The air war may currently be limited to the over Gaza, but if this expand it may well tended to over Lebanon, Syria, the Gulf and elsewhere. It already extends to extensive surveillance ops over the eastern Med- though not much has been pasted here…

​​​​​​​During their arrival in the CENTCOM AOR, newly deployed USAF F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron conducted an integrated combat turn exercise, seen here sortieing out after rapidly arming.

Both U.S. and Israeli officials have now confirmed that Prime Minister Netanyahu has agreed to delay the Invasion of the Gaza Strip until the U.S. military is able to move more assets into the region including at least 12 Air Defense systems, for the interception of cruise and ballistic missiles as well as rockets and drones, which are set to be spread across multiple countries in the Middle East including Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE.

The French Navy has announced that the FS Tonnerre (L-9014) a Mistral-Class Amphibious Assault ship is currently being deployed to the eastern Mediterranean in order to link-up with NATO naval forces including the Carrier Strike Group led by the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) off the coast of Israel.

​​​​​​​This deployment follows an announcement earlier today by French president Macron that France will be sending a hospital ship to the region to assist residents of the Gaza Strip.

​​​​​​​Per reports, the Israeli Air Force hit the Aleppo Airport runway less than two hours after Syrian repair crews fixed the damage from the previous Israeli strike.

Good time to be in the tarmac business near allepo airport I guess!

I'd suggest requiring the payments be made in cash.

​​​​​​​Good practice, not that they need it.

Given this mornings news about an overnight incursion, seems the US did act quickly.

​​​​​​​Hamas has claimed that it hit an Israeli helicopter using shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missile (Strela). The Israeli military says it spotted an attempt to fire at a helicopter, but no hit.

One of the comments under the initial post made sense to me:
Plausible.

I though5 about putting this in the Iran thread, but despite General Ryder’s comment, I see this as part of the wider air war which may develop….

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/u...yria-nwrr7tfrh

US launches retaliatory airstrikes against targets in eastern Syria

The US last night launched airstrikes against targets in eastern Syria in what the Pentagon said was retaliation against Iran for a raft of recent missile attacks on American bases in the Middle East. The targets were linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, US officials said.

There have been at least 12 attacks on US bases and personnel in Iraq and four in Syria since October 17. Air Force Brigadier General Pat Ryder said 21 US personnel were injured in two of those assaults that used drones to target the al-Asad Airbase in Iraq and al-Tanf Garrison in Syria. An American contractor was killed in one attack……

In a statement, US defence secretary Lloyd Austin said the “precision self-defence strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against US personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17.”

Brigadier General Ryder said that President Biden, who held no public engagements on Thursday, had directed the narrowly tailored strikes “to make clear that the United States will not tolerate such attacks and will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests.” He added that the operation was separate and distinct from the war taking place in Israel and Gaza.

Austin stressed that the US is not seeking a broader conflict but said that if Iranian proxy groups continue, the US would not hesitate to take additional action to protect its forces.

“I think we’ve been crystal clear that we maintain the inherent right of defending our troops and we will take all necessary measures to protect our forces and our interests overseas,” Ryder said earlier on Thursday before the strikes were carried out.

“There was a direct message relayed. That’s as far as I’m going to go,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, declining to say how it was delivered.

At the UN, Iran’s foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, warned the US about its support for Israel.

“I say frankly to the American statesmen and military forces who are now managing the genocide in Palestine, that we do not welcome the expansion and scope of the war in the region,” he said.

“But I warn if the genocide in Gaza continues, they will not be spared from this fire.”….

Gupta’s hit by at least two drones fired from the Red Sea (Yemen), thought to have been intended for Eilat in Israel just up the coast.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....b6dd363df.jpeg
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The President of United States, Joe Biden has Delivered a War Powers Notification to Congress notifying them of the recent Airstrikes against Iranian-Backed Militias in Eastern Syria on October 26th, following over 15 Drone and Rocket Attacks by these Militias on U.S. Forces in Syria and Iraq resulting in the Death of a American Contractor as well as the Injury of at least 30 Servicemembers; also this Letter further states that, “The United States stands ready to take further Action, as Necessary and Appropriate, to address further Threats or Attacks.”

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....fddfcabb8b.png

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f92ca19db2.png

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and elements of her Carrier Strike Group transited the Strait of Gibraltar today eastbound into the Mediterranean.


https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....87f6df078.jpeg

Interesting to see the Merkava tanks entering Gaza sporting metal canopies, presumably as defence against top attack systems.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....024aedd87.jpeg

Erdogan speaking at the “Great Palestine Rally” in Istanbul today:

“We can come at any night unexpectedly”

In response, hundreds of thousands of Turks start chanting:

“Turkish military to Gaza”

One of the ships headed in Harm's Way is named for a US Enlisted Sailor who was murdered by Hezbollah Terrorists that hijacked a TWA Flight.

Take a mometn to read the article and consider the irony of that ship bering dispatched to confront yet more Hezbollah Terrorism after all the intervening years.

It is a proud ship, named for a very brave young Man who stood up against evil and paid the ultimate price for his gallantry and devotion to duty.

He was a construction diver....not a combat sailor but he lived up to the highest standards of the Naval Service during a very terrible situation.

The connection to the Air War in Gaza.....he represents all those Sailors aboard those ships today and the manner in which they are prepared to do their duty.

We are blessed to have such people serving in our armed services.

https://navylog.navymemorial.org/stethem-robert

24 hours of US and allied transport aircraft from CONUS to eastern Med/CENTCOM, including 🇺🇸 C-17A (49!), C-5M 🇬🇧 A400M & C-130 transports with RCH/REACH callsigns.

This is far from a complete list and does not include tankers or other types of aircraft.

https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....2e623a5403.png
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Earlier today, a drone that was tracked from a position off the coast of Crete loitered over Gaza for just under 3 hours.

What wasn't visible on flight trackers were two MQ-9A Extended Range Reaper drones also in the area: REMIX22 & REMIX55 from NAS Sigonella. #ADSB #E9D001….