment evolved rapidly. At 19:05 Jerusalem, The Zioneer’s thread began with an Axios report that the US was deploying dozens of tankers, followed within minutes by White House confirmation, an Israeli reporter’s account, and an N12 report citing three US and Israeli officials. By 19:05, the Times of Israel reported dozens of aircraft, up from an initial 10. A separate single-sourced report at 20:56 Jerusalem said the planes would avoid Ben-Gurion — a claim now contradicted by the latest official Israeli sourcing.
Over the past month, the US has deployed multiple refueling aircraft to Israel and the region as part of the campaign against Iran, as The Zioneer has reported. Previous bulletins noted concerns about congestion at Ben-Gurion and a previous US military preference to relocate roughly 20% of tankers from that airport.
The ultimate basing decision for the new aircraft remains unconfirmed, and it is not yet clear whether the reported preference for Ben-Gurion will be implemented.
11 developments
- DevelopingSenior Israeli military official: US demand on refueling aircraft 'justified, integral to joint Iran deployment'
- StrongUS military to relocate ~20% of refueling aircraft from Ben Gurion Airport ahead of Iran deal
- DevelopingAdditional US refueling tankers land at Ben Gurion Airport from the Gulf
- DevelopingUS military deployed ~6 additional refueling aircraft across Israel overnight
Source and signal
- Internal intake