With the intention of strengthening its presence in the Indian Ocean amid heightened tensions with Iran and its affiliated groups in the region, the U.S. Air Force deployed four of its F-15 fighters to Diego Garcia Island, joining the B-52H bombers already stationed there. The news was confirmed by Division Commander Matthew Comer, who serves as Chief of Media and Current Operations for U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, stating that the decision to send these fighters was made with the objective of providing greater protection to the aforementioned assets.
According to U.S. specialized media, the first F-15 fighters were spotted on the island on May 14 for the first time, based on satellite images taken by Planet Labs. Although the images are not entirely clear, it is highly probable that the aircraft belong to the F-15E Strike Eagle variant due to their paint scheme characteristics. The image also shows a total of four B-52 bombers, one C-17 cargo aircraft, five KC-135 refueling planes, and what appears to be a commercial passenger aircraft.
It is worth noting that the recent arrival of these four B-52H bombers occurred last week, almost simultaneously with the departure of the six B-2 Spirit bombers that had arrived at Diego Garcia in March. During their stay at this strategically significant base, the stealth bombers participated in various operations against Houthi targets in Yemen, in addition to serving as a clear deterrent message to Iran.
However, it is unknown whether their replacements will continue participating in attacks against the rebel faction, considering statements made by President Donald Trump regarding a cessation of operations during a meeting with his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney at the White House. It is a rather unclear situation, given that Yemen has denied any kind of negotiation to halt its support for Palestine in its conflict with Israel, while Jerusalem has continued attacking various key points of infrastructure controlled by the Iran-linked group.
Returning to the reasons for the deployment of the F-15 fighters, it should be mentioned that it responds to growing U.S. concerns regarding the vulnerabilities of Diego Garcia Island, especially given that Iran now possesses new cruise missiles and maritime platforms capable of deploying drones, which would place the island within potential striking range. The choice of the Boeing-manufactured aircraft in this case would be entirely justified, especially if we recall its participation in missions supporting Israeli air defense, which established the F-15 as a proven-capability platform to protect the base against potential Iranian attacks.
*Images used for illustrative purposes
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