Amid rising tensions in the Middle East, the United States Air Force (USAF) has deployed B-52H Stratofortress bombers with the aim of deterring Iran and its allies in the region, seeking to offset the upcoming departure of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln along with its embarked air wing and escorts.
The deployment includes a total of six B-52 bombers from the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot Air Force Base (North Dakota), accompanied by a squadron of F-15E Strike Eagle fighters and aerial refueling tankers. These forces complement existing defense systems in the region, bolstering air capabilities following recent threats from Iranian officials to attack Israel.
Tensions escalated after Israeli airstrikes on October 26 targeting Iranian missile and air defense infrastructure, prompting the Pentagon to send the bombers, although their base of operations has not been specified. However, various sources suggest they may operate from Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which has previously hosted these aircraft.
This deployment adds to last month’s dispatch of a THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) ballistic missile defense system along with nearly 100 U.S. personnel to operate it.
Additionally, around 2,000 Marines are in the eastern Mediterranean as part of a Marine Expeditionary Unit led by the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp, along with the 480th Fighter Squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets from Spangdahlem Air Base (Germany), operating with KC-46 Pegasus refuelers deployed earlier in October.
In light of this deployment, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III stated in a press release that he “wants to make it clear that if Iran, its allies, or its proxies use this moment to attack American interests or personnel in the region, the United States will take all necessary measures to defend its people.”
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