Launched on February 28, 2026 by United States Central Command (CENTCOM) in coordination with Israel, Operation Epic Fury not only represented the largest U.S. air-naval offensive in the Middle East since 2003, but also functioned as a real-world testing ground for systems that had never before been used in combat and as a demonstration of a defense industrial architecture unprecedented in scale. More than 1,000 targets were struck in the first 24 hours, according to CENTCOM confirmation on March 1. The command publicly listed the platforms involved, although it clarified that the list includes “special capabilities that we cannot enumerate here,” suggesting the actual deployment exceeds what has been officially acknowledged.
The strategic aviation component was spearheaded by the stealth bombers B-2 Spirit of Northrop Grumman, which conducted round-trip missions from the continental United States to strike Iranian ballistic missile sites using 2,000-pound guided bombs. According to open-source information, at least four B-2 aircraft participated in the first wave. In parallel, around a dozen B-1B Lancer bombers from Boeing were concentrated at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom—representing more than half of the operational fleet of the type and marking the largest concentration of Lancer aircraft at a foreign base in recent history. B-52 Stratofortress bombers, according to CENTCOM, struck ballistic missile facilities and command-and-control nodes during the first 100 hours of the operation.
Air superiority and suppression of Iranian air defenses relied on a combination of fifth-generation fighters and electronic warfare aircraft. Around 30 F-35 Lightning II fighters from Lockheed Martin—coming from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath and the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard—operated alongside F-35C Lightning IIsquadrons of the United States Marine Corps (VMFA-314) deployed from the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72). About twelve F-22 Raptor fighters from Joint Base Langley–Eustis were sent to Israel in the days before the start of the operation, marking the first combat deployment of the air-superiority fighter in that country. The role of the EA-18G Growler, operating both from carrier decks and at least one land base in the region, was the electronic suppression of Iranian air defenses before and during the strikes.
The debut of the PrSM and LUCAS drones: Epic Fury’s technological novelties
One of the most significant details confirmed by CENTCOM was the first combat use of the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) short-range ballistic missile from Lockheed Martin, fired from the M142 HIMARS system. This point deserves technical clarification: audiovisual material released by CENTCOM clearly shows the launch of PrSM—not ATACMS. The distinction is important: the PrSM has greater range than ATACMS (exceeding 480 km), a smaller radar cross-section, and represents the next-generation precision artillery platform of the United States Army. Its combat debut in Iran marks a doctrinal milestone.
Another novelty was the first combat use of the one-way attack drones LUCAS drone (Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System) developed by SpektreWorks and operated by Task Force Scorpion Strike, a unit the U.S. Army acknowledged was activated in December 2025. CENTCOM was explicit: “For the first time in history, low-cost attack drones are being used in combat during Operation Epic Fury.” Designed taking inspiration from the Iranian Shahed-136drones—used extensively by Russia in Ukraine under the designation Geran—the LUCAS represents the conceptual U.S. response to the proliferation of low-cost expendable strike systems: build its own equivalent and use it against the country that developed them.
The naval component deployed two carrier strike groups simultaneously in the theater of operations, an unusual concentration of force. The USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) operated in the Eastern Mediterranean off Israel, while the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) positioned itself in the Arabian Sea south of Iran. From both flight decks operated F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, F-35C aircraft, and EA-18G Growlers. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer ships from both groups fired RGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles developed by RTX Corporation against targets in Iranian territory. Each destroyer of this class can carry up to 96 Tomahawks in its vertical launch systems, giving the naval component the ability to conduct massive and sustained strike operations.
On the defensive side, the operation activated the full spectrum of interception systems deployed in the region to counter the Iranian response of ballistic missiles and drones. According to estimates by the Payne Institute recovered by Escenario Mundial, the United States fired approximately 180 naval interceptors—SM-2 missile, SM-3 missile and SM-6 missile—along with about 90 MIM-104 Patriot (RTX) missiles and around 40 THAAD interceptor missiles (Lockheed Martin).
Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) support is provided by three complementary platforms. RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft from Boeing and L3Harris Technologies operated from the Greek island of Crete to collect signals intelligence (SIGINT). Meanwhile, P-8A Poseidon aircraft from Boeing patrol the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea, monitoring Iranian naval assets and the adversary’s logistical chain. MQ-9 Reaper drones developed by General Atomics, deployed in multiple orbits over Iran, perform dual roles: real-time ISR and strikes against mobile missile launchers—one of the priorities identified by General John Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who stated on March 4 that the effort to “eliminate the regime’s mobile missile launch capabilities” was underway. The E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft—six of which were present in the region—provides battle management and airspace control.
The logistical network sustaining this structure involved dozens of KC-46 Pegasus and KC-135 Stratotanker flights for aerial refueling, operating from Israel and other regional bases according to flight-tracking data. The strategic airlift bridge was executed by C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules variants, which transported munitions, personnel, and equipment to the Middle East during the weeks preceding the start of the offensive.
From an industrial perspective, the most striking aspect is the concentration of production among a small group of defense contractors. Lockheed Martin provided five key systems—F-22 Raptor, F-35 Lightning II, M142 HIMARS with the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), THAAD interceptor, and the Patriot PAC-3 missiles—making the company the single largest supplier involved in the operation. RTX Corporation (Raytheon Technologies) was represented by the RGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile and the MIM-104 Patriot system, while Boeing contributed the B-1B Lancer, B-52 Stratofortress, EA-18G Growler, RC-135 Rivet Joint, and P-8A Poseidon. Northrop Grumman participated with the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber and the E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft. In effect, all major contractors of the U.S. defense industrial complex were actively represented in Operation Epic Fury.
United States Central Command published a document on March 1 detailing the platforms employed, while explicitly noting that the list was incomplete. Meanwhile, Zona Militar reported on March 1 the first combat use of the PrSM missile launched from the M142 HIMARS system, and also recorded the sinking of a Jamaran-class frigate of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy in the port of Chabahar, located on the Gulf of Oman. As the operation continues, the inventory of systems employed—and the performance data of each against Iranian countermeasures—will provide doctrinal insights of considerable value for militaries around the world observing the conflict.
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