U.S. Central Command declined to comment on the movements. Observations from local aircraft spotters, flight tracking data, and air traffic control communications indicate that 12 F-35As from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and a dozen F-15Es from Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, reached Lakenheath the same day.
The F-22 deployment marks the first time Raptors have been sent to Israel for possible combat operations in the region. The aircraft previously escorted B-2 Spirit stealth bombers during last June’s Operation Midnight Hammer strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
“It is a very significant signal of the seriousness of intent of the United States to act with lethal force if Iran does not comply with the U.S. requests—most likely in conjunction with Israel, but if necessary, individually,” said retired Lt. Gen. David A. Deptula, who played key role in planning the Desert Storm air campaign and is now dean of AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
According to commercial satellite photos released by a Chinese company, 11 F-22s have arrived at Ovda airbase in southern Israel. The aircraft, assigned to Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, had been temporarily stationed at RAF Lakenheath before moving toward the Middle East, though one turned back due to an apparent maintenance issue based on open-source tracking data.
Hill’s F-35s, like Langley’s F-22s, participated in last year’s mission against Iran, conducting suppression of enemy air defense operations. At least six additional F-22s arrived at Lakenheath earlier in the week, according to spotters and radio communications, as the buildup continued.
American and Iranian negotiators met Feb. 26 in Geneva to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, but significant differences remain, including U.S. demands that Tehran permanently end uranium enrichment. Oman’s foreign minister said technical talks will continue in Vienna next week, as Iran is not currently enriching uranium following Operation Midnight Hammer’s strikes on three nuclear facilities.
Ovda airbase, used in past joint exercises with Israel, has shelters, ammunition storage facilities, and capacity for more than 100 aircraft, including tankers. In addition to the F-22s, roughly 30 F-35As from RAF Lakenheath’s 48th Fighter Wing and the Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing are deployed to a base outside Israel, along with F-15E squadrons and other aircraft in the region.
Satellite images also show multiple F-16s and other aircraft at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Meanwhile, at least eight KC-46 Pegasus tankers arrived within hours at Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv between Feb. 26 and Feb. 27, underscoring a significant tanker presence at a civilian airport.
The USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group is expected near Israel’s coast in the coming days, while the USS Abraham Lincoln is already operating south of Iran. Both carriers are accompanied by warships capable of ballistic missile defense and launching Tomahawk land-attack cruise missiles, reinforcing U.S. military posture in the region.
Source: Air & Space Forces Magazine.
