Iran

[Canary Boy]

With regard to previous comments and postulations, it will be interesting (understatement) to see how missile/drone and sub-surface threats are tackled. Any lessons from another place?

[ORAC]

Update:

https://x.com/ArmchairAdml/status/20...096802536?s=20

#USAF United States Air Force - Middle East Activity 18 February - Day Summary

At least 46 tankers have positioned to bases and airports in Europe over the past 24 hours, with a further 23 C-17/C-5 flights making it 193 airlift flights into the Middle East, and a further 15 in progress.

Tankers are positioning from various bases in the United States to Lajes Field, Naval Station Rota, Sofia Airport and Chania Airport. This seems ideal for bomber flights either from CONUS, or from bases that frequently host bombers like Moron or RAF Fairford - although there is no indication yet of bombers deploying.

C-17 and C-5 movements are now primarily supporting the deployment of F-16s from McEntire JNGB, Aviano and Spangdahlem, F-22s from Langley AFB, and F-35/F-15s from RAF Lakenheath. Flights from Lakenheath and McEntire are going to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, while a C-5 from Aviano has flown to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

Additional ISR/EW aircraft have been deploying today too. Four E-3 Sentry's arrived at Ramstein as SHUCK 84-87 flight, and two E-3s departed RAF Mildenhall as DENALI 01/02 for Prince Sultan.

F-15Es of the 492nd Fighter Squadron deployed today from RAF Lakenheath to Jordan.

Tanker activity since this morning (arrivals only)

Chania Airport, Crete

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker 5x
#AE04D0 62-3566 - REACH 114 (Sioux City ANGB)
#AE085A 59-1519 - REACH 290 (Sioux City ANGB)
#AE0364 60-0347 - REACH 533 (Rickenbacker ANGB)
#AE04E2 59-1446 - Unknown C/S (Bangor ANGB)
#AE068C 62-3513 - Unknown C/S (Bangor ANGB)

Another five tankers arrived in Chania, making at least 10 KC-135s on the ground at Chania.

Naval Station Rota, Spain

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker 10x
#AE064E58-0036 - REACH 412 (Fairchild AFB)
#AE062C 63-8874 - REACH 456 (Fairchild AFB)
#AE04CA 60-0360 - Unknown C/S (McConnell AFB)
#AE07BB 62-3561 - Unknown C/S (Fairchild AFB)
#AE0594 58-0128 - REACH 286 (Fairchild AFB)
#AE014D 58-0023 - REACH 262 (McConnell AFB)
#AE037E 63-8887 - REACH 349 (McConnell AFB)
#AE0482 60-0337 - REACH 435 (Fairchild AFB)
#AE04C5 59-1476 - REACH 264 (Fairchild AFB)
#AE07A3 58-0118 - REACH 310 (Fairchild AFB)

Ten additional tankers have positioned to Naval Station Rota, making it at least 15 KC-135s.

Sofia Airport, Bulgaria

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker 3x
#AE0242 58-0065 - REACH 246 (MacDill AFB)
#AE0671 63-8000 - REACH 466 (MacDill AFB)
#AE0654 58-0071 - REACH 645 (MacDill AFB)

Three more KC-135s have arrived in Sofia, bringing the total there to 9.

Combat Aircraft Activity Ramstein Air Base, Germany

Bombardier E-11 BACN 2x
#AE4DE1 11-9355 - BLACKWOLF 01 (Warner Robins AFB)
#AE77A3 22-9046 - BLACKWOLF 02 (Warner Robins AFB)

Boeing E-3 Sentry 4x
#AE11DC 76-1605 - SHUCK 84 (Tinker AFB)
#AE11E7 79-0001 - SHUCK 85 (Tinker AFB)
#AE11EE 81-0005 - SHUCK 86 (Tinker AFB)
#AE11DB 76-1604 - SHUCK 87 (Tinker AFB)

Four E-3 Sentry's and two E-11 BACNs have arrived at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, likely on their way to join the other two E-3s in Saudi Arabia.

RAF Mildenhall, United Kingdom

Boeing E-3 Sentry 2x
#AE11F0 82-0007 - DENALI 01 (Elmendorf AFB)
#AE11D6 75-0556 - DENALI 02 (Elmendorf AFB)

Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker 3x
#AE0237 61-0315 - LAGER 14 (Cell 1)
#AE062B 60-0353 - LAGER 15 (Cell 2)
#AE04FB 57-2605 - LAGER 10 (Cell 3)

The two E-3s which arrived at Mildenhall from Elemndorf have now departed for Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Three KC-135s also supported the deployment of a further 10 F-15Es of the 492nd Fighter Squadron from RAF Lakenheath.

RAF Lakenheath, United Kingdom

McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle 10x
Cell 1: BOLAR 11-14 (91-0327/98-0134/97-0222/61-0315)
Cell 2: BOLAR 21-14 (97-0221/01-2001/91-0317/01-2004)
Cell 3: BOLAR 15-19 (91-0329/00-3001/91-0302/91-0315/91-0303)

With this deployment, there are now 22x "LN" F-15Es and 18x "LN" F-35As deployed to Jordan.

Airlift Activity (Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan)

Boeing C-17 Globemaster III 10x
#AE4F12 10-0218 - REACH 859 (RAF Lakenheath)
#AE49C6 09-9210 - REACH 830 (McEntire JNGB)
#AE2FAA 08-8198 - REACH 831 (McEntire JNGB)
#AE2FA8 08-8196 - REACH 853 (McEntire JNGB)
#AE07E9 95-0106 - REACH 893 (McEntire JNGB)
#AE1454 05-5150 - REACH 892 (McEntire JNGB)
#AE1469 07-7171 - REACH 260 (RAF Lakenheath)
#AE145C 06-6158 - REACH 542 (RAF Lakenheath)
#AE1239 04-4129 - REACH 122 (RAF Lakenheath)
#AE117D 02-1111 - REACH 546 (RAF Lakenheath)

​​​​​​​Ten C-17s have arrived or are en route to Jordan today, with five coming from RAF Lakenheath and five from McEntire Joint National Guard Base.

[ORAC]

Israel: All rescue organisations and the IDF Home Front Command have been instructed to prepare for war.

Maximum defensive alert has been declared across multiple security bodies, with all systemsnow on high alert.

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east...h-iran/3834081

[golder]

IS THE F-35 REALLY STEALTHY ? INTERVIEW WITH AN F-35 TEST PILOT

53:00
and the record of F-35 in combat is astonishing. Uh, I I no longer I'm not a fan of war. Nobody wins.
But it's hard to ignore what the Israeli Defense Force has done in the most heavily defended, lethal place in the world, downtown Tyran, uh, undetected, astonishing, paralyzing the defenses there early and then leading a massive raid after that. Wow. Incomprehensible.

what it can do in combat is it is what everybody promised. And Block 4 when it comes will be it. it's a monster though, right? It's 3,500 aircraft. it's a franchise program. For the first time in history, the media and the politicians were allowed access to the development of the program all along.

[ORAC]

[QUOTE]https://x.com/sentdefender/status/2024361424936718628?s=20
[/QUOTE]

​​​​​​​Yet another wave of aerial-refueling tankers have departed bases in the United States and are preparing to cross the Atlantic towards Europe, including several KC-46A Pegasus from Travis Air Force Base in California.

​​​​​​​

[Atlantic Explorer]

Probably be much easier detailing what’s left in the US! Can’t be much.

[jolihokistix]

This is surely one hell of an expensive bluff.

[Bonkey]

With this huge build up, maybe appropriate to remind everyone that one of Trump's key election pledges was "No More Wars".

Did he lie?

[Asturias56]

Originally Posted by jolihokistix

This is surely one hell of an expensive bluff.

But a lot cheaper than any war

[51bravo]

Originally Posted by Bonkey

With this huge build up, maybe appropriate to remind everyone that one of Trump's key election pledges was "No More Wars".

Did he lie?

In better times I would say: yes. But in the Orwellian new times: War is Peace.

By the way, what is left in the Pacific? Opportunities for China? Now or never? Well - we have another thread for that, I know...

Today in D.C: Inaugural Meeting of Board of Peace.
https://www.dw.com/en/donald-trump-b...now/a-76018492

[Buster Hyman]

I'm surprised that they haven't asked for any Wedgetails for support.

[ORAC]

Probably be much easier detailing what’s left in the US! Can’t be much.

The bombers…. The last item in the box.

During Midnight Hammer the B-52s flew west towards Guam and DG but were a decoy with the B-2s attacking direct from the USA.

If this intended, as suggested, as more of a sustained campaign I would expect they would deploy to DG and perhaps Fairford, closer to Iran, to allow more sustained operations.

B-52s and B-2s deploying will be a good indicator that operations are near.

Having said that, the B-2s could do a first day wave from CONUS - and the number of tankers in Lajes has gone up to 13…

[dead_pan]

Does illustrate how important the US bases in Europe are, for all those NATO naysayers stateside. Would be very difficult to stage such numbers of aircraft direct from the US to bases in the ME.

[Party Animal]

Originally Posted by Bonkey

With this huge build up, maybe appropriate to remind everyone that one of Trump's key election pledges was "No More Wars".

Did he lie?

Ain’t gonna be a war………

But there might be a Special Military Operation! 😉

[ORAC]

............

https://x.com/FaytuksNetwork/status/...577903366?s=20

​​​​​​​Faytuks Network: U.S. students in an Israeli–American exchange program who were due to return Saturday had their flight moved up after intervention by the U.S. Embassy in Israel and the State Department, and are now flying back to the U.S. today.

[ORAC]

The four remaining E-3G Sentry AWACS aircraft, along with an E-11A BACN, are en route to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

[TURIN]

According to FR24 there are currently 15 USAF aircraft heading east, mainly C17s with a couple of C5s and several KC135s.
As has been said That's quite a lot of support for a bluff .

[51bravo]

Originally Posted by TURIN

According to FR24 there are currently 15 USAF aircraft heading east, mainly C17s with a couple of C5s and several KC135s.
As has been said That's quite a lot of support for a bluff .

Well we can all agree, it cant be a bluff anymore, the pure inertia is past V1 by now.

[GeeRam]

Originally Posted by ORAC

Having said that, the B-2s could do a first day wave from CONUS - and the number of tankers in Lajes has gone up to 13…

And presumably could fly straight on to DG and then be based there for additional tasking in theatre?

[langleybaston]

Originally Posted by 51bravo

Well we can all agree, it cant be a bluff anymore, the pure inertia is past V1 by now.

Inertia? Surely momentum?