In response to recent hostilities between Israel and Iran, the U.S. Air Force has decided to bolster its presence in the Middle East by deploying its stealth fighters, the F-22 and F-35A, to the region. This move comes just days after analysts highlighted the large-scale movement of the service’s aerial refueling aircraft heading east. Both developments occur almost simultaneously with the order given by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to deploy additional assets to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Area of Operations, which encompasses both countries involved in the conflict.
It is worth noting that the first tanker aircraft, operating under the callsign GOLD, began mobilizing last weekend. This movement was tracked by various sources using public flight monitoring websites. The GOLD callsign is commonly associated with Coronet missions—long-range transatlantic or transpacific flights toward forward operating bases or allied airfields—where fighters must be accompanied by tanker aircraft for specific segments of the journey to complete the crossing.
With this in mind, open-source intelligence (OSINT) accounts on social media reported that F-22 fighters are already preparing to depart from Langley Air Force Base, Virginia. This base is known as the home of the 1st and 192nd Fighter Wings, which oversee three squadrons operating the renowned Raptor aircraft. Meanwhile, the F-35As are reportedly being mobilized from one of two possible locations: either from the Vermont Air National Guard or the 48th Fighter Wing stationed at RAF Lakenheath in the United Kingdom. The latter appears more likely due to its proximity to the Middle East.
According to specialized media and recent photographs, the F-35 fighters deployed from the UK are traveling in groups of four, accompanied by KC-135 tanker aircraft. This aligns with previous reports showing the mobilization of up to 30 refueling planes, both KC-135 and KC-46 models, toward Europe. These aircraft were received at bases located in Germany, Spain, Italy, the United Kingdom, and even Greece. Anonymous defense officials stated that the deployment is intended to broaden the range of response options available to the U.S. government as the conflict unfolds.
In addition to these aircraft, reports also point to the activation of F-16 fighters stationed at Aviano Air Base, located in northeastern Italy. This appeared to be confirmed last Tuesday, when numerous European observers reported the mobilization of these fourth-generation fighters. However, it remains unclear whether they are heading to the Middle East under CENTCOM’s command, as they had already received deployment orders earlier this month.
For now, despite all these indicators of a large-scale mobilization by the U.S. Air Force toward the Middle East, the Trump administration has not confirmed that the country will intervene in the conflict between Israelis and Iranians, even though such a scenario has been suggested by Israeli officials. So far, the U.S. has limited its role to supporting its ally’s air defense network against drone and missile attacks launched from Tehran. However, it has made clear that any attack targeting U.S. forces in the region will be met with overwhelming force.
*Images used for illustrative purposes only
